CHAPTER VI
SOCIAL LIFE
IT was by such continuous wars against the aborigines of the soil that the Aryans at last conquered the whole of the Panjab from the Indus to the Sarasvati, and from the mountains probably to the sea. As might be expected, we have in the Rig-Veda frequent allusions to the Indus and its five tributaries, especially in the seventy-fifth hymn of the tenth book, which we translate in full:—
"O ye streams! The bard celebrates your excellent prowess in the house of the worshipper. They flow in three systems, seven streams in each system. The prowess of the Indus is superior to that of all others.
"O Indus! when you ran towards land rich in food, Varuna opened out the way for you. You flow over a spacious path on the land. You shine above all flowing rivers.
"The mighty sound of the Indus ascends above the earth to the sky! She flows with mighty force and in radiant form. Her mighty sound is heard as if rains were descending from the clouds with great noise. The Indus comes roaring like a bull.
"As cows bring milk to their calves, even thus, O
