The History of Antiquity, Vol. 4 (of 6)Duncker, Max
History
The History of Antiquity, Vol. 4 (of 6)
Duncker, Max
History, Ancient
[51] In the later hymns of the Rigveda, Angiras and Bhrigu are combined
with other sages and minstrels of old time into a septad of saints (10,
109, 4), and designated the great saints. They are, beside Bhrigu and
Angiras, Viçvamitra, Vasishtha, Kaçyapa, Atri, Agastya. The eight saints
from whom the eight tribes of the Brahman priests now in existence are
derived are: Jamadagni, Gautama, Bharadvaja, Viçvamitra, Vasishtha,
Kaçyapa, Atri, Agastya. Jamadagni is said to have sprung from Bhrigu;
Gautama and Bharadvaja from Angiras.
[52] Muir, "Sanskrit texts," 3, 117 ff.; 121 ff.
[53] A. Weber, "Ind. Studien," 1. 88.
[54] Muir, "Sanskrit texts," 1^2, 160 ff.
[55] Kuhn in Weber, "Ind. Stud." 1. 202. The Çatapatha-Brahmana (Weber,
"Ind. Stud." 1. 161) tells us that Manu, when washing his hands in the
morning, took a fish in his hands, which said to him--"Spare me, and I
will save thee; a flood will wash away all creatures." The fish grew to
a monstrous size, and Manu brought him to the ocean; and it bid Manu
build a ship, and embark on the ocean. When the flood rose, the fish
swam beside the ship, and Manu attached it by a rope to the horn of the
fish. Thus the ship passed over the northern mountains. And the fish
told Manu that he had saved him, and bade him fasten the ship to a tree.
So Manu went up as the waters sank from the northern hills. The flood
carried away all creatures; Manu alone remained. Eager for posterity,
Manu offered sacrifice, and threw clarified butter, curdled milk, and
whey into the water. After a year a woman rose out of the water, with
clarified butter under her feet. Mitra and Varuna asked her whether she
was their daughter, but she replied that she was the daughter of Manu,
who had begotten her, and she went to Manu and told him that he had
begotten her by the sacrifice which he had thrown into the water. He was
to conduct her to the sacrifice, and he would then receive posterity and
herds. And Manu did so, and lived with her with sacrifice and strict
meditation, and through her began the posterity of Manu. Cf. M. Müller,
"Hist. of Sanskrit Liter." p. 425 ff. The later form of the Indian
legend of the flood is found in an episode of the Maha-bharata. Here the
fish appears to Manu when he is performing some expiatory rites on the
shore of a river. The fish grew so mighty that Manu was compelled to
bring it into the Ganges, and when it became too large for this into the
ocean. When swimming in the ocean the fish announced the flood, and bade
Manu and the seven saints (Rishis) ascend the ship, and take with them
all kinds of seeds. Then the fish drew the ship attached to his horn
through the ocean, and there was no more land to be seen; for several
years all was water and sky. At last the fish drew the ship to the
highest part of the Himavat, and with a smile bade the rishis bind the
ship to this, which to this day bears the name of Naubandhana
(ship-binding). Then the fish revealed himself to the seven saints as
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