Vedic Index of Names and Subjects v2.c4.s2.473

v2.c4.s2.473

It is clear that the Brahmins, whatever their defects, represented the intellectual side of Vedic life, and that the Kṣatriyas, if they played a part in that life, did so only in a secondary degree, and to a minor extent. It is natural to suppose that the Brahmins also composed ballads, the precursors of the epic; for though none such have survived, a few stanzas of this character, celebrating the generosity of patrons, have been preserved by being embedded in priestly compositions. A legend in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa¹³⁰ shows clearly that the Brahmins regarded civilization as being spread by them only: