Aryavartam
Generally we believe that Aryavarta (आर्यावर्त) (ఆర్యావర్తము) refers to entire ancient India or a part of India. Aryans are an imaginary human race who were supposed to have have migrated to India about 2500 years ago.
But Hindu Scripture whether they were Vedas or Itihasas or Puranas or Manusmruti did not mentioned Aryan as a Race or Jati. We have various references to clans or tribes or communities in our scriptures but not of any Aryan tribe. Nowhere we find descriptions of physical features of any tribes they refer to. However, we find physical description of a PERSON as a dwarf or a wicked or a dark colored man to show his bad character.
Similarly word Arya was used in the scriptures in order to refer to a Gentleman or a Householder man only. Let us investigate this point by studying relevant hymns from Hindus scriptures.
Aryan
Let us see how word Arya was used in Vedas.
vashaT te pUShannashminpUtaavaryamaahOtaa kRuNOtu vEDhaaH
sisritaam naarvRuta prajaataa vi parvaaNi jIhataamsUtavaa u
(shloka 46, Sukta 11, kanda 1, Atharvana vedam)
वषटते पूषन्नस्मिन्पूतावर्यमाहोता कृणोतु वेधाः
सिस्रताम नारवृत प्रजाता वी पर्वाणि जिहताम्सूतवा उ
(46व श्लोका, 11व सूक्ता, 1व कंडा, अथर्वन वेद)
Meaning: Suta was conducting suzerain operation to the woman. Aryan was conducting a Homa/Yajna with the help of a Hota in favour of Goddess Pusha devi praying her to issue a healthy baby.
From this sloka of Atharvana veda we can easily understand that Arya was a dutiful husband.
Let us read another sloka from Rig Ved,
Asme indro varuNo mitro aryama dyumnam yaChchandu mahi sharma saptathaH nO avadhram
jyotiraditErtaa vRudhO shlokam saviturmanaamahE
(hymns of Sudasu wars – Rig Ved)
अस्मे इन्द्रो वरुणो मित्रो आर्यमा द्युंनम यछ्छंतु महि शर्म
सप्रथः नौ अवध्रम ज्योतिरदितेर्ता वृधो देवस्य श्लोकं सवितुर्मनामहे
(रुग्वेदम सुदासु युद्ध सूक्त)
Meaning: At the end of prolonged wars Indra, Varuna and Aryama loosened their waist bands and all were happy. And they were readying to conduct a Yajna in favour of Goddess Savita devi for granting Victory in the war.
This Rig Vedic sloka is telling that Aryama was one of the warriors among others like Indra and Varuna. If Aryan theory is to be believed Indra and Varuna should also be referred as Aryan. But it is not so. They are different from Aryama.
(Watch my Videos on River Saraswati, सरस्वती नदी, Birth place of Hanuman, Location of Brahmavarta, ब्रह्मावर्त and of course truth about Aryanism, आर्याजाती वाद in my YouTube Channel. )
Max Muller
Aryanism argues that people of Aryan race were white colored with sharp noses and tall bodies. Mr. Max Muller who propounded and/or propagated this theory (around 1870 CE) of Aryanism later apologized for his theory and stated that word Arya should be construed as a Language and not as a race. Max Muller died in 1900.
Aryan invasion theory
And later in 1947, Mr. Mortem Wheeler proposed that Aryans have invaded India and destroyed the Harappan Civilization. Later in 1960 the same Morten Wheeler withdrew his proposition and said that he erred in his judgment. Unfortunately, this Aryanism is still in currency across the world. This Aryanism is plaguing the Indian society even today by dividing people of India based on the lines of Caste, region and creed.
Aryans and Vedas
And Aryanists argue that Vedas were composed or written by Aryans. But we find that authors of each and every Sukta or Sloka of Vedas is clearly mentioned in Vedas. Nowhere it is written that Vedic Rishis belonged to Aryan jati or Race.
