A History of Ancient Sanskrit Literature, so far as it illustrates the Primitive Religion of the Brahmans c8.s3.10

c8.s3.10

The number of Pariśiṣṭas is frequently stated at eighteen. This may have been their number at some time, or for one particular Veda, but it is now considerably exceeded. The Charaṇavyūha, itself a Pariśiṣṭa, gives the same number; but it seems to speak of the Pariśiṣṭas of the Yajur-veda only. There is a collection of Pariśiṣṭas for each Veda. Works, such as the Bahvṛicha-pariśiṣṭa, Sānkhāyana-pariśiṣṭa, Āśvalāyana-gṛihya-pariśiṣṭa, must be ascribed to the Rig-veda. A MS. (Bodl. 466.) contains a collection of Pariśiṣṭas which belong to the Sāma-veda. At the end of the first treatise it is said: “iti Sāmagānām chhandaḥ samāptam,” “here end the metres of the Sāma-singers.”² Other treatises begin with the invocation, “Namaḥ Sāmavedāya.” The second is called Kratusangraha, on sacrifices; the third, Viniyoga-sangraha, on the employment of hymns; the fourth, Somotpattiḥ, on the origin of Soma. The fifth and sixth treatises contain the index to the Archika of the Sāma-veda after the Naigeya-śākhā. As no pointed allusions to other Vedas occur in these tracts, there can be little doubt that the whole collection of these Pariśiṣṭas may be classed as Sâma-veda literature. The Chhandoga-pariśiṣṭa, however, which is commonly ascribed to Kâtyâyana, is not found in this MS. The Pariśiṣṭas of the Yajur-veda are enumerated in the Charaṇavyûha, and will have to be examined presently. Those of the Âtharvaṇa are estimated by Professor Weber at seventy-four¹, and are said to be written in the form of dialogues, in a style similar to that of the Purâṇas, and sometimes, we are told, agreeing literally with chapters of the astrological Sanhitâs.