Original Sanskrit Texts on the Origin and History of the People of India, their Religion and Institutions v2.c19: Additional Notes

Original Sanskrit Texts on the Origin and History of the People of India, their Religion and Institutions v2.c19

Language: English

Additional Notes

This remark seems to be incorrect. The Scholiast could not have meant to denote the Mahārāshṭrī, or any other of the provincial Prākrits, by the term “*deśi*,” as they all embraced a “tatsama” and a “tadbhava” element also. He could only, when using the word “*deśi*,” have referred to the local element in each. See pp. 49, 427, ff.

v2.c19.3

ii. *Page* 249, *lines* 18, ff.

v2.c19.4

A leanred friend informs me that the Sanskrit *astu* does not correspond to the Latin *esto*, which in old Latin is *estod*; that the latter word coincides with such Sanskrit forms as *yajatāt*, etc.; and that the same holds good of the Greek *estō*. He also states that *santu* (Sanskrit) is not = *sunto* (Latin); and that the Greek *ēs*, *ēn*, do not correspond to the Sanskrit *āsīs*, *āsīt*, but to the Vedic *ās* (compare Böhtlingk and Roth *s.v.* 1, *as*; where Pāṇini vii. 3, 97, and R.V. x. 85, 7; x. 129, 3, and x. 149, 2, are referred to). Bopp. Comp. Gr., 2nd ed., ii. p. 410, gives the Sanskrit *āsam*, *āsīs*, *āsīt*, and *ās*, as corresponding to the Greek *ēn*, *ēs*, *ēs*, *ēn*; and Schleicher in the table in p. 710, of his Compendium, 3rd ed., gives *estō* (Gr.) and *esto* (Lat.) as corresponding to the Sanskrit *astu*, and *sunto* (Lat.) as coinciding with the Sanskrit *santu*.

v2.c19.5

iii. *Page* 250, *line* 14.

v2.c19.6

*Darś*, *dadarśa*, correspond both in sense and sound to *derkō*, *dedorka*.

v2.c19.7

iv. *Page* 251, *lines* 25–27.

v2.c19.8

Instead of the Sanskrit *navatā*, *samatā*, *laghutā*, such Vedic forms as *arishṭatāti*, *devatāti*, *sarvatāti*, should have been given as the more exact equivalents of the Zend, Greek, and Latin words there quoted. See Bopp’s Comp. Grammar, 2nd ed., vol. iii. pp. 218 (where the Latin *senecta*, *juventa*, *vindicta*, are specified as the forms corresponding to the Sanskrit *navatā*, etc.), and 221. See also Schleicher's Compendium, 3rd ed., p. 425. f.

v2.c19.9

v. *Page* 251, *lines* 28, ff.

v2.c19.10

Compare with the Sanskrit and Greek forms in *tis* and *sis*, the Latin *mens*, *mentis*; *ars*, *artis*; *fors*, *fortis*; and *vestis*. See Schleicher's Compendium, p. 437.

v2.c19.11

vi. *Page* 253.

v2.c19.12

In the appendix to his edition of Ujjvaladatta, Prof. Aufrecht has pointed out a number of forms which correspond in Sanskrit, Greek, and Latin.

v2.c19.13

vii. *Page* 264, *line* 1; and 289, *line* 6, *and note* 66.

v2.c19.14

See Böhtlingk and Roth's Lexicon, *s.v.* 1, *rudh*; where *rodhati* in R.V. viii. 43, 6, and *vi rodhat*, in R.V. i. 67, 5 (9), are derived from *rudh*, the old form of *ruh*, and are explained in the sense of "growing." See also Benfey's translation of the latter passage in Orient und Occident, i. 596.

v2.c19.15

viii. *Page* 347, *lines* 8, ff; 348, *lines* 25, ff., *and* 350, f.

v2.c19.16

Compare note 12 in the first preface above, p. xxv.

v2.c19.17

ix. *Page* 393, *line* 19; 395, *line* 21; 396, *line* 15; *and* 418, *note* 124.

