Thread by @GhorAngirasa

There is an interesting point that some may miss when reading this episode: There were originally two separate lineages/dynasties of pāñcalas, one based at ahicchatra in north pāñcala, another at kampilya in south pāñcala; not just two regions. So, what happened?

https://twitter.com/horizonwords/status/1015713628463489026

Now, these 2 pāñcalas were just 2 of the 4 lines of the bhāratas (pauravas, descendants of puru) which would be properly kṣatriya lines by the time immediately preceding the mahābhārata era (bhīṣma’s youth). All other lines of the bhāratas became kṣatropeta brāhmaṇas!

So, which were the remaining 2 lines which continued to be kṣatriyas proper? If you are sharp, you would definitely guess 1 of them. Who? The main line of the bhāratas that continued to rule at hastināpura; the line that produced the great kuru & kauravas (including pāṇdavas).

That should have been obvious. It is, after all, the most important line of bhāratas in the mahābhārata (the line of kuru). Let us just call this line, for convenience, the "hastināpura line". So, what was the 4th line of bhāratas? They are the dvimīḍhas.

Most would have most likely not heard of the dvimīḍhas. But they are important in the larger scheme of things. How? For this, one must trudge through the genealogical lists in the purāṇas (work through the contradictions due to scribal errors) as well as paurāṇika narratives

We learn from the harivaṃśa (if memory serves right), among other sources, that the dvimīḍhas were on a tour of conquest against their fellow bhārata dynasties. The then north pañcala king, pṛṣata's (drupada's father) grandfather was slain by the dvimīḍha king, ugrāyudha.

The young pṛṣata then flees to the south of the gaṅgā to kampilya for refuge at south pañcala, whose soon-to-be-last-king was the inept janamejaya, aptly known as durbuddhi, who sadly didn't uphold his exalted great-grandfather's illustrious legacy (we'll see in a bit).

In a matter of time, south pañcala became an offering into the rapacious mouth of the dvimīḍha fire; janamejaya durbuddhi was slain & pṛṣata, who was aging in exile, now sought refuge with the last of the bhāratas, who had not succumbed to dvimīḍha occupation-the kurus

At that very time, hastināpura was in mourning over the death of śāṃtanu. And bhīṣma was performing his dear father's last rites, while vicitravīrya was still a young kid, as our sources note with immense detail. This was the perfect moment for ugrāyudha of the dvimīḍhas.

This ugrāyudha was keen to take over the lands of all his fellow bhāratas (he had already wiped off the south pañcalas from the earth) & unite the entire paurava land under the singular reign of the dvimīḍhas. In his regal arrogance, he sent the following message to bhīṣma.

"Send me your stepmother (satyavatī) to be my wife"; this was the message the debased ugrāyudha (he too was a disgrace to his noble ancestor) sent to bhīṣma. Even the harivaṃśa wonders, "how can such a message be sent to one observing pitṛkarman?"

Seeking the blessings & permission of the brāhmaṇas, bhīṣma prepared for war (there is a story that the cakra obtained by ugrāyudha lost its power when he became lustful & wicked) & he then slew him without issue, nobly restoring pṛṣata as the ruler of both pañcalas.

Fast forward & all this becomes significant, when droṇa informs drupada that he will keep north pañcala while "graciously" giving back the south.

The north was drupada's ancestral land with south being bhīṣma's gift. One now better appreciates the degree of drupada's humiliation, who lost his ancestral land (the land of his great ancestors, divodāsa & sudāsa) & have bhīṣma's prior gift tossed back to him like "alms".

*has bhīṣma's prior
All of these 4 paurava states played an integral part in the shaping up of vaidika history & culture. The north pañcala line is the protagonist for nearly 4 maṇḍalas of the ṛgveda.

6th maṇḍala: Contemporaneous with rājarṣi divodāsa, 1 of the greatest scions of north pañcala
3rd: sudāsa, divodāsa's great-grandson when his purohita was a vaiśvāmitra ṛṣi
7th: Again, sudāsa but a vāsiṣṭha ṛṣi is his purohita here
4th: sudāsa's grandson, somaka

Now, we know that sudāsa was the most ambitious & successful of the north pañcala kings. We know that he was the protagonist of the great daśarājña, that most glorious battle of ten kings, blessed & aided by indra himself. So, did he invade the land of kuru, hastināpura?

