The History of Indian Literature c8.245.4

c8.245.4

The second and third are the *Ánandavallí* and *Bhriguvallí*, which together also go by the name of *Váruṇí-Upanishad*, and treat of the bliss of entire absorption in meditation upon the Supreme Spirit, and its identity with the individual soul.∗ If in these we have already a thoroughly systematised form of speculation, we are carried even further in one portion of the Yájnikí-Upanishad, where we have to do with a kind of sectarian worship of Náráyaṇa: the remaining part contains ritual supplements. Now, interesting as this whole Áraṇyaka is from its motley contents and evident piecing together of collected fragments of all sorts, it is from another point of view also of special importance for us, from the fact that its tenth book is actually extant in a double recension, viz., in a text which, according to Sáyaṇa’s statements, belongs to the Dráviḍas, and in another, bearing the name of the Ándhras, both names of peoples in the south-west of India. Besides these two texts, Sáyaṇa also mentions a recension belonging to the Karṇátakas, and another whose name he does not give. Lastly, this tenth book† exists also as an Atharvopanishad, and here again with many variations; so that there is here opened up to criticism an ample field for researches and conjectures. Such, certainly, have not been wanting in Indian literary history;