A History of Indian Literature v1.c8.s7.56

v1.c8.s7.56

Thus already in the Brāhmaṇas the way is prepared for that great movement to which Buddhism owes its origin: for it cannot be questioned that the old and genuine Brāhmaṇas belong to the Pre-Buddhist period. While in the Brāhmaṇas not the least trace is shown of any acquaintance with Buddhism,² the Buddhist texts pre-suppose the existence of a Brāhmaṇa literature. We can therefore say upon good grounds that the centuries in which the Liturgical Saṁhitās and the Brāhmaṇas originated, must fall into the period *after* the conclusion of the hymn-composition and the Ṛgveda-Saṁhitā and *before* the appearance of Buddhism.