A History of Ancient Sanskrit Literature, so far as it illustrates the Primitive Religion of the Brahmans c10.81

c10.81

It would be of no avail to appeal to the testimony of later authorities, such as the Purâṇas, in order to refute this theory. The Viṣṇu-purâṇa (p. 276), for instance, has the following remarks on this subject: "Vyâsa," it is said, "divided the one sacrificial Veda into four parts, and instituted the sacrificial rite administered by the four kinds of priests, in which it was the duty of the Adhvaryu to recite the Yajush verses or direct the ceremony; of the Hotṛi to repeat the Ṛich; of the Udgâtṛi to chaunt the Sâman; and of the Brahman, to pronounce the formula called Atharvan. Then the Muni, having collected together the hymns called Ṛich, composed the Rig-veda, &c., and, with the Atharvaṇs, he composed the rules of all the ceremonies suited to kings, and the function of the Brahman agreeably to practice." This passage only serves to show that the authors of the Purâṇas were entirely ignorant of the tone and character of the Vedic literature. For although the Brahman priest was the only Ṛitvij who had occasionally to use passages from the Atharva-veda, blessings, imprecations, etc.; yet the so-called Atharva-veda had nothing in common with the three ancient Vedas, and contained no information on the general features of the great sacrifices, such as would have been indispensable to the superintendent of the other priests.¹