Aryan Invasion - A myth

 

I have been used to Aryan Invasion theory from the time I started reading and understanding various theories. My teachers and elders used to say that "Srimad Ramayana" is all about a war between White skinned North Indian people and Black Skinned South Indian people.

 One of the main ideas used to interpret and generally devalue the ancient history of India is the theory of the Aryan invasion. According to this account, India was invaded and conquered by nomadic light-skinned Indo-European tribes from Central Asia around 1500-100 BC, who overthrew an earlier and more advanced dark-skinned Dravidian civilization from which they took most of what later became Hindu culture.

 While reading Srimad Ramayana, I came across  the word "Arya". However, each time I tried to understand the situation in which the word "Arya" was used, I realised, to my surprise, that it was used to indicate a noble person/character but not a section/colour of people.

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I will quote 2 such instances.  Readers may  read Srimad Ramayana on their own and decide.

1)      After a bitter duel between Vali and Sugreeva, Vali falls down after being hit by an arrow discharged by Sri Rama. On hearing this news, Lady Tara, wife of Vali,  rushes out to reach her slain husband while the Vanara generals seek of her to anoint Angada as king immediately or leave Kishkindha, for Sugreeva and his men may come occupying the city. She chides their advices away and proceeds to meet Vali.

 

She arrives at that place, sees Sri Rama and his brother Lakshmana, her husband Vali and his brother Sugreeva. She faints.  

On getting up as though reawakened from sleep she saw her husband bound fast by the strings of death, and then she wailingly addressed him as, "Oh! Aryaputra (आर्य पुत्र)"

सुप्ता इव पुनर् उत्थाय आर्य पुत्र इति वादिनी |

रुरोद सा पतिम् दृष्ट्वा सम्वीतम् मृत्यु दामभिः || 

 (Aranya kanda 19 Sarga 27  Sloka)

 Kishkinda area comes in Southern parts of India.  We can get a hint from Srimad Ramayana that women living even in the areas down South of India of Ramayana period, that too people living in Hill areas, used to call their husbands as ‘Aryaputra – son of a person having noble ideas”.

 2)        Seeing Kumbhakarna coming with his colossal body and emitting a tremendous roar, the monkeys scare away. Angada reassures the monkeys, who then return to the battle field to resume fight.

 कुलेषु जाताः सर्वे स्म विस्तीर्णेषु महत्सु च ||

क्व गच्छत भयत्रस्ताः प्राकृता हरयो यथा |
अनार्याः खलु यद्भीतास्त्यक्त्वा वीर्यं प्रधावत || (Yuddha kanda 66 Sarga 21-22  Slokas)

 "All of us are born in distinguished races; which are well developed. Where to you go frightened, like ordinary monkeys? As you are running away with fear, leaving all your valour, you are indeed unworthy of honour."

 Here, the sage Valmiki used the words अनार्याः खलु (anaaryaah khalu) = you are indeed not worthy of honour.  The "Arya" was used here to indicate a person, who is Valiant and cares for his honour.

 Hence, we need not believe the Britishers’ history declaring that Aryans were not from India itself and that they came from outside India.

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The word ārya first appeared in Rig Veda. 

 

Rig Veda 2.11.18

 धिष्वा शवः शूर येन वृत्रमवाभिनद्दानुमौर्णवाभम् ।

अपावृणोर्ज्योतिरार्याय नि सव्यतः सादि दस्युरिन्द्र ॥

dhiṣvā śavaḥ śūra yena vṛtram avābhinad dānum aurṇavābham |

 apāvṛṇor jyotir āryāya ni savyataḥ sādi dasyur indra ||

English translation:

Take to yourself the vast power, o champion, by which you cut down Vr̥tra, the son of Dānu, that son of a spider!

You uncovered the light for the Ārya; the Dasyu has been set down to the left, Indra.

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The widespread translation of ārya only as ‘noble’ or ‘distinguished’.

 European translators,  especially German scholars, attributed to the word ārya,  the meaning of migration of people to India from outside. 

 Interestingly, the European translators forgot about another word that appeared in Rig veda,  ie, अर्यमा - aryamā.

 Rig Veda 2.1.4

 

त्वमग्ने राजा वरुणो धृतव्रतस्त्वं मित्रो भवसि दस्म ईड्यः ।

त्वमर्यमा सत्पतिर्यस्य सम्भुजं त्वमंशो विदथे देव भाजयुः ॥

tvam agne rājā varuṇo dhṛtavratas tvam mitro bhavasi dasma īḍyaḥ |

 tvam aryamā satpatir yasya sambhujaṃ tvam aṃśo vidathe deva bhājayuḥ ||

English translation:

“You, Agni, are the royal Varuṇa, observant of holy vows; you are the adorable Mitra, the destroyer (of foes); you are aryamān, the protector of the virtuous, whose (liberality) is enjoyed by all; you are a portion (of the sun); be the distributor (of good things), divine (Agni), at our sacrifice.”

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 अर्यमा - aryamā is an epithet used to indicate a special quality of brahman, ie, the aspiring power and action of TRUTH, while VARUNA indicates the power that guards the TRUTH. 

 ārya indicates the descendent of अर्यमा - aryamā, as Shri Rama is called dAsharadhi, the son of dasharatha.

 Thus,  ārya indicates a person,  who is abiding in Truth and attained SELF REALISATION, but not a race  as wrongly interpreted by European translators.