XXii Annual Address. 
Aryans had chariots of fine make with a place for the conceal- 
ment of weapons. They had horse-whips and reins. But the 
Vratyas had carts loosely planked over, drawn by horses and 
mules kept ineffectually under restraint by a Pratoda, a stick 
still used by our carters, They had peculiarly rude dress, and 
new the use of silver ornaments only and not gold: 
The Brahmana of the Sama-Veda has a long chapter on the 
purification of these Vratyas. And curiously enough, when 
purified they are admitted to all the privileges of the Vedic 
Society—they can study the Vedas, perform the sacrifices, 
entertain Brahmins with food cooked by 
and even compile the Brahmanas, The Vratyas were in fact 
nomadic hordes of Aryans, but when they assumed a settled 
life they were fully admitted into the Vedic Society. But 
they were not allowed to bring in any of their possessions of 
t heir nomadic life to their new home. They had to distribute 
them among their old comrades still continuing in nomad 
life or among the so-called Brahmins of MagadhadeSa. : 
The wrong notion that the Vratyas were a race of fallen 
Aryans stood in the way of the right understanding of the 
15th chapter. The general notion was that it was meant to 
be a glorification of the Vratyas. But it is not known 
whether they were still then in nomad life or settled. But 
reading the chapter over and over again J found that the 
Vratyas induced the creator to look within himself, and he 
saw Suvarna, brilliance. That brilliance increased and grew 
up, and it became Isana, it became Mahadeva, it became 
i kavratya or the totality of the Vratya community, in other 
words, the spirit of the Vratya community, the god of the 
So the chapter is not exactly the glorification of the 
Vratyas, but of their spirit, of their god whom they had lost, 
as stated in the Brahmana of the Sama-Veda. The Maruts 
edic community. This idea struck me and I read the 
chapter again and again with increasing interest, eagerness 
and enthusiasm And wonder of wonders! I fo my Siva 
there. He is Isana, he is Mahadeva. Both these names are 
familiar to every Hindu. His bow was lying at Mithila with 
no string. It is a Vratva bow, never used with a string. It 
was Siva’s bow. The king of Mithila promised the hand of 
his daughter to any one who could string the bow. No one 
