Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c31.2

c31.2

Something may be discovered from historical tradition about the condition of the earliest brahmans and about the composition of the Rigveda and the other Vedas. Here we must premise that it is futile to expect to learn the truth about these matters from the priestly literature, because that was composed after the brahmans had put forward their pretensions about themselves and the Veda. Naturally they would set out therein their own version of what they then held (and what they wished others to believe) about these matters, and would say nothing that would stultify the same, as they actually did with regard to Viśvāmitra (pp. 60, 244). Facts or traditions that proved awkward for their developed pretensions would not be admitted, as has been pointed out with regard to Vyāsa (p. 10) and the kṣatriyan brahmans (p. 124). There was nothing strange in such conduct. It was simply what priesthood has not seldom done,¹ and the brahmans formed a priestly caste supreme in position and education, pride and influence. The views here put forward were not reached through any preconceived speculation, but evolved themselves gradually out of all the preceding investigation, and are all based on definite statements which are cited. They are all drawn from traditions, which could not have been fabricated in late times, as will appear, but are ancient, and of which the brahmans have been the custodians for more than two thousand years. They are a signal illustration of the fact, that the Puranic and Epic brahmans preserved ancient traditions, quite unconscious that those traditions often belied the brahmanic pretensions which were developed later (p. 61).