ORIENTAL SERIES.

354 VEDA- VYASA VENI-SANHARA.
VEDA-VYASA ' The arranger of the Vedas.' See Vyasa,
'
YEDODAYA.
sun as the source of the Sama-veda.
YEGAYAT. '
Source of the Veda.' An epithet of the
Swift' i. A son of Krishna. 2. A Danava
who fought on the side of the Salwas against Krishna, and was
killed hy Samba.
YE^VA. Son of Anga, and a descendant of Manu Swayam-
bhuva. When he became king he issued this proclamation :
" Men must not sacrifice or give gifts or present oblations. Who
else but myself is the enjoy er of sacrifices ? I am for ever the
lord of offerings." The sages remonstrated respectfully with
him, but in vain ; they admonished him in stronger terms ; but
when nothing availed, they slew him with blades of consecrated
grass. After his death the sages beheld clouds of dust, and on
inquiry found that they arose from bands of men who had taken
to plundering because the country was left without a king. As
Vena was childless, the sages, after consultation, rubbed the
thigh (or, according to the Hari-vansa, the right arm) of the dead
king to produce a son. From it there came forth " a man like
a charred log, with flat face, and extremely short." The sages
told him to sit down (Nishlda). He did so, and thus became
a Nishada, from whom " sprang the Nishadas dwelling in the
VincLhya mountains, distinguished by their wicked deeds." The
Brahmans then rubbed the right hand of Vena, and from it
"
sprang the majestic Priihu, Vena's son, resplendent in body,
glowing like the manifested Agni" The above is the story as
told, with little variation, in the Maha-bharata, the Yish?m and
Bhagavata Puranas, and the Hari-vansa. The Padma Pura^a
says that Vem began his reign well, but fell into the Jaina
heresy. For this the sages pummelled him until the first of the
Nishadas came forth from his thigh and Prithu from his right
arm. Being freed from sin by the birth of the Nishada, he
retired to a hermitage on the Narmada, where he engaged in
penance. Vishmt was thus conciliated, and granted him the
boon of becoming one with hdmseli See Prithi.
VEM-SANHAKA. <
by Bhafta Narayana.
The binding of the braid.' A drama
The plot is taken from the Maha-bharata
Draupadi, the wife of the Pa?w#u princes, was dragged by the
hair of her head into the hall of the Kauravas by Dua-aasana,
and she vowed that it should remain dishevelled until the insult