A History of Ancient Sanskrit Literature, so far as it illustrates the Primitive Religion of the Brahmans c10.92

c10.92

In order to guard against misconceptions, it should be understood that, if we call a hymn modern, all that can be meant is that it was composed during the period which succeeded the first spring of Vedic poetry, i.e. during the Mantra period. There is not a single hymn in the Rig-veda that could be ascribed to the Brâhmaṇa period. Even a few of the Khilas, modern as they appear to us, are presupposed by the Brâhmaṇas and quoted, together with other more ancient hymns. The most modern hymns in the Rig-vedasanhitâ, if our calculations are right, must have been composed previous to 800 B.C., previous to the first introduction of prose composition.