Cosmography and Geography in Early Indian Literature c5.s1.1

c5.s1.1

On the cosmographic and cosmogonic conceptions of the *Rgveda*, a distinguished authority has said, "Absolute definiteness or consistency in the statements of different poets or even the same poet could not reasonably be expected in such matters."¹ Another point to be remembered is that the hymns contained in the *Rgveda* were composed in a period covering several centuries,² so that whatever is mentioned in it may not be earlier than anything known from the other *Samhitās* and even the earlier *Brāhmaṇas*.