The Cambridge History of India, Vol. I: Ancient India v1.c22.15

v1.c22.15

The element in ancient literature which seems at first most likely to have contributed to the rise of epic poetry is that already mentioned under the name of Nārāçaṃsī or 'hero-lauds,' withal not so much on account of the subject-matter as on account of the circumstances in which the lauds were sometimes sung. At the yearlong celebration preparatory to the horse-sacrifice ten days were devoted to a series of lauds of gods and heroes, whereby the nobility and great deeds of kings were sung by priest and warrior musicians in Gāthās of an extemporaneous character, while the recitation of legends in verse accompanied various events of life¹.