Sage Valmiki the author of Ramayana addresses all the three main characters Rama, Ravana and Hanuman as Arya. Whereas Aryanism teaches us that Rama must be belonging to Aryan race and Ravana a non-Aryan. If that is true Rama should be white colored but Rama is dark skinned. Similarly Hindu Gods Vishnu, Krishna are also dark skinned. Surprisingly consorts of all these Gods are fair skinned. Aryanism believes that Lord Shiva was a non-Aryan God. And Ravana is considered to be a non-Aryan because he worshipped Lord Shiva. But we ignore the fact that Lord Rama consecrated Shiva Lingas at various places after the war with Ravana. So, we have to understand that the race theory of the Westerners is a humbug as far as ancient India is considered. and Indians as Bharatiyas must shed this fictitious Aryan theory for good and live a harmonious life as our ancestors did.
(I am happy to tell you that I have another website named: Democracy of India which have articles on Constitution of India, Freedom struggle, Fundamental rights, etc., and History of Andhra Telugu People. etc. Make a visit to this website also and read the articles and express your opinion.)
Indians were Bharatiyas
Vishnu Purana
Vishnu Purana refers to Indians as Bharatiyas.
uttarE yat samudrasya himaamdrEShCha iva dakshiNam
varShee tad bhaaratam naama bhaarateeyaatraa santatiH
उत्तरे यत समुद्र्यस्य हिमाद्रेष्छइवा दक्षिणम
वर्षी तद भारतम नाम भारतीयात्र संतती:
Meaning: The Land that lies to the North of the (Indian) Ocean and South of Himalaya mountains was called as Bharatavarsha and people who were born and lived there were called as Bharatiyas (Indians).
Then a very pertinent question arises, ‘If Aryans as a race did not exist at all then why Aryavarta was mentioned in some of our scriptures?’ Fact is that Hindu scriptures did not tell that a people or race in the name of Arya lived in Aryavarta.
Aryavarta
During conducting any Hindu rituals an introductory hymn will be uttered telling the respective Gods about the identity of the Worshipper and his geo-location like this,
mamOpaatta duritakShayaayadvaaraa shree paramEShvara preetyartham,
SubhE SObhanE muhoorte shree mahaa viShNOraaj~jnayaapravartamaanasyaadya brahmaNaH,
dviteeya paraardhE SvEtavaraahakalpE vaivasvata manvaMtare kaliyugE prathamapaade jaMbudveepe bharatavarShE bharatakhanDE asmin vartamaana vyaavahaarika chaaMdramaanE ……saMvatsarE …ayanE.. Rutou..
ममॊपात्त दुरितक्षयायद्वारा श्री परमॆष्वर प्रीत्यर्थम,
शुभॆ शॊभनॆ मुहूर्ते श्री महा विष्णॊराज्ञ्नयाप्रवर्तमानस्याद्य ब्रह्मणः,
द्वितीय परार्धॆ श्वॆतवराहकल्पॆ वैवस्वत मन्वंतरे कलियुगॆ प्रथमपादे जंबुद्वीपे भरतवर्षॆ भरतखन्डॆ अस्मिन वर्तमान व्यावहारिक चांद्रमानॆ ……संवत्सरॆ …अयनॆ.. ऋतौ..
Here the place of location of the devotee or worshipper is told as Bharatavarsha, Bharatakhanda and Jambudweepa and there is no mention of Aryavarta here. So, from this we can understand that there is very little significance for the word Aryavarta in ancient Hindu mind.
Earlier we have seen that entire country between Himalayas the (Indian) Ocean was called as Bharatavarsh in Vishnu Purana. But the same extent of land was called as Aryavarta also elsewhere in the scriptures. Let us see how is it.
Boudhayana dharma sutras
First let us see the reference to Aryavarta in Boudhayana dharma sutras.
