On the Aindra School of Sanskrit Grammarians, their Place in the Sanskrit and Subordinate Literatures c8.5

c8.5

Again, it is evident that these commentaries must be taken for what they are worth—very meritorious works in fact, yet sectarian; but a critic who now-a-days would understand any particular passage in the traditional collections known as the Vedas and other early texts, may not rely on sectarian commentators. The works of such are chiefly of value for a history of dogma, an interesting matter in itself, but quite foreign to critical purposes. Such primitive texts as the Vedas are peculiarly liable to misunderstandings, and it will often be found that commentators only pretend to understand them "because they have grown accustomed to misunderstand them". It must be again asked if, besides unintentional perversions, texts may not have been arranged, selected or interpolated wilfully for certain purposes?