Swaveda
Indian history, plainly written.
A short daily post on Indian history — archaeology, genetics, historical linguistics, and the texts. Plus side-by-side translations of public-domain primary works. Plain language; no chest-thumping in either direction.
Plain language
Aimed at any curious reader, not the seminar room. Sanskrit / Pali / Tamil terms get a gloss on first use.
Tradition ≠ evidence
“The Mahabharata describes…” and “the Mahabharata war happened in…” are different sentences, and we don’t silently merge them.
Readers can edit
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Latest articles
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The Skeletons of Roopkund Lake: What Biomolecular Degradation and Pathogen Screening Reveal About the Medieval Himalayan Mortuary Event
By studying biomolecular degradation and pathogen DNA, scientists are reconstructing the distinct timelines and preservation histories of the diverse human skeletal remains at Roopkund Lake.
Dr. Anil Patel · Oct 9, 2026
The Sanskrit of Sriksetra: What Pyu Epigraphy and Pali-Sanskrit Bilingualism Reveal About Early Southeast Asian Lexical Exchange
A re-evaluation of Pyu inscriptions at Sriksetra reveals how early Southeast Asian scribes adopted Sanskrit administrative titles alongside Pali liturgies across fifth-century brick monuments.
Rohan Bhattacharya · Oct 8, 2026
The Neolithic Fire-Heaps: How Soil Chemistry and Archaeology Settled the South Indian Ashmound Debate
Prehistoric Deccan ashmounds, once attributed to volcanoes or mass pyres, are confirmed by soil chemistry to be vitrified cattle dung, revealing a complex seasonal ritual of early Southern Neolithic pastoralists.
Meera Iyer · Oct 8, 2026
The Scaffolds of Thanjavur: How Medieval Chola Engineers Lifted the Eighty-Ton Capstone of Brihadeeswara
A deep dive into the geotechnical and structural engineering debates surrounding how 11th-century Chola builders hoisted a massive granite cupola to the top of the Brihadeeswara Temple.
Kavya Sharma · Oct 7, 2026
The Seal-Cutters of Harappa: What Stratigraphy and Clay Sealings Reveal About the Birth of Indus Writing
Excavations at Harappa’s lowest stratigraphic levels show how Indus signs evolved gradually from early potters' marks, fueling debate over whether they represent true language.
Rohan Bhattacharya · Oct 6, 2026
Recent translations
All texts →Sanskrit
Arthashastra
Chapter 150 · Book 15, Chapter 1: Paragraphical Divisions of This Treatise
Updated Jul 26, 2026
Sanskrit
Arthashastra
Chapter 149 · Book 14, Chapter 4: Remedies against the Injuries of One's Own Army
Updated Jul 26, 2026
Sanskrit
Arthashastra
Chapter 148 · Book 14, Chapter 3: The Application of Medicines and Mantras
Updated Jul 26, 2026
A note on tone
Swaveda is curious, careful, and dry. There’s no civilizational chest-thumping in either direction here — no “Vedic India invented everything,” no “everything came from outside.” If we get something wrong, tell us. We fix it visibly, with a dated note.