A History of Ancient Sanskrit Literature, so far as it illustrates the Primitive Religion of the Brahmans c5: Contents

A History of Ancient Sanskrit Literature, so far as it illustrates the Primitive Religion of the Brahmans c5

Language: English

c5.1

Yâska and his predecessors . . . . . . 153 Distinction between Yâska’s Nirukta, and the Commentary on the Nirukta . . . . . . . 154 Both works divided into three parts . . . . 155 Naighaṇṭuka, Naigama (Aikapadika), Daivata . . . 155 History of the Science of Language in India and Greece . 158 The Fifth Vedânga, Kalpa or the Ceremonial . . . 169 The Kalpa-sûtras, based on the Brâhmaṇas . . . 169 Some Brâhmaṇas resembling Sûtras, some Sûtras resembling Brâhmaṇas . . . . . . . 191 Distinction between Brâhmaṇas and Sûtras . . . 171 Origin of the Brâhmaṇas . . . . . . 172 System of their collection . . . . . . 173 The threefold division of the ceremonial leads to the threefold division of the Brâhmaṇas . . . . . 173 The Adhvaryu priests, and the Taittirîyaka . . . 173 The modern Sâkhâ of the Vâjasaneyins and their Sanhitâ . 175 The Udgâtṛi priests and their Sanhitâ . . . . 175 The Hotṛi priests . . . . . . . 175 The Rig-veda-sanhitâ . . . . . . . 175 The three collections of Brâhmaṇas . . . . 176 The Kalpa-sûtras presuppose the existence of Brâhmaṇa-sâkhâs . . . . . . . . 177 They are intended for more than one Charaṇa . . 180 They lead to the establishment of new Charaṇas . . 182 They have no authorised various readings, like the Brâhmaṇas 182 They were handed down in a different manner . . 183 Difference between ancient and modern Sûtras . . 184 No Kalpa-sûtras quoted in the nominative plural . . 185 The Kalpa-sûtras cause the extinction of the Brâhmaṇas . 186 They absorb the ancient Sâkhâs . . . . . 187 The three classes of Charaṇas . . . . . 187 Sanhitâ-charaṇas . . . . . . . 188 Brâhmaṇa-charaṇas . . . . . . . 189 Sûtra-charaṇas . . . . . . . 193 Modern character of the Sûtras . . . . . 196 List of Kalpa-sûtras . . . . . . . 198 The Smârta-sûtras . . . . . . . 200 The Gṛihya-sûtras different from the Sâmayâchârika-sûtras 201 Meaning of Gṛihya . . . . . . . 202 Meaning of Pâkayajna . . . . . . 203

c5.2

Character of the Gṛihya sacrifices . . . . . 204 The Sâmayâchârika, or Dharma-sûtras . . . . 206 Their modern date . . . . . . . 206 The Four Castes, the degradation of the Śûdras . . 207 The Ten Sûtras of the Sâma-veda . . . . . 209 The Sixth Vedânga, Jyotisha, or Astronomy. . . . 210 No Work on Astronomy written in Sûtras . . . 211 The metrical Jyotisha . . . . . . . 211 Astronomical elements in the Hymns, Brâhmaṇas, and Sûtras . . . . . . . . 212 General character of the Vedângas . . . . . 214 Their practical object . . . . . . . 214 Their Authors do not claim to be inspired . . . 214 Their peculiar style . . . . . . . 214 Their position as intermediate between the Vedic and non-Vedic literature . . . . . . . 215 How to fix their date . . . . . . . 215 The Works ascribed to Śaunaka and his School . . 215 Kâtyâyana’s Sarvânukrama to the Rig-veda . . . 216 Five previous Anukramaṇîs, ascribed to Śaunaka . . 216 Their style . . . . . . . . 217 The Bṛihaddevatâ and its Authors . . . . . 218 Number of Hymns, Verses, and Words, according to different Anukramaṇîs . . . . . . . 219 The three Anukramaṇîs of the Yajur-veda . . . 222 The Anukramaṇîs of the Sâma-veda; two classes . . 226 The Bṛihatsarvânukramaṇî to the Âtharvaṇa . . . 228 How to fix the age of Śaunaka and Kâtyâyana as Authors of the Anukramaṇîs . . . . . . 229 The peculiarities of style in Śaunaka and Kâtyâyana . 229 Shaḍguruśishya’s account of Śaunaka and his Pupils . 230 Their Works . . . . . . . . 233 Five generations of Teachers . . . . . 239 Kâtyâyana, the same as Vararuchi . . . . 239 Somadeva’s account of Kâtyâyana and Pâṇini . . 240 Indian tradition places Kâtyâyana and Pâṇini contemporaneous with King Nanda . . . . . 242 Nanda, the successor of Chandragupta, the contemporary of Alexander . . . . . . . 242 Date of Kâtyâyana in the second half of the Fourth Century, B.C. . . . . . . . . 243