We come across an interesting account in the mahābhārata, which only mentions the defeat of saṃvaraṇa, the then king of the main hastināpura line at the hands of an unnamed "pañcala king" who went to "conquer the earth" with several akṣauhiṇīs of troops in all directions.

The great king of the kurus, the first among equals to be called the "bhāratas"; saṃvaraṇa was defeated & had to flee far west. How far? To the west of the sindhū river! Such was the terrifying vīrapratāpaḥ of one blessed by indra, sudāsa of eternal fame.

Now, the sāmaveda's jaiminīya brāhmaṇa speaks of "bhāratas" residing on the west of sindhū river during a difficult time but doesn't mention the name of the king of the bhāratas. I have discussed the full significance of this account on my blog. Not important here.

The point to note, for the interested, is that the ṛgveda's use of bhāratas in maṇḍalas 6, 3, 7 & 4 (yes, this order) is for the north pañcala bhāratas while jaiminīya brāhmaṇa & mahābhārata use the term to refer to the main "hastināpura line" (kauravas).

The kurus are remembered in the later texts of the śrautasūtras & the vādhūla anvākhyāna (a brāhmaṇa text of the vādhūla upaśākha of the taittirīya śākhā of the kṛṣṇayajurveda) as first knowers of the agnicayana, that most pre-eminent of all vaidika rituals.

The kurus & north pañcalas are of course distinguished for their sustained contribution to vaidika culture. But the other two lines of bhāratas--the dvimīḍhas & south pañcalas--are extremely important as well; in particular, south pañcala's contributions outdo that of all.

What was the contribution of the dvimīḍhas? One of its noblest kings, kṛta, a near ancestor of the wicked ugrāyudha, went to his senior contemporary, the then king of kośaladeśa (Today's East UP), the pious hiraṇyanābha to learn the "eastern sāmans" (prācyasāmāni).

Together, this royal teacher-student duo compiled twenty-four saṃhitās of sāman chants! Unfortunately, we no longer have access to these precious kārtasāmāni (named in honour of the great kṛta), not even a single saṃhitā of the twenty-four.

On a happier note, the contributions of the south pañcalas are still here; even today. What is that? The great-great-grandfather of janamejaya durbuddhi, the last king of south pañcala, was the illustrious brahmadatta.

This brahmadatta had 2 ministers: bābhravya pāñcāla & kaṇdarīka, who were the most distinguished brāhmaṇas of their time. The śivapurāna & harivaṃśa tell us that kaṇdarīka was a dvivedi. Which 2 vedas? He is known as candoga & adhvaryu.

Thus, kaṇdarīka was a master of the sāma & yajurveda collections of his time. What about bābhravya? He is known as bahvṛca (he of many ṛcas; the verses of the ṛgveda) & ācārya. In addition, bābhravya was also an exponent of śikṣā-śāstra.

What was their undying contribution? kaṇdarīka made 1 of the possibly earliest compilations of yajur verses & one of the earliest sāman collections (the above kṛta of the dvimīḍha predates kaṇdarīka). Later compilers must have benefited immeasurably from kaṇdarīka's efforts.

As for bābhravya, he is known to be the very first arranger of the ṛgveda kramapāṭha (krama recitation pattern: 12, 23, 34, etc, where 1 indicates the 1st word of a mantra, etc; of course, it isn't that simple; there are particular rules for splitting/pronunciation, etc)

To the 4 dynasties of the bhāratas, to the kurus & north pañcalas of imperishable fame, to kṛta, king of the dvimīḍhas, to hiraṇyanābha, lord of the kośalas, to brahmadatta of south pañcala, to the venerable teachers bābhravya & kaṇḍarika, we bow in reverence!! //End

Postscript: Note that all these great things were done just a few decades before the great war; setting the foundation for a strong vaidika religion, to be transmitted from madhyadeśa throughout bhārata.

Some interesting points for reflection:
1. If ugrAyudha dvimIDha won against bhISma, destroyed the lines of the kurus & north pañcalas as he did with the south pañcalas & united the paurava lands, would the bhArata yuddha not have taken place?