The Jats themselves relate the following Brahmanical legend of
their origin. On one occasion when Himachal or Daksha Raja, the
father-in-law of Mahadeo, was performing a great sacrifice, he
invited all the gods to be present except his son-in-law Mahadeo
(Siva). The latter's wife Parvati was, however, very anxious to go,
so she asked Mahadeo to let her attend, even though she had not been
invited. Mahadeo was unwilling to do this, but finally consented. But
Daksha treated Parvati with great want of respect at the sacrifice,
so she came home and told Mahadeo about him. When Mahadeo heard this
he was filled with wrath, and untying his matted hair (jata) dashed
it on the ground, when two powerful beings arose from it. He sent
them to destroy Daksha's sacrifice and they went and destroyed it,
and from these were descended the race of the Jats, and they take
their name from the matted locks (jata) of the lord Mahadeo. Another
saying of the caste is that "The ancestor of the Rajputs was Kashyap
[186] and of the Jats Siva. In the beginning these were the only two
races of India."