v2.c19.18

The points referred to in these passages are further illustrated by the following lines from the Mahābhārata, ii. 1169, ff. : *Tataḥ S'ūrpārakaṁ chaiva Tālākaṭam athāpi cha | vaśe chakre mahātejāḥ Daṇḍakāṁś cha mahābalaḥ |* 1170 | *Sāgara-dvīpa-vāsāṁś cha nṛipatīn Mlechha-yoni-jān | Nishādān purushādāṁś cha Karṇaprāvaraṇān api |* 1171 | *Ye cha Kālamukhāḥ nāma nara-rākshasa-yonayaḥ | kṛitsnaṁ Koligiriṁ chaiva Surabhīpattanaṁ tathā | . . . .* 1173 | *Ekapādāṁś cha purushān Kerakān vana-vāsinah | nagarīṁ Sanjayantīṁ cha pāshaṇḍaṁ Karahāṭakam |* 1175 | *Dūtair eva vase chakre-|* 1176 | *Tataḥ kachchha-gato dhīmān dūtān Mādravatī-sutaḥ |* 1177 | *Preshayāmāsa rājendra Paulastyāya mahātmane | Vibhīshaṇāya dharmātmā prīti-pūrvaṁ arindama |* 1178 | *S'a chāsya pratijagrāha śāsanam prīti-pūrvakam |* "1169. Then the glorious and mighty warrior reduced to subjection S'ūrpāraka, Tālākaṭa, the Daṇḍakas, (1170) the kings of Mlechha race, who inhabited the islands of the ocean, the Nishādas, the men-eaters, the Karṇaprāvaraṇas, [men whose ears served them for coverings], (1171) the Kālamukhas sprung from men and Rākshasas, the whole of Kolagiri and Surabhīpattana . . . . 1173. He then by his heralds subjected the Kerakas, one-footed men living in forests, the city Sanjayantī, and the wicked Karahāṭaka . . . 1176. Then the wise and righteous son of Mādravatī, arrived in the low-lying tract, sent messengers amicably to the great son of Pulastya, Vibhīshaṇa, who received his commands in the same spirit.” In verse 1837, the “man-eating Romakas,” and in v. 1875, the Karṇaprāvaraṇas, are again mentioned.

v2.c19.19

The monkeys despatched to seek for Sītā are desired to visit among other countries those of the following races:—Rāmāyaṇa iv., 40, 26, ff. (Bombay ed., =iv. 40, 29, ff., Gorr. ed.): *Karṇaprāvaraṇāṁś chaiva tathā chāpy Oshṭhakarṇakāḥ* | *Ghoralohamukhāś chaiva javanāś chaikapādakāḥ* | *akshayāḥ balavantaś cha tathaiva purushādakāḥ* | *Kirātāś tīkshṇachūḍāś cha hemābhāḥ priya-darśanāḥ* | *āma-mīnāśanāś chāpi Kirātāḥ dvīpavāsinaḥ* | *antarjalacharāḥ ghorāḥ naravyāghrāḥ iti smṛitāḥ*. “The Kārṇaprāvaraṇas (men whose ears served for coverings), the Oshṭhakarṇakas (people whose ears extended to their lips), the dreadful Lohamukhas (iron-faced-men), swift, and one-footed, undecaying, strong, men-eaters (a kind of Rākshasas according to the commentator), the Kirātās, with sharp-pointed hair-knots, gold-coloured, and pleasant to behold; and the dreadful Kirātas, who are islanders, and eat raw fish, live in the waters, and are men-tigers (men below and tigers above, according to the commentator).” One of the Rākshasīs mentioned in the Mahābh. iii. 6137, is called ekapādā, “the one-footed.”

v2.c19.20

x. *Page* 416, *line* 4.

