A History of Ancient Sanskrit Literature, so far as it illustrates the Primitive Religion of the Brahmans c10.8

c10.8

¹ Our MSS. represent, according to tradition, the text of the Śâkala-śâkhâ, and the same text is followed by Âsvalâyana in his Sûtras. Now, whenever Âsvalâyana quotes any verses which form part of the Śâkala-śâkhâ, he only quotes the first words. Every member of his Charaṇa was supposed to know the hymns of the Śâkala-śâkhâ by heart, and it was sufficient, therefore, to quote them in this manner. But when he has occasion to refer to the verses which are found in the Brâhmaṇa of the Aitareyins, without being part of the Śâkala-sanhitâ, Âsvalâyana quotes them in full. As these verses are not quoted in full in the text of the Aitareya-brâhmaṇa, we may fairly suppose that the text of the Rig-veda-sanhitâ, current among the Aitareyins, was different from that of the Śâkala-śâkhâ, and contained the full text of these hymns. Sâyaṇa, in his Commentary, does not state that these additional verses belonged to the Śâkhâ of the Aitareyins, but there can be little doubt that at his time the text of their Sanhitâ was lost and forgotten. He says, however, that these verses belonged to a different Śâkhâ, and that they must be supplied from Âsvalâyana’s Sûtras, where, for this very reason, they were given in full. At the time of Âsvalâyana, therefore, the text of the Sanhitâ of the Aitareyins was still in existence, and he likewise notices in his Sûtras peculiarities in the ceremonial of the