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Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c11.s1: I. The Rigveda

Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c11.s1

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I. The Rigveda

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A. **Brāhmaṇas** :

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(1) **Aitareya** attributed by Sāyaṇa to Mahīdāsa Aitareya, son of Itarā, one of the many wives of a Ṛishi named Viśāla. This Aitareya was probably the founder of a Śākhā or school of Aitareyins whose doctrines, ceremonial, philological, and philosophical, are incorporated in the Brāhmaṇa, Āraṇyaka, and Upanishad attached to his name. These works seem to have been afterwards adopted by the later Śākhās of the Rigveda, for we actually hear of an Āśvalāyana text of the Aitareyakam, Aśvalāyana being the pupil of Śaunaka.

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(2) **Śāṅkhāyana**, which cites the views of the two previous authors, Paiṅgya (the sage mentioned in the *Brāhmaṇa* of the White Yajus from whom Yāska Paiṅgi was descended) and Kaushītaka whose views it regards as more authoritative and therefore this. *Brāhmaṇa* might be a remoulding of the stock of dogma derived from the Kaushītakins whence it is also known as *Kaushītaki Brāhmaṇa*.

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It may be noted in this connection that, along with previous teachers, some previous forms of literary composition are also referred to by both these *Brāhmaṇas* in such terms as *ākhyāna* and *gāthā*, i.e. a kind of memorial verses.

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B. **Āraṇyakas** :

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(1) **Aitareya**, which lays great stress upon keeping its doctrines secret and the importance of those familiar with them. It gives the extant arrangement of the Ṛik-Saṁhitā with the names of its subdivisions; mentions the other Vedas; comments on some hymns on the Rigveda in the manner of a Nirukta; contains some grammatical matter; and names many individual teachers among whom are two Śākalyas, a Kṛishṇa Hārita, and a Pañchālachaṇḍa.

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(2) **Kaushītaki**, parts of which correspond to the former Āraṇyaka.

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C. **Upanishads** :

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(1) **Aitareya**.

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(2) **Kaushītaki** in which Ajātaśatru, King of Kāśī, is mentioned as teaching the proud Brāhmaṇa Bālāki; the wise king, Chitra Gāṅgyāyani, as instructing Āruṇi.

Cites (12)