The Religion of the Veda: The Ancient Religion of India (from Rig-Veda to Upanishads) c6.s1.15

c6.s1.15

The Rig-Veda is, on the whole, the oldest as well as the most important of the four collections. Its language is a priestly, very high, or very literary speech. This we may call by distinction the hieratic language of the Veda. It is based upon a very old popular dialect, into which the poets, to serve their own needs, have introduced many new words and speech-forms. So, for instance, the great liking of the hieratic language for verbs derived from nouns, the so-called denominative or denominal verbs, surrounds the style of the Rig-Veda with an air of turgidity and stiltedness which is far from being archaic. A hieratic poet prefers to say "give battle" (*pṛtanāyati*, *pṛtanyati*), rather than "fight"; "cultivate the gods" (*devayati*), rather than "be pious"; "show a kind disposition" (*sumanasyate*), rather than "be friendly," etc.