Jyabaneya

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (Retd.)

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Jyabaneya (ज्याबाणेय) was an ancient republic of Ayudhjivi Sangha known to Panini and mentioned in Mahabharata.

Variants of name

• Jyābāṇeya (ज्याबाणेय)
• Jyabaneyas
• Kshepaniya/Kshepaṇīya (Dronaparva,121.34-35)

Mention by Panini

Jyabaneya (ज्याबाणेय), a war like tribe, is mentioned by Panini in Ashtadhyayi.

History

V. S. Agrawala mentions Sanghas known to Panini which includes - Jyabaneya (ज्याबाणेय), under Yaudheyadi (यौधेयादि) (IV.1.178).

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V. S. Agrawala mentions Ayudhjivi Sanghas in the Ganapatha under Yaudheyadi group, repeated twice in the Panini's Ashtadhyayi (IV.1.178) and (V.3.117), a phenomenon somewhat unusual. Nine names are common to both groups and they alone seem to be genuine. Yaudheyadi group includes Jyābāṇeya (ज्याबाणेय), a war like tribe whose bow-sting served arrow. The Vratyas of Tandya Br. (XVII.124) and Srautasutra appear to be the same as Panini’s Ashtadhyayi Sangha of Vrata type. Amongst them we have a feature called jyā-hroda, a king of bow not for shooting arrows ḍwhich seems to be a contrivance for hurling sling balls, most probably a pellet-bow. The Jyabaneyas seem to be section of these Vratyas. The Mahabharata specifically mentions the Mountaineers (Parvatiyas) as experts in fighting by hurling stone-blocks as big as elephant heads, and secondly by shooting stone balls with slings (kshepaṇīya, Dronaparva,121.34-35).

References

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