The History of Indian Literature c8.52

c8.52

And first of the *Ṛigveda*. The *Ṛigveda-Saṃhitá* presents a twofold subdivision—the one purely external, having regard merely to the compass of the work, and evidently the more recent; the other more ancient, and based on internal grounds. The former distribution is that into eight *ashṭakas* (eighths), nearly equal in length, each of which is again subdivided into as many *adhyáyas* (lectures), and each of these again into about 33 (2006 in all) *vargas* (sections), usually consisting of five verses.¹⁸ The latter is that into ten *maṇḍalas* (circles), 85 *anuvákas* (chapters), 1017 *súktas* (hymns), and 10,580 *ṛichas* (verses); it rests on the variety of authors to whom the hymns are ascribed. Thus the first and tenth *maṇḍalas* contain songs by Ṛishis of different families; the second *maṇḍala*, on the contrary (*ashṭ*. ii. 71–113), contains songs belonging to Gṛitsamada; the third (*ashṭ*. ii. 114–119, iii. 1–56) belongs to Viśvámitra; the fourth (*ashṭ*. iii. 57–114) to Vámadeva; the fifth (*ashṭ*. iii. 115–122, iv. 1–79) to Atri; the sixth (*ashṭ*. iv. 80–140, v. 1–14) to Bharadvája; the seventh (*ashṭ*. v. 15–118) to Vasishṭha; the eighth (*ashṭ*. v. 119–129, vi. 1–81) to Kaṇva; and the ninth (*ashṭ*. vi. 82–124, vii. 1–71) to Aṅgiras.¹⁹ By the names of these Ṛishis we must understand not merely the individuals, but also their families. The hymns in each separate *maṇḍala* are arranged in the order of the deities addressed.19b Those addressed to Agni occupy the first place, next come those to Indra, and then those to other gods. This, at least, is the order in the first eight *maṇḍalas*. The ninth is addressed solely to Soma, and stands in the closest connection with the Sáma-Saṃhitá, one-third of which is borrowed from it; whereas the tenth *maṇḍala* stands in a very special relation to the Atharva-Saṃhitá. The earliest mention of this order of the *maṇḍalas* occurs in the Aitareya-Áraṇyaka, and in the two Gṛihya-Sútras of Áśvaláyana and Śáṅkháyana. The Prátiśákhyas and Yáska recognise no other division, and therefore give to the Ṛik-Saṃhitá the name of *daśatayyas*, *i.e.*, the songs "in ten divisions," a name also occurring in the Sáma-Sútras. The Anukramaṇí of Kátyáyana, on the contrary, follows the division into *ashṭakas* and *adhyáyas*. The name *súkta*, as denoting hymn, appears for the first time in the second part of the Bráhmaṇa of the White Yajus; the Ṛig-Bráhmaṇas do not seem to be acquainted with it,²⁰ but we find it in the Aitareya-Áraṇyaka, &c. The extant recension of the Ṛik-Saṃhitá is that of the Śákalas, and belongs specially, it would seem, to that branch of this school which bears the name of the Śaiśiríyas. Of another recension, that of the Váshkalas, we have but occasional notices, but the difference between the two does not seem to have been considerable. One main distinction, at all events, is that its eighth *maṇḍala* contains eight additional hymns, making 100 in all, and that, consequently, its sixth *ashṭaka* consists of 132 hymns.²¹ The name of the Śákalas is evidently related to Śákalya, a sage often mentioned in the Bráhmaṇas and Sútras, who is stated by Yáska²² to be the author of the Padapáthacont:∗ of the Ṛik-Saṃhitá.cont:† According to the accounts in the Bráhmaṇa of the White Yajus (the Śatapatha-Bráhmaṇa), a Śákalya, surnamed Vidagdha (the cunning ?), lived contemporaneously with Yájnavalkya as a teacher at the court of Janaka, King of Videha, and that as the declared adversary and rival of Yájnavalkya. He was vanquished and cursed by the latter, his head dropped off, and his bones were stolen by robbers.—Várkali also (a local form of Váshkali) is the name of one of the teachers mentioned in the second part of the Śatapatha-Bráhmaṇa.²³