The History of Indian Literature c8.245.1

c8.245.1

Besides the Saṃhitá so called, there is a Bráhmaṇa recognised by the school of Ápastamba, and also by that of Átreya,∗ which, however, as I have already remarked, differs from the Saṃhitá, not as to the nature of its contents, but only in point of time; it is, in fact, to be regarded merely as a supplement to it. It either reproduces the formulas contained in the Saṃhitá, and connects them with their proper ritual, or it develops further the liturgical rules already given there; or again, it adds to these entirely new rules, as, for instance, those concerning the *purushamedha*, which is altogether wanting in the Saṃhitá, and those referring to the sacrifices to the lunar asterisms. Only the third and last book, in twelve *prapáṭhakas*, together with Sáyaṇa's commentary, is at present known.⁹⁵ The three last *prapáṭhakas*, which contain four different sections, relating to the manner of preparing certain peculiarly sacred sacrificial fires, are ascribed in the Anukramaṇí of the Átreya school (and this is also confirmed by Sáyaṇa in another place) to the sage Kaṭha. Two other sections also belong to it, which, it seems, are only found in the Átreya school, and not in that of Ápastamba; and also, lastly, the two first books of the Taittiríya-Áraṇyaka, to be mentioned presently. Together these eight sections evidently form a supplement to the Káṭhaka above discussed;