A History of Sanskrit Literature c12.62

c12.62

To the Pariçishṭas of the *Sāmaveda* belong the two indices called *Ārsha* and *Daivata*, enumerating respectively the Rishis and deities of the text of the Naigeya branch of the *Sāmaveda*. They quote Yāska, Çaunaka, and Āçvalāyana among others. There are also two Anukramaṇīs attached to the *Black Yajurveda*. That of the Ātreya school consists of two parts, the first of which is in prose, and the second in *çlokas*. It contains little more than an enumeration of names referring to the contents of its Saṃhitā. The Anukramaṇī of the Chārāyaṇīya school of the *Kāṭhaka* is an index of the authors of the various sections and verses. Its statements regarding passages derived from the *Rigveda* differ much from those of the *Sarvānukramaṇī* of the *Rigveda*, giving a number of totally new names. It claims to be the work of Atri, who communicated it to Laugākshi. The *Anukramaṇī* of the *White Yajurveda* in the Mādhyamdina recension, attributed to Kātyāyana, consists of five sections. The first four are an index of authors, deities, and metres. The authors of verses taken from the *Rigveda* generally agree with those in the *Sarvānukramaṇī*. There are, however, a good many exceptions, several new names belonging to a later period, some even to that of the *Çatapatha Brāhmaṇa*. The fifth section gives a summary account of the metres occurring in the text. It is identical with the corresponding portion of the introduction to the *Sarvānukramaṇī*, which was probably the original position of the section. There are many other Pariçishṭas of the *White Yajurveda*, all attributed to Kātyāyana. Only three of these need be mentioned here. The *Nigama-pariçishṭa*, a glossary of synonymous words occurring in the *White Yajurveda*, has a lexicographical interest. The *Pravarādhyāya*, or "Chapter on Ancestors," is a list of Brahman families drawn up for the purpose of determining the forbidden degrees of relationship in marriage, and of indicating the priests suitable for the performance of sacrifice. The *Charaṇa-vyūha*, or "Exposition of the Schools" of the various Vedas, is a very late work of little importance, giving a far less complete enumeration of the Vedic schools than certain sections of the *Vishṇu-* and the *Vāyu-Purāṇa*. There is also a *Charaṇa-vyūha* among the Pariçishṭas of the *Atharva-veda*, which number upwards of seventy. This work makes the statement that the *Atharva* contains 2000 hymns and 12,380 verses.