c5.3

Abhimanyu adopts the commentary of Kâtyâyana in the First Century, A.D. . . . . . . . . 243 Sûtra period from 600 to 200, B.C. . . . . 244 Objections. Date of Uṇâdi-sûtras . . . . 245 The words dînâra, tirîṭa, stûpa, Jina . . . . 245 The Pariśiṣṭas, the latest branch of Vedic literature . 249 Pariśiṣṭas of the Rig-veda, Sâma-veda, Yajur-veda, Atharvaveda . . . . . . . . . . 252 Gradual Rise of the Brahmanic Literature . . . 257 The Pariśiṣṭas mark the decline of Brahmanism . . 257 They are contemporary with the Political Ascendancy of Buddhism . . . . . . . . . 257 Buddhism, before Aśoka, was but modified Brahmanism . 260 The Chronology of the earlier Period of Buddhism is purely theoretical . . . . . . . . 262 The Northern Chronology, and its rationale . . . 263 The Southern Chronology and its rationale . . . 266 Both Chronologies irreconcileable with Greek Chronology . 275 The date of Chandragupta, the basis of Indian Chronology . 275 Classical Accounts of Sandrocyptus . . . . 275 Indian Accounts of Chandragupta . . . . 278 Coincidences between the two . . . . . 278 Apparent differences explained . . . . . 279 Buddhist Fables invented to exalt Chandragupta’s descent . 280 Brahmanic Fables invented to lower Chandragupta’s descent 295 Chandragupta’s real Date brings the real beginning of the Ceylonese Era to 477, B.C. . . . . . 298 All dates before Chandragupta are merely hypothetical . 299 The compromise between the different systems of Chronology proposed by Lassen . . . . . . 299 Kâtyâyana’s real Date . . . . . . 300 Other Arguments in support of Kâtyâyana’s Date considered 301 Sûtra Works that cannot be fixed chronologically . . 310 Sûtras quoted, some lost, others never committed to writing 311 Gradual change of Style in the Sûtras . . . 311

c5.4

CHAPTER II.

c5.5

THE BRÂHMAṆA PERIOD.

c5.6

Araṇyakas intermediate between Sûtras and Brâhmaṇas . 313 Meaning of Âraṇyaka . . . . . . 313

c5.7

Âraṇyakas considered as Śruti, but some of them ascribed to human Authors . . . . . . 314 Âraṇyakas presuppose Brâhmaṇas . . . . 315 The Upanishads, the principal Portion of the Âraṇyakas . 316 The Upanishads quoted as the highest Authority by various Philosophers . . . . . . 316 New Upanishads supplied when required . . . 317 Upanishads in the Sanhitâs . . . . . 317 Upanishads in Âraṇyakas and Brâhmaṇas . . . 317 Later Upanishads unattached . . . . . 318 Etymology of Upanishad . . . . . . 318 The Upanishads regarded as the repositories of the Highest Knowledge . . . . . . . 319 Great Variety of Opinion in the Upanishads . . . 320 Growing Number of Upanishads . . . . 324 The Names of the Authors of the principal Upanishads unknown . . . . . . . 327 The Âraṇyakas and their Reputed Authors . . . 329 The Bṛihadâraṇyaka and Yâjnavalkya . . . . 329 Attempts at fixing the age of Yâjnavalkya . . . 330 The Taittirîyâraṇyaka . . . . . . 334 The Aitareyâraṇyaka . . . . . . 335 The Kaushîtaki-âraṇyaka . . . . . . 337 Modern form, but ancient matter . . . . 338 Literary Works alluded to in the Âraṇyakas . . . 340 Âraṇyakas, intermediate between Brâhmaṇas and Sûtras . 341 The Brâhmaṇas . . . . . . . 342 Definition of the word Brâhmaṇa . . . . 342 Sâyaṇa’s definition . . . . . . 342 Madhusûdana’s definition . . . . . 344 Origin of the Brâhmaṇas, &c., &c. . . . . 345 The Brâhmaṇas of the Bahvṛichas . . . . 346 The Brâhmaṇas of the Aitareyins and Âśvalâyanîyas . 347 The Brâhmaṇas of the Kaushîtakins and Śaṅkhâyanîyas . 347 The Brâhmaṇas of the Chhandogas . . . . 347 The Brâhmaṇas of the Adhvaryus . . . . 349 The Ancient School of the Charakas . . . . 350 The Modern School of the Vâjasaneyins . . . 350 Yâjnavalkya’s Authorship . . . . . 353 Table of Contents of the Vâjasaneyi-sanhitâ . . . 354 Correspondence between the Sanhitâ and Brâhmaṇa . 356

