z:\ ambedkar\vol 04\vol4 03.indd MK SJ YS 21 9 2013/YS 8 11 2013 84
84 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES II. CULTS contd. Sr. Name of the Sect The deity which is No. worshipped
Kukur Vratikas Kukku [1]
Kaka Vratikas Kaka [2]
Vasudeo Vratikas Vasudeo
Baldeo Vratikas Baldeo
Puma Bhadra Vratikas Puma Bhadra
Mani Bhadra Vratikas Mani Bhadra
Agni Vratikas Agni
Naga Vratikas Naga
Suparna Vratikas Suparna
Yaksha Vratikas Yaksha
Asura Vratikas Asura
Gandharva Vratikas Gandharva
Maharaja Vratikas Maharaja
Chandra Vratikas Chandra
Surya Vratikas Surya
Indra Vratikas Indra
Brahma Vratikas Brahma
Deva Vratikas Deva
Deesha Vratikas Deesha
Comparing the position as it stood at the time of the Satapatha Brahmana with that arising from the Chula-Niddessa the following propositions may be said to be well-established : (1) Firstly, that the worship of Agni, Surya and Indra continued up to the time of the Chula Niddessa. (2) Secondly, the Cults of Agni, Surya and Indra although they had not ceased, had lost their places of supremacy. Others and quite a number of cults had come into being as rivals and had won the affection of the people. (3) Thirdly, of the new cults there are two which later on became very prominent. They are the cults of Vasudeo (i.e. Krishna) and Brahma and (4) Fourthly the cults of Vishnu, Shiva and Rama had not come into being.
What is the present position as compared with that found in the ChulaNiddessa ? Here again, three propositions are well-established. First : the cults of Agni, Indra, Brahma and Surya have disappeared. Second : Krishna has retained his position. Three : The cults of Vishnu, Shiva and
1 Dog.
2 Crow.