There are 6 Vedangas. Vedngas are the supplementary texts of Vedic Study, that helps in understanding the Vedas and to use the Vedas in practical life.
One of them is "Nirukta of Yask". Nirukta is etymology, that describes the meaning of various words used in Vedas. It is most important text to understand the Vedas.
Some days back, I came across an article on Internet, that narrated Rig Veda 3:53:14, that goes as follows -
किं ते कृणवन्ति कीकटेषु गावो नाशिरं दुह्रे न तपन्तिघर्मम |
आ नो भर प्रमगन्दस्य वेदो नैचाशाखं मघवन्रन्धयानः ||
"O Indra, what do the cows make for you among the Kikatas? They neither yield milk for your offerings, nor do they warm the vessel of libation. Bring to us these cows; bring to us also the wealth of Parmagand (their King). O Brave one, grant us the possessions of the people of low status."
’Kikatas’ were a non-Aryan people living around modern Bihar, who reared cattle. The Aryans were eyeing their property and the way they expressed this desire to their God (Indra), reflects their mind-set. The reason given in these verses to snatch the cattle of the Kikatas is that they do not offer milk oblation to the Aryan god Indra. Explaining the word ‘Kikata’, Nirukt, the oldest treatise on etymology of Vedic words, says,
कीकटा नाम देशो अनार्यनिवासः
As I described earlier, Nirukta is a very important text to understand the Vedas. Nirukta 6:32 deals with this mantra in specific to conclude the meaning of "kikata" and "pramangada". But before going to Nirukta, first lets understand the meaning of this mantra, as it is -
किं ते कृणवन्ति = What do they do
कीकटेषु = the Kikatas
गावो = with the cows
नाशिरं दुह्रे = nor they milk them
न तपन्तिघर्मम = nor get some thing for fire of "dharma"
आ नो भर = And bring to us
प्रमगन्दस्य = of the "pramangada"
वेदो = wealth
नैचाशाखं = over the lower
मघवन्रन्धयान: may we rule
Full meaning -
What do the "Kikatas" do with the cows ? Neither they milk the cows, nor get anything for the fire of "Dharma". Bring the wealth of the "Pramangada" to us, and may we rule over them"
Now lets go through Nirukta 6:32 to understand this mantra properly -
किं ते कुर्वन्ति कीकटेषु गावः | = what are the cows doing in the land of Kikata ?
कीकटा नाम देशोऽनार्यनिवासः | = kikata is the name of the land where "Anarya" dwells.
कीकटाः किं कृताः | = What do the Kikata do ?
किं क्रियभिरिति प्रेप्सा (वा) Dont they belive in Dharma ?
नैव चाशिरं दुह्ये | = They neither get the milk
न तपन्ति धर्मे हर्म्यम् | = nor kindle the fire
आहर नः प्रमगन्दस्य धनानि | = Bring us the wealth of the "pramaganda"
मगन्दः कुसिदि | = Maganda are those who indulge in corrupt practice
मामागमिष्यतीति च ददाति | = He advances with the thought that he will get all back (do not donate)
तदपत्यं प्रमगन्दः | = his son is "Pramaganda"
अत्यन्त कुसिदिकुलिनः | Who is more corrupt
प्रमदको वा योऽयमेवास्ति लोको न पर इति प्रेप्सुः | = who believes this world belongs to him only
पण्डकः वा | = who is impotent
पण्डकः पण्डगः प्रार्दको प्रर्दयत्याण्डौ | = who is fond of sexual pleasure
आण्डावाणी इव व्रीडयति | = or one who paralyses himself.
तत् स्थ नैचशाखं निचाशाखो नीचैः शाखः | Now "Naichashaakham" who belongs to lower branch
शाखाः शक्रोतेः | = "Shakha" is derived from the word " sak" (which means to be able)
आणिररणात् | Testicles are so called from being fitted
तनौ मधबत्रन्धयेति | राध्यतिर्वशगमने | = Oh lord of wealth, subdue him to us. The verb "radhyati" means subdue.
वुन्द इषुर्भवति | (बिन्दो वा) भिन्दो वा | भयदो वा | भासमान द्रवतिति वा | = "Bundah" means an arrow. It pierces or it inspires awe or it shines when it ties.
Summary of Nirukta 6:32
Kikata is name of a land where Anaryas used to live. Why they are called Anarya ? Because they neither used to milk the cows not used to get ghee from the milk. They did not accept "dharma". They were involved in corrupt practices. They used to advance with a motive to get back. Some of them were involved in trading of women. Some of them belonged to even lower branches (of misdeeds). And the prayer to the God is to bring back wealth from these Anaryas and to establish rule over them.
Now lets analyze -
Why the people of the land Kikata called as Anarya ? Is it because they belong to some other race ??
Answer is No. They were called Anaryas because of their activities, like not following dharma, indulging in corrupt practices, and to use women as an object of pleasure.
If some one is not milking the cows, what else is he doing with the cows ??
Answer is, killing the cows and eating them.
What should the King do with such people ?
Answer is, bring the cows from such land. Establish rule over these people, bring back wealth earned by way of corrupt practices.
