The tenth Mandala of the Rigveda (study)

by Rupsmita Buzarbaruah | 2016 | 59,530 words

This page relates ‘Occupations (during the Rig-Vedic civilization)’ of the study on the tenth Mandala of the Rigveda, covering the contents, socio-cultural aspects, religious elements, and literary features of the text. The work draws primarily on the commentary of Sayana-Acharya, using significant translations and resources to analyze the tenth Mandala. This particular section provides valuable insights into the Vedic life of ancient India, including details about the caste system, status of women, and societal norms.

Go directly to: Footnotes.

Part 5 - Occupations (during the Rig-Vedic civilization)

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A study of the tenth maṇḍala of the Ṛgveda reveals that the people of that period were not solely devoted to religious rites. There was a complete society, in which, people pursued various occupations. Though economy was mainly agricultural and pastoral, various industries were also restored to.

There are frequent allusions to agriculture in the Ṛgveda. Agriculture is encouraged in the tenth maṇḍala, which is recommended to the gambler.^[1] It enjoined that one should not play with dice and he should pursue agriculture to be wealthy.

In the Ṛgvedic hymns various stages of agriculture are referred to, i.e. ploughing, sowing, reaping, making bundles of sheaves and thrashing and winnowing.^[2] In agriculture first of all, the ground was made prepared by ploughing. Plough is called in the Ṛgveda, sīra.^[3] and the ploughshare is called phāla.^[4] It is stated that the ploughshare, furrowing the field, provides food for the ploughman.^[5] The crops were beaten out on the threshing floor.^[6] The grain was separated from the chaff by sieve or cribble called titau.^[7] The cultivators, whose fields are full of barley, reap the ripe corn removing it in order.^[8] Thus, it is seen that the process of cleaning food grains and grinding them were known to the Ṛgvedic Āryans. Then the grains were stored in a basket called sthivi.^[9] In the Vedic Index of Names and Subjects, the term sthivi is explained as bushel.^[10] According to Griffith, it is a measure, basket or instrument connected with corn.^[11] Thus, the grains were to be stored in a place free from dust etc. from which quantities were extracted whenever needed.^[12]

Vedic Āryans had adequate knowledge on agriculture. People, who were engaged in agriculture, kept away birds from robbing them of the growing corn by uttering loud cries.^[13] Paddy cultivation required plenty of water. So, prayer for rain is found in the tenth maṇḍala.^[14] Ṛgvedic people did not solely depend upon rain for watering the ground. There are references to artificial irrigation system also. A Ṛgvedic verse mentions artificial streams flowing into a large lake, which proves evidently that different arteries of irrigation system was practiced in those days.^[15] The term avata is used to denote artificial well^[16] dug deep into the earth. The Ṛgveda also mentions the art of drawing water from the well.^[17] From it water was raised by stone wheels called aśmacakra to which pots were attached. Aśmacakra is explained by Sāyaṇācārya as—kūpaprāntanibaddhāśmasadṛśaprharaṇāyudhavantam.^[18] In other places also there are allusions to well.^[19] There is another allusion to irrigation of fields by means of canals which were replenished with water by means of a droṇa.^[20]

Cattle rearing was also an important means of livelihood during the Ṛgvedic period. As the economy of that period was mainly based on agriculture, cattle had an important role in it. Without cattle one could not even think of cultivation during that period. The principal animals, domesticated in the Vedic age were cow,^[21] goat,^[22] horse,²¹⁵ sheep,^[23] bull,^[24] elephant,^[25] dog,^[26] etc. In the tenth maṇḍala of the Ṛgveda, three-fold division of such animals is found. These are vāyavya or those of the air, araṇya or those of the forest and grāmya or those of the village.^[27] The Ṛgveda mentions the functions of a herdsman, who was in charge of kine.^[28] Another passage speaks of the herdsman going to the grazing ground with kine along various paths and returning home with them to the rejoice of all.^[29] The cows and other animals were taken out from the Goṣṭhas for pasture in the morning^[30] and they returned in the evening.^[31] Goṣṭha was the place where the cattle used to graze or stand or take rest.^[32] Vraja also indicates the place where cattle were taken out for grazing or the stables that are filled with kine.^[33] Rudra is prayed for the wind to blow upon the cows and to let them drink the nutritious life-sustaining water.^[34] Some other passages show how cattle were given pure drinking water, poured into well, bound with straps so that they were carried easily from the wells to the cow stalls.^[35]

