The History of Indian Literature c8.308.5

c8.308.5

It is to it that, according to Mahídhara at least, the "questions" repeatedly mentioned in v. 10 relate, although Sáyaṇa, perhaps more correctly, thinks that they refer to the usual disputations of the Brahmans. The existence, too, of the so-called Vedic quinquennial cycle is apparent from the fact that in v. 15 (only in xxvii. 45 besides) the five names of its years are enumerated; and this supposes no inconsiderable proficiency in astronomical observation.¹²⁷—A barren wife is dedicated in v. 15 to the Atharvans, by which term Sáyaṇa understands the imprecatory and magical formulas bearing the name Atharvan; to which, therefore, one of their intended effects, barrenness, is here dedicated. If this be the correct explanation, it necessarily follows that Atharvan-songs existed at the time of the thirtieth book.—The names of the three dice in v. 18 (*kṛita*, *tretá*, and *dvápara*) are explained by Sáyaṇa, commenting on the corresponding passage of the Taittiríya-Bráhmaṇa, as the names of the epic *yugas*, which are identical with these—a supposition which will not hold good here, though it may, perhaps, in the case of the Taittiríya-Bráhmaṇa.∗—The hostile reference to the Charakáchárya in v. 18 has already been touched upon (p. 87).¹²⁸