This is what the vedas say.
One of them is "Nirukta of Yask". Nirukta is etymology, that describes the meaning of various words used in Vedas. It is most important text to understand the Vedas.
Some days back, I came across an article on Internet, that narrated Rig Veda 3:53:14, that goes as follows -
किं ते कृणवन्ति कीकटेषु गावो नाशिरं दुह्रे न तपन्तिघर्मम |
आ नो भर प्रमगन्दस्य वेदो नैचाशाखं मघवन्रन्धयानः ||
"O Indra, what do the cows make for you among the Kikatas? They neither yield milk for your offerings, nor do they warm the vessel of libation. Bring to us these cows; bring to us also the wealth of Parmagand (their King). O Brave one, grant us the possessions of the people of low status."
’Kikatas’ were a non-Aryan people living around modern Bihar, who reared cattle. The Aryans were eyeing their property and the way they expressed this desire to their God (Indra), reflects their mind-set. The reason given in these verses to snatch the cattle of the Kikatas is that they do not offer milk oblation to the Aryan god Indra. Explaining the word ‘Kikata’, Nirukt, the oldest treatise on etymology of Vedic words, says,
कीकटा नाम देशो अनार्यनिवासः
“Kikata is the name of a country where the non-Aryans dwell.”
As I described earlier, Nirukta is a very important text to understand the Vedas. Nirukta 6:32 deals with this mantra in specific to conclude the meaning of "kikata" and "pramangada". But before going to Nirukta, first lets understand the meaning of this mantra, as it is -
किं ते कृणवन्ति = What do they do
कीकटेषु = the Kikatas
गावो = with the cows
नाशिरं दुह्रे = nor they milk them
न तपन्तिघर्मम = nor get some thing for fire of "dharma"
आ नो भर = And bring to us
प्रमगन्दस्य = of the "pramangada"
वेदो = wealth
नैचाशाखं = over the lower
मघवन्रन्धयान: may we rule
Full meaning -
What do the "Kikatas" do with the cows ? Neither they milk the cows, nor get anything for the fire of "Dharma". Bring the wealth of the "Pramangada" to us, and may we rule over them"
Now lets go through Nirukta 6:32 to understand this mantra properly -
किं ते कुर्वन्ति कीकटेषु गावः | = what are the cows doing in the land of Kikata ?
कीकटा नाम देशोऽनार्यनिवासः | = kikata is the name of the land where "Anarya" dwells.
कीकटाः किं कृताः | = What do the Kikata do ?
किं क्रियभिरिति प्रेप्सा (वा) Dont they belive in Dharma ?
नैव चाशिरं दुह्ये | = They neither get the milk
न तपन्ति धर्मे हर्म्यम् | = nor kindle the fire
आहर नः प्रमगन्दस्य धनानि | = Bring us the wealth of the "pramaganda"
मगन्दः कुसिदि | = Maganda are those who indulge in corrupt practice
मामागमिष्यतीति च ददाति | = He advances with the thought that he will get all back (do not donate)
तदपत्यं प्रमगन्दः | = his son is "Pramaganda"
अत्यन्त कुसिदिकुलिनः | Who is more corrupt
प्रमदको वा योऽयमेवास्ति लोको न पर इति प्रेप्सुः | = who believes this world belongs to him only
पण्डकः वा | = who is impotent
पण्डकः पण्डगः प्रार्दको प्रर्दयत्याण्डौ | = who is fond of sexual pleasure
आण्डावाणी इव व्रीडयति | = or one who paralyses himself.
तत् स्थ नैचशाखं निचाशाखो नीचैः शाखः | Now "Naichashaakham" who belongs to lower branch
शाखाः शक्रोतेः | = "Shakha" is derived from the word " sak" (which means to be able)
आणिररणात् | Testicles are so called from being fitted
तनौ मधबत्रन्धयेति | राध्यतिर्वशगमने | = Oh lord of wealth, subdue him to us. The verb "radhyati" means subdue.
वुन्द इषुर्भवति | (बिन्दो वा) भिन्दो वा | भयदो वा | भासमान द्रवतिति वा | = "Bundah" means an arrow. It pierces or it inspires awe or it shines when it ties.
Summary of Nirukta 6:32
Kikata is name of a land where Anaryas used to live. Why they are called Anarya ? Because they neither used to milk the cows not used to get ghee from the milk. They did not accept "dharma". They were involved in corrupt practices. They used to advance with a motive to get back. Some of them were involved in trading of women. Some of them belonged to even lower branches (of misdeeds). And the prayer to the God is to bring back wealth from these Anaryas and to establish rule over them.
Now lets analyze -
Why the people of the land Kikata called as Anarya ? Is it because they belong to some other race ??
Answer is No. They were called Anaryas because of their activities, like not following dharma, indulging in corrupt practices, and to use women as an object of pleasure.
If some one is not milking the cows, what else is he doing with the cows ??
Answer is, killing the cows and eating them.
What should the King do with such people ?
Answer is, bring the cows from such land. Establish rule over these people, bring back wealth earned by way of corrupt practices.
This is what the vedas say.
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