A History of Ancient Sanskrit Literature, so far as it illustrates the Primitive Religion of the Brahmans c8.s2.2

c8.s2.2

The most perfect Anukramaṇī is that of the Saṃhitâ of the Rig-veda. It is ascribed to Kâtyâyana, an author chiefly known by his works on the Yajur-veda and Sâma-veda. Its name is Sarvânukramaṇī or Sarvânukrama, *i. e.* the index of all things.¹ It gives the first words of each hymn, the number of verses, the name and family of the poets, the names of the deities, and the metres of every verse. Before the time of Kâtyâyana, there had been separate indices for each of these subjects, and it was with reference to them that Kâtyâyana called his own index the general or comprehensive index. Our authority for this is Shaḍguruśishya, the author of a commentary on the Index of Kâtyâyana; a man who like Devarâjayajvan, the author of a commentary on the Nighaṇṭu, was not without a certain appreciation of the historical progress of Indian literature. He tells us in his Vedârthadîpikâ, that before Kâtyâyana, there existed one index of the poets, one of the metres, one of the deities, one of the Anuvâkas, the old chapters of the Rig-veda, and one of the hymns;² and that these indices were composed by Śaunaka. Now we know the style of Śaunaka, and as by a happy accident some of these former indices have been preserved, some complete, others in fragments, we are able to test Shaḍguruśishya’s accuracy.