History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c91.242

v7.c91.242

About the meaning and purpose of Vedic mantras there are great controversies. This much may be said here that according to the Pūrvamīmāṁsā system the whole Veda is concerned with sacrifices, that Veda is divided into two classes, Mantra and Brāhmaṇa, that Vidhis (hortatory passages) are the most important part of the Veda, that a very large number of Vedic passages are mere arthavādas (that contain either praises of vidhis or are to be explained metaphorically or merely repeat what already exists or are of a legendary character) and that mantras only serve the purpose of bringing to the mind of the sacrificer or priests what is to be done in a sacrifice and that the words used in the mantras ordinarily bear the same meaning as that in popular Sanskrit.