- Praagadarshanaat pratyaag kaalakavanaaddakshiNEna himavantamudakpaariyaatraa me tadaaryaavartam tasmin ya aachaarasya pramaaNam
(boudhaayana dharmasutra – 1.1.2.10)
- gangaayamunayOrantaramisyEkE
(boudhaayana dharmasutra – 1.1.2.11)
‘प्रागदर्षनात् प्रत्यक्कालकवनाद्दक्षिणेन हिमवन्तमुदक्पारियात्रमे तदारयावरत तस्मिन् य आचारस्स प्रमाणम् |
बौधायाना धर्मं सूत्र 1.1.2.10॥
(प्राग अदर्षनात प्रत्यग़ कालकवना द्दक्षिणेन हिमवंतम उदक्पारियात्रा मे तदार्यावर्तम तस्मिन य आचारस्य प्रमाणम – बौधायाना धर्मं सूत्र 1.1.2.10॥)
‘ग़द्भायमुनयोरन््तरमिस्येके ।। 1.1.2.11 ॥
This first hymn of 1.1.2.10 designates Aryavarta as the land in between the place called as Adarshana and the point where Kalakavana lies. And also, it says that waters descending from Himalayas flow in that country. It asserts that people who were living there follow all Customs and traditions (of Sanatana dharma) sincerely.
The next hymn of 1.1.2.11 says that this place and the doab of Ganga and Yamuna rivers is one and the same.
Some claim that the place called as Adarshana existed where River Saraswati disappeared for Nishadas. And they presume that the present day Ghaggar river was ancient Saraswati River. But I have proved in my Book, “A Tribute to the Ancient World of India (A Perspective on Vedic society)” that present day Mohenzo daro was the place where River Saraswari disappeared for Nishadas. Kalakavana is yet to be identified.
So Aryavarta as per Boudhayana Dharma sutras should be the land between Prayag in the East and Mohenzo daro in the West and it should lie to the south of Himalayas. This depiction has led to the claim that Aryavarta existed between Himalayas and Vindhya mountains. But Boudhayana dharma sutras clearly tells that Aryavarta is limited to Ganga Yamuna doab. So Aryavarta should be exclusive of southern Rajahsthan, Madhyapradesh and Gujarat.
Manusmriti
Whereas Manusmriti claims that this same land was called as Madhya desa (Midland).
himavadvindhyayOrmadhyam yaatpraagviShasanaadapi
ptatygEva prayaagaaShCha madhyadeShaH prakeertitaH
हिमावाद्विन्ध्य योर्मध्यम यात्प्राग्विशसनादपि
प्रत्यगेवा प्रयागाच्च मध्यादेशः प्रकीर्तितः
That means the land with boundaries of Visasana in the West and Prayaga in the East, Himalayas in the North and Vindhya Mountains in the South as Madhya desa (Middle country).
And the next sloka in the same chapter of Manusmriti defines Aryavarta like this,
Aasamudraattu vai pUrvadaa samudraattu paShchimaat
tayOrEvaarantaram giryOraaryaavartam vidurbudhaaH
आसमुद्रात्तु वाई पूर्वादा समुद्रात्तु पश्चिमात
तयोरेवारंतरम गिर्योरार्यावरतम विदुर्बुधाः
That means the land that lies to the south of Himalayas and to the north of the (Indian) ocean but a line of mountains in between (Vindhyas) was called as Aryavarta. Accordingly entire Indian sub-continent becomes Aryavarta.
Whereas Vishnu purana looks at this same land of Aryavarta of Manusmriti as Bharatavarsha. And importantly Vishnu purana calls the people lived there in Bharatavarsha as Bharatiyas not Aryans. In the similar fashion neither Boudhayana Dharma Sutras nor Manusmriti say that Aryans lived in Aryavarta. Manusmriti describes the people of Aryavarta as Vidurbudha, meaning men with conscientious minds. And Boudhayana Dharma sutras says that people lived there were recognized for their Achara, meaning pious nature.
So, we have to understand that entire country of India extending from Himalayas to the Indian ocean should be called as Aryavarta not because people of the so called Aryan race lived there, but because Bharatiyas lived who followed Sanatana Dharma scrupulously. There is no tradition of dividing Bharatavarsha into regional and sectarian parts. All were Indians and Bharatiyas.
So Aryanism is a humbug thrust upon us by prejudicial minds.