The History of Indian Literature c8.39

c8.39

It was remarked above, that the investigations into the literal sense of the prayers only began when this sense had gradually become somewhat obscure, and that, as this could not be the case among the priests, who were familiar with it, so soon as amongst the rest of the people, the language of the latter may at that time have undergone considerable modifications. The first step taken to render the prayers intelligible was to make a collection of synonyms, which, by virtue of their very arrangement, explained themselves, and of specially obsolete words, of which separate interpretations were then given orally. These collected words were called, from their being “ranked,” “strung together,” *Nigranthu*, corrupted into *Nighaṇṭu*,[^asterisk] and those occupied with them *Naighaṇṭukas*. One work of this kind has been actually preserved to us.¹⁶ It is in five books, of which the three first contain synonyms; the fourth, a list of specially difficult Vedic words; and the fifth, a classification of the various divine personages who figure in the Veda. We also possess one of the ancient expositions of this work, a commentary on it, called *Nirukti*, “interpretation,” of which Yáska is said to be the author. It consists of twelve books, to which two others having no proper connection with them were afterwards added. It is reckoned by the Indians among the so-called Vedáṅgas, together with Śikshá, Chhandas, and Jyotisha—three very late treatises on phonetics, metre, and astronomical calculations—and also with Kalpa and Vyákaraṇa, *i.e.*, ceremonial and grammar, two general categories of literary works. The four first names likewise originally signified the class in general,¹⁷ and it was only later that they were applied to the four individual works