c5.8

Distinction between Ancient and Modern Brâhmaṇas . . 360 Pâṇini’s Rules on the Formation of the Titles of Ancient and Modern Brâhmaṇas . . . . . . 361 The Brâhmaṇa-charaṇas reduced in number by the introduction of Sûtras . . . . . . . 365 List of Charaṇas from the Charaṇavyûha . . . 367 Its Authority for the Sûtra-charaṇas, not for Brâhmaṇa and Saṃhitâ-charaṇas . . . . . . 367 How to distinguish between Sûtra, Brâhmaṇa, and Saṃhitâ-charaṇas . . . . . . . 375 Difference between Charaṇas and Gotras . . . 378 List of Gotras . . . . . . . 380 The Rules of Pravara . . . . . . 386 The general Character of the Brâhmaṇas . . . 389 Extract from the Aitareya-brâhmaṇa (the Dîkshâ) . . 390 Extract from the Kaushîtaki-brâhmaṇa . . . 406 Extract from the Aitareya-brâhmaṇa (the Story of Śunaḥśepha) . . . . . . . . 408 On the Character of Human Sacrifices . . . 419 Extract from the Śatapatha-brâhmaṇa (the Story of Janaka) 421 Extract from the Aitareya-brâhmaṇa (the Story of Nâbhânediṣṭha) . . . . . . . . 423 Extract from the Śatapatha-brâhmaṇa (the Story of the Deluge) . . . . . . . . 425 The Mîmâṃsâ Method of discussion in the Brâhmaṇas . 427 What is presupposed by the Brâhmaṇas? . . . 428 The Threefold Division of the Ceremonial completed before the Brâhmaṇas . . . . . . 430 The Vedic Hymns misinterpreted . . . . 432 Duration of the Brâhmaṇa period . . . . 435 Lists of Teachers . . . . . . 435 The Gopatha-brâhmaṇa . . . . . 445

c5.9

CHAPTER III.

c5.10

THE MANTRA PERIOD.

c5.11

Its Character . . . . . . . 456 The Rig-veda-saṃhitâ, the only Document in which it can be studied . . . . . . . 457 Difference between the Rig-veda-saṃhitâ and the other Saṃhitâs . . . . . . . 457

c5.12

Sâyaṇa’s Remarks on this point . . . . . 458 Principles of collection followed in the Rig-veda-sanhitâ . 468 The order of the Hymns according to the Deities . . 461 The Âprî Hymns . . . . . . . 463 Traces of Priestly influence in the Rig-veda-sanhitâ . . 467 Was the Rig-veda-sanhitâ collected for the benefit of the Brahman priests? . . . . . . . 468 The Offices of the Four Classes of Priests . . . 468 The Adhvaryu Priests . . . . . . . 471 The Udgâtṛ Priests . . . . . . . 472 The Hotṛ Priests . . . . . . . 473 The Brahman Priests . . . . . . . 475 The Rig-veda-sanhitâ, not intended for any Class of Priests . 477 Old Hymns collected during the Mantra period . . 477 New Hymns composed during the Mantra period . . 478 Distinction between ancient and modern Hymns . . 480 Allusions to the Ceremonial . . . . . 484 The Purohitas . . . . . . . . 485 The Professional Priests . . . . . . 489 The Natural Sacrifices . . . . . . 490 The Artificial Sacrifices . . . . . . 491 The Panegyrics or Dânastutis . . . . . 493 Satirical Hymn . . . . . . . 494 The Character of the Mantra period . . . . 496 The introduction of Writing, an epoch in the History of Sanskrit Literature . . . . . . . 497

c5.13

CHAPTER IV.

c5.14

THE CHHANDAS PERIOD.

c5.15

Character of the Chhandas period . . . . . 525 Antecedent Elements . . . . . . . 526 Specimens of primitive Vedic Poetry . . . . 531 Hymn to the Viśve Devas . . . . . . 531 Gods invoked collectively . . . . . . 532 Each God conceived as supreme . . . . . 532 Hymn to Varuṇa . . . . . . . 534 Moral Truths . . . . . . . . 537 The primary Elements of Religion . . . . . 538

c5.16

Law and Mercy . . . . . . . . 540 The Conception of Sin and Forgiveness . . . 540 Hymn to Indra . . . . . . . . 542 Hymns to Agni . . . . . . . . 547 Hymn to Ushas . . . . . . . . 551 Modern Hymns . . . . . . . . 552 Hymn to the Horse . . . . . . . 553 Philosophical Hymns . . . . . . . 556 The idea of one God . . . . . . . 558 The idea of a Creation . . . . . . 559 Antiquity of Philosophy . . . . . . 564 Hymn to the Supreme God . . . . . . 569 Date of the Chhandas Period . . . . . 570

c5.17

APPENDIX. The Story of Śunaḥśepha . . . . 573