v2.c19.21

The Rākshasas are in other places also described as following Brahmanical observances. Thus in the sequel of the story of Gautama (from the Mahābhārata xii. 6293, ff.), above referred to in pp. 365, f., and 418, note 124,—which is told as an illustration of ingratitude,—it is narrated that in consequence of the remonstrances of the other Brāhman, the hero of the story, after pleading poverty as an excuse for his mode of life, left the Dasyu village in which he had been living, and went towards the ocean. While he is halting in a delightful forest under a tree, a crane, called Rājadharman, son of Kaśyapa and the goddess Dākshāyaṇī, and a friend of Brahmā, arrives in the evening from the heaven of that deity. Gautama, being hungry and thirsty, is tempted to kill and eat him. The bird, however, welcomes him as a guest to his house, and entertains him with the utmost kindness and hospitality. Gautama then, in answer to an inquiry of his host, explains that he is indigent, and on his way to the sea-coast in search of the means of subsistence. The bird promises to procure him riches, and in the morning sends him to a friend of his own, a Rākshasa king, called Virūpaksha, who lived not far off, and who, he said, would fulfil all Gautama's aspirations (v. 6356). The Brāhman accordingly proceeds to the court of the Rākshasa chief, where he is eagerly welcomed. In answer to the Rākshasa's questions, he avows that he has married a S'ūdra woman as his second wife (*punarbhū*). Notwithstanding this confession, he is invited to a feast to be given to a thousand learned Brāhmans whom the Rākshasa chief was to entertain on that day (vv. 6376, ff.) These Brāhmans were all well fed, received large presents of jewels, and were assured that on that day they would receive no molestation from any Rākshasas (vv. 6392, f.). Gautama, too, got his share of gold, which weighed so heavily, that he could scarcely carry it away to his place of sojourn in the forest, where he sat down wearied and hungry. He is, however, welcomed and entertained by the crane Rājadharman, but resolves to slay his host, that he may have somewhat to eat on the way home (v. 6401). He accordingly kills the crane while asleep, plucks and roasts him (v. 6403), and sets out on his journey homeward. After a time, the Rākshasa king is apprehensive that something may have befallen his friend Rājadharman, who had not come to visit him as usual, and sends to ascertain the cause of his absence (6407, ff.). The bird's skeleton is discovered, and Gautama is pursued and brought to the Rākshasa king, who, with his ministers and purohitas, weeps at the sight of his friend's remains (v. 6418); and commands the malefactor to be slain and his flesh given to the Rākshasas to eat. They, however, beg to decline eating the flesh of such a sinner, and say it should be given to the Dasyus. But even the latter refuse to eat it. Both Rājadharman and Gautama are, however, afterwards restored to life.

v2.c19.22

The latter returns to his old haunts, and begets wicked sons on this Sūdra woman, his second wife. He is in consequence cursed by the gods, and doomed to hell (*vv.* 6445, ff.).

v2.c19.23

xi. *Page* 343, *lines* 8 *and* 19.

v2.c19.24

The number of the periodical called "Nature," for 14th Sept., 1871, contains an article by Prof. Max Müller, on Major-General Cunningham's "Ancient Geography of India," in which R.V. v. 53, 9, and x. 75, 6, are translated, and some remarks on the Kubhā, Krumu, and Gomatī rivers are added.

v2.c19.25

xii. *Page* 439, *line* 14.

v2.c19.26

As this sheet is passing through the press, I find that it is stated by a writer in the "Cornhill Magazine" for November, 1871, p. 570, f., that Dr. Caldwell is wrong in asserting that the Dravidians are a Turanian people; and that in reality they "represent lineally an offshoot from the great parent stock which left the fatherland long before Sanskrit was grown into vigour, and about the same period that the Teutonic wave flowed northwards into Europe. There is scarcely a Dravidian root which does not appear in Gothic, Anglosaxon, or Icelandic." As at present informed, I am unable to say whether any detailed proof of these assertions has been, or can be, adduced.

Linked texts (4)

Ṛgvedasaṃhitā — Sanskrit
Aṣṭādhyāyī — Pāṇini, Sanskrit
Vālmīkirāmāyaṇa — Vālmīki, Sanskrit
Mahābhārata — Vyāsa, Sanskrit