Rajat Gautam

Aug 14, 2022

Das Rajana Yuddha

The Dasarajna or the Battle of the Ten Kings, is an important historical event alluded to in various hymns of the Rig Veda.

Sudas was the king of Bharata Kingdom. He belonged to Trstu family. At first Visvamitra was their priest. He led him to victorious campaigns on the banks of Vipas and Sutudri. Later there was some misunderstanding and Vasistha was appointed as the priest and Visvamitra was sacked. Thereupon a long and bitter rivalry ensued between the two priests and, in revenge, Visvamitra led ten kings against the Bharata kingdom.

The ten kings were from the kingdoms of Puru, Yadu, Turvasa, Anu and Drhyu, Alina, Paktha, Bhalanas, Siva and Visvanin. In the bloody and decisive battle on the banks of River Parusni, the Bharats emerged victorious, utterly routing the ten kings. The kings of Anu and Druhyu kingdoms were drowned, while Purukutsa, King of the Puru Kingdom met his death.

There was another battle in which Sudas fought with Ajas, Sigrus and Yaksus who had united under King Bheda; but these new assailants also met the same fate and were defeated, being slaughtered on the River Jamuna.

By the time of this war, the Vedic Hindus covered a vast territory, from the banks of Jamuna in the east to Iran in in the west. In modern terms it covers the North India ,Pakistan ,Afghanistan and Iran! The earliest part of the Rig Veda sings about Ganges. So the ten people can’t be tribal chiefs. When it comes to Chera, Choza and Pandyas of Tamil kingdoms we don’t dub them as tribal chiefs. There were umpteen tribals and chieftains, but yet these three were called kingdoms. In the same way all the ten names gave big dynasties in India. Even Morton Smith’ conservative estimate gives a long list of Yadava (Yadu) kings from 1800 BCE and Puru Kings from 1800 BCE.