Hunting also prevailed in Ṛgvedic society. The term mṛgayu,i.e. hunter occurs in a hymn of the Ṛgveda.^[36] The wild bull is referred to as fleeing away through fear from an archer’s bowstring^{.^[37]} The lion is said to have been snared within a trap, obviously laid by the hunter.^[38] The term ṛśyadā is explained by Sāyaṇācārya as a kūpa, i.e, well,^[39] but according to Macdonell and Keith pits were used for catching antelopes (ṛśya) and so were called ṛśyadā, i.e, antelope-catching.^[40] The boar was captured in the chase, for which the dogs were used.^[41]

There are references to barber in the tenth maṇḍala, which indicate that the profession of barbering also prevailed in the Ṛgvedic period. There is a clear allusion to shaving, where the term vaptṛ indicates barber.^[42]

Sāyaṇācārya explains the passage thus—

yathā vaptā nāpito vapati muṇḍayati tadvat/^[43]

Reference to blacksmith is also available. Blacksmiths are those, who forge and shape iron. In one passage Brahmanaspati is compared with a blacksmith.^[44] Sāyaṇācārya interprets in the present context that the blacksmith smelted the ore in the furnace using the bellows.^[45] They manufacture some implements which are used in the agriculture.^[46] Carpentry is said to be one of the professions of the Vedic people. The chariots were the main means of transport which were made by the carpenters.^[47] In another verse of the tenth maṇḍala, reference to a carpenter making a charioteer’s seat is seen.^[48] Another means of transportation prepared by a carpenter was the wagon,^[49] drawn by oxen.^[50]

Though there is no remains of house built in the Vedic period, still many words meaning houses are found, which the Vedic Āryans might have built when they took to settled life. The term gṛha is used in the singular^[51] and often in the plural^[52] in the tenth maṇḍala to denote the house of the Vedic Āryans. Another word indicating house is duroṇa.^[53] Duroṇa is called so because it comes from dvār or dvāra denoting door.^[54] A large building unparalleled among people is also referred to in a passage for which the sage Saptagu prayed to Indra.^[55] Sthūṇa in the Ṛgveda denotes the pillar or post of a house.^[56] Weaving was also in practice at that period. There are many instances of weaving of sheep’s wool in the tenth maṇḍala of the Ṛgveda. The weaver is termed as vāsovāya.^[57] In one context, weaving is ascribed to the Aśvins, which states that they both demand the oblation, and spread out the ceremonials as two weavers stretch cloths.^[58] Reference to weaving is also observed in a verse attributed to Prajāpati.^[59] Use of tasara, i.e, shuttle is also evident.^[60]

Skill in the manufacture of weapons of war and other sharp-edged implements must have been common as swords, knives, axes etc. are constantly mentioned. The principal weapon of the Ṛgvedic warrior was his bow.^[61] The last act of the funeral rite included the removal of the bow from the right hand of the dead man indicates its importance.^[62] The term pavi also shows the use of weapon.^[63] The word kṛpāṇa, meaning a sword, occurs in the tenth maṇḍala^[64] with which Indra is said to have fought the Vṛtras. Paraśu also used to cut down wood and for other purposes.^[65] Another term to mean the axe in the Ṛgveda is svadhiti, with which Indra was supposed to cut the clouds.^[66] In another place of the tenth maṇḍala, svadhiti is used in the sense of axe for cutting wood.^[67] It is noteworthy that the axes like svadhiti, paraśu, etc. do not occur in mortal combats.^[68]