122 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
From the table two things are as clear as day-light. First is that neither Sudas mentioned in the Vishnu Purana has anything to do with the Sudas mentioned in the Rig Veda. The second point which is clear is that if the Paijavana mentioned in the Mahabharata can be identified with anybody who lived in ancient times it can only be with Sudas mentioned in Rig Veda who was called Paijavana because he was the son of Pijavana which was another name of Divodasa. [1]
Fortunately for me my conclusion is the same as that of Prof. Weber. In commenting upon the passage in the Shanti Parvan of the Mahabharata on which my thesis is based Prof. Weber [2] says :
“Here the remarkable tradition is recorded that Paijavana, i.e., Sudas who was so famous for his sacrifices and who is celebrated in the Rig Veda as the patron of Vishvamitra and enemy of Vasishtha, was a Shudra.”
Prof.Weber unfortunately did not realize the full significance of this passage. This is another matter. It is enough for my purpose to find that he too thinks that the Paijavana of the Mahabharata is no other than Sudas of the Rig Veda.
III
What do we know about Sudas, the Paijavana?
The following particulars are available about him:
I. Sudas was neither Dasa nor Arya. Both the Dasas as well as the Aryas were his enemies. [3] This means that he was a Vedic Aryan.
II. The father of Sudas was Divodasa. He seems to be the adopted son of Vadhryashva. [4] Divodasa was a king. He fought many battles against Turvasas and Yadus, [5] Shambara, [6] Parava, and Karanja [7] and
1 Some difficulty is felt about the genealogy of this Sudas in the Rig Veda, which is sought to be got over by identifying Devavata with Divodasa. This difficulty has mainly arisen because of the diffirent texts of Stanzas 22, 23 and 25 which nobody seems to have cared to collect properly. Chitrava Shastri’s edition of Rig Veda has Pijavana throughout. Satavalekar’s edition has Paijavana throughout. Wilson has Paijavana in 22 and 23 and Pijavana in 25. Wilson’s text seems to be accurate. For even Yaska has noticed the existence of the name Paijavana in his Nirukta which he endeavours to explain. If Wilson’s text in 25 is taken as correct no difficulty can arise. Pijavana would then appear to be another name of Divodasa and Paijavana would be another name of Sudas.
2 Muir, Vol. 1, p. 366
3 Rig Veda, VII, 83. 1.
4 Rig Veda, IX, 61.2.
5 Rig Veda,VI. 61. 1; VII 19.8
6 Rig Veda, I. 130. 7
7 Rig Veda, I. 53. 10