Vratya

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

Vratya (व्रात्य) was a type of Sangha in ancient India mentioned by Panini.

Variants of name

• Vrata
• Vratas
• Vrātas
• Vrātya
• Vrātyas
• Vratyas

Mention by Panini

Vrata (व्रात) is mentioned by Panini in Ashtadhyayi.

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Vratyas (व्रात्य) is mentioned by Panini in Ashtadhyayi.

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Vratyastoma (व्रात्यस्तोम) is mentioned by Panini in Ashtadhyayi.

History

V S Agarwal writes about Vrātas = Vrātyas - [p.440]: The Vratas seem to have been same as Vratyas. They are said to used a kind of very small wagon covered with a plank for seat and useful for driving along trackless paths (vipatha; also phalakāstīrṇa, from which Hindi word phirak, a dialectical word still in use), a string less bow not using arrows but probably sling balls or pellets, below like skin quivers as used by Shakas, a silver disc around neck, goat-skin or postīn (āvika), tilted cornate turban, and a kind of cloth woven with black thread or of a different colour, but fringed with streaks of black colour, and called kadru . Panini’s reference to Taitila-Kadru (VI.2.42) is very likely to the Kadru cloth of the Taitila Country. Kautilya mentions Taitila as a breed of horses which from its association with other names of north-western countries as Kamboja, Sindhu, Bahlika, Sauvira, and Vānāyu (Wana Valley) should be taken as being imported from north-west India. This gives an indication of the place of origin of the Taitila-kadru, if the rendering of kadru as the name of a fabric in use amongst the Vratya be correct.

The Vratyas were more backward in their political organization than Pugas. They were subordinate to a leader distinguished by his nishka ornament of silver. Like the Pugas, their leader also seems to have been called Gramani (V.3.112)

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[p.441]: Vratya-stomas - Earnest attempts were made to reclaim these people to the Aryan fold by the performance of some easy rituals called Vratya-stomas, considered adequate to purify them, to put an end to their stigma, and to entitle them to social intercourse. These social formations indicate a vigourous movement to absorb in the Hindu society elements that were outside the Aryan pail. In Panini’s time social movements of this type were in brisk operation as evidenced by certain words in the Ashtadhyayi. Sometimes even after transition of a particular people from the Vrata stage to Sangha, pockets of Vrata soldiery continued to exist. This was true of Andhaka-Vrishni Sangha, about which Krishna says that ‘contingents, 18000 strong, are organized still as Vratas in our Kula organization’(Sabhaparva, 13.55).

List of Vratyas

• Lichchhavis who were Vratya ksatriyas.

• Yadus and Turvasus were Dasas and Vratyas.

• Satvatas - were the Vratya Vaisyas)

See also

• Khap
• Gana
• Puga
• Sangha

References

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