A History of Ancient Sanskrit Literature, so far as it illustrates the Primitive Religion of the Brahmans c9.s2.76

c9.s2.76

In order to show more clearly to how great an extent the Vedic literature was fostered by means of the Charaṇas, I shall give a list from the Charaṇavyūha. This Pariśiṣṭa is a document of a comparatively late period, though it may be one of the oldest works belonging to this class of literature.¹ It is, therefore, no good authority as to the number of the old Saṃhitā-charaṇas and Brāhmaṇa-charaṇas, many of which were lost or merged into others during the Sūtra period; but it is of interest as the first attempt at a complete enumeration of all Charaṇas, and may be trusted particularly with regard to the Sūtra-charaṇas, which, at the time of its composition, were still of recent origin. The number of the old Charaṇas would, no doubt, have to be increased considerably, if the quotations of different Śākhās were