Get complete information on the vedic danastutis and puranic genealogies

As danastutis means literally ‘in praise of gifts’ these were composed by the recipients, who were priests, and usually mention the name of the donor. Here is a typical example. These verses are from the second hymn of the eighth mandala or book of the Rigveda: Skilled is Yadu’s son in giving precious wealth, he who is rich in herds of Asanga, the son of Playoga, has surpassed others, by giving ten thousand.

The recipient acknowledges the gifts he receives and prays for the well-being of the donor. Such acknowledgments or proclamations were a part of major rituals such as the asvamedha as well. As part of the ritual, the sacrificial horse was let loose to wander for a year.

During that period, a brahmana priest was expected to sing about the generosity of the patron every morning, while a ksatriya was to sing about his war-like exploits every evening. It is likely that many of the stories that were later compiled in the epics and the Puranas developed out of such narrative practices. It is perhaps worth reflecting on what would get recorded and why.

Only what was regarded as positive or desirable from the point of view of the brahmana or the ksatriya would find a place in such eulogies. Other activities, or failures, would tend to be glossed over or even obliterated from memory. The generosity and prowess of the patron was not meant to be a simple, objective recounting, but was in fact meant to ensure that the patron would continue to live up to expectations. As such, these histories were related to a context of patronage.

The Puranas was written down. Like the epics, the antecedents of the Puranas can be traced back for several centuries. And as in the case of the Mahabharata, a social group known as the sutas evidently played an important role in the composition, compilation and transmission of at least some of the narratives that were included in the Puranas. The sutas are often regarded as bards.

They were important in early states, so much so that they are listed amongst the “jewels” or principal supporters of the raja in the later Vedic texts. They were expected to act as messengers of the king, accompany him in battle, and maintain as well as narrate stories about his exploits, sutas are also mentioned as low status people in the Dharmasastras such as the Manusmrti.

This would suggest that at least some people in society, perhaps the brahmanas, were contesting the claims of the sutras to be both close to the king and transmitters of royal lore. And when the epics and Puranas were finally written down, the authors were recognized as brahmanas rather than as sutas.

There are three types of genealogies in the Puranas. The first includes lineages of sages. Such lineages, which perhaps served as markers of legitimate transmission of knowledge, are found in some of the Upanisads and Dharmasastras as well. The other genealogies are those of rulers.

These in turn are divided into two categories, those that pre-date the onset of the Kaliyuga and those of rulers who are po6t- Kaliyuga. The first category, delineating the original solar and lunar lineages, includes the heroes of the epics. In fact, the war that constitutes the central event of the Mahabharata is recognised as marking the turning point (for the worse) in human history, and the beginning of an age of decline, i.e. the Kaliyuga. The genealogy of the second category of rulers, clearly lesser mortals, is marked by an interesting feature.

All these genealogies, which in some cases run till about the 5th century ce, are constructed in the future tense. For instance, a verse about the Gupta rulers, who ruled in north India from c. 4th century ce, runs as follows: Kings born of the Gupta family will enjoy all these territories: viz. Prayaga (Allahabad) on the Ganga, Saketa (eastern Uttar Pradesh) and Magadha.

It is likely that the final compilation was undertaken during the time of the Gupta rulers, as (with few exceptions) later rulers are generally not mentioned. The future tense adopted so as to suggest that these rulers were destined to rule, and this was then a possible strategy for legitimating. It is likely that this would have also created an illusion of stability and permanence that may have been valuable in a fluid political situation.

At the same time, not all rulers who are known from other sources find place in these genealogies. Clearly, traditions of recording the names of rulers as well as the duration of their reigns were widely prevalent, and were more or less systematized within the Purina tradition. It has been suggested that genealogies become particularly important during certain historical moments, when attempts are made to either contest or consolidate power. Invoking genealogies at such moments may become a means of asserting status, which may be especially important when these claims are somewhat tenuous.

Claims to continuity, implicit in invoking lineage identities, are also particularly significant when there are major resources that are accumulated and handed down from one generation to the next. These resources could include land, and in the ultimate analysis, kingdoms.

It is also important is to focus on the principles of inclusion and exclusion that underlie genealogies. The kinship is traced bilaterally (i.e. through both parents) or is matrilineal or (in some rare instances) matrilineal. The positions assigned to elder and younger brothers in these texts.

Thus, the genealogies often provide information about the kind of kinship networks that were valorized. But genealogies need not be literally true. Nevertheless, in so far as they appeal to selected events and ancestors in the past, they allow us to speculate on the circumstances in which such strategies of drawing on or even constructing a mythical past may have been important.