A History of Ancient Sanskrit Literature, so far as it illustrates the Primitive Religion of the Brahmans c3: Preface
A History of Ancient Sanskrit Literature, so far as it illustrates the Primitive Religion of the Brahmans c3
- Language
- English
Preface
c3.1
A FEW words of personal explanation are due to those who may have seen, in the Preface to the First Volume of my edition of the Rig-Veda*, a note announcing as ready for publication an Introductory Memoir on the Literature of the Veda. Ten sheets of this Memoir were printed when, in the beginning of the year 1851, I was appointed Deputy Professor, and, after the death of my lamented friend, Francis Trithen, in the year 1854, Professor of Modern European Languages and Literature in the University of Oxford. In compliance with the statutes for the Foundation of Sir Robert Taylor, I had to write "Three Courses of Lectures in every year, on the Philology or Literature of some of the principal Languages of Europe." These new and unexpected duties rendered it necessary for me to discontinue for a time my favourite studies. And when, after the first years of my new office, I was able to employ a greater amount of leisure on the prosecution of Sanskrit studies, I felt that I should better serve the interests of Sanskrit Philology by devoting all my spare time to editing the text and commentary of the Veda, than by publishing the results, more or less fragmentary, of my own researches into the language, literature, and religion of the ancient Brahmans.
c3.2
∗ Rig-Veda-Sanhita, the sacred songs of the Brahmans, together with the Commentary of Sâyaṇacharya, edited by Max Müller, Vol. I., 1849; Vol. II., 1854; Vol. III., 1856. There will be three more volumes, the first of which is to be published next year. The first volume of Professor Wilson's Translation was published 1850; the second, 1854; the third, 1857; and he is carrying on, at the present moment, his valuable translation of the next volume.
c3.3
In resuming now, after the lapse of nearly ten years, the publication of these Essays, I may regret that on many points I have been anticipated by others, who during the interval have made the Veda the special subject of their studies. But this regret is fully balanced by the satisfaction I feel in finding that, in the main, my original views on the literature and religion of the Vedic age have not been shaken, either by my own continued researches or by the researches of others; and that the greater part of this work could be printed, as it now stands, from the original manuscript. It will be seen, however, that in the notes, as well as in the body of the work, I have availed myself, to the best of my ability, of all the really important and solid information that could be gathered from the latest works of Sanskrit philologists. The frequent references to the works of Wilson, Burnouf, Lassen, Benfey, Roth, Boehtlingk, Kuhn, Regnier, Weber, Aufrecht, Whitney, and others, will show where I have either derived new light from the labours of these eminent scholars, or found my own conclusions confirmed by their independent testimony. Believing, as I do, that literary controversy is more apt to impede than to advance the cause of truth, I have throughout carefully abstained from it. Where it seemed necessary to controvert unfounded statements or hasty conclusions, I have endeavoured to do so by stating the true facts of the case, and the legitimate conclusions that may be drawn from these facts.
c3.4
My readers have to thank Dr. Bühler, a pupil of Professor Benfey of Göttingen, for the alphabetical index at the end of this volume. The same industrious scholar has supplied me with a list of errata, to which some remarks of his own are appended.
c3.5
MAX MÜLLER.
c3.6
Ray Lodge, Maidenhead, Aug. 3, 1859.