History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c91.243

v7.c91.243

Long before Yāska (several centuries before Christ) there were several schools of Vedic interpretation such as the Aitihāsikas (who acc to Nir. II 16 said that Vṛtra was an Asura son of Tvaṣṭr, while acc to the Nairuktas Vṛtra means only 'cloud' and the Veda contains metaphorical descriptions of battles, that the twins that Saraṇyu is said in Ṛg. X. 17. 2 to have given up are according to the Nairuktas Indra and the Mādhyamikā-vāk, while according to the Aitihāsikas they are Yama and Yamī, as stated in Nir. XII. 10), the school of Naidānas is mentioned about 'syāla' and 'sāma' in Nir. VI 19, the school of ancient yājñikas in Nir. V. 11 Ṛg. I. 164. 32 (ya īṁ cakāra) is differently explained by the Parivrājakas (ascetic school) and the Nairuktas (etymologists). The Nirukta also mentions the names of seventeen individual predecessors (from whom it differs often and who differ among themselves) such as Āgrāyaṇa, Audumbarāyaṇa, Kautsa, Gārgya, Gālava, Śākaṭāyana, Śākapūṇi There are several mantras of which two different meanings are given in the Nirukta as in Nir V. 11 on Ṛg. VIII. 77. 4. In Ṛg. I. 164 there are several verses with two meanings or more e. g verse 21 (yatrā suparṇā &c.) has two meanings (acc to Nir. III 13) one relating to the devatā Sūrya (adhidaivata) and the other spiritual (adhyātma); similarly, verse 32 of the same hymn has two meanings in the Nirukta (II. 8), the verse 39 (ṛco akṣare parame vyoman) is explained in four ways by Sāyaṇa, verse 41 (gaurīr-mimāya) is explained by Sāyaṇa in two ways, both being different from Yāska's explanation (in Nir.