Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c9.12

c9.12

**Arrangement of its Contents.** When the Rigvedic text was thus fixed and appropriated for purposes of the *Saṁhitā*, its editors had to think out the principles on which the hymns could be best arranged. These show considerable literary skill, originality of design, and insight into religious needs. First, six representative *Ṛishis* were chosen and their works were utilized to constitute six different *Maṇḍalas*, *Maṇḍalas* ii–vii, of the Rigveda. These Ṛishis are Gṛitsamada, Viśvāmitra, Vāmadeva, Atri, Bharadvāja, and Vasishṭha. Ṭo the nucleus of these six Maṇḍalas or "family-books" were added (1) the group of hymns contributed by other families of Ṛishis to form the second part of Maṇḍala i (51–191); (2) other hymns formed into the first part of the same Maṇḍala; (3) the hymns handed down by Ṛishi Kaṇva and his family, which were constituted into Maṇḍala viii; (4) the assignment of all the Soma hymns to ōne place; Maṇḍala ix, to prevent their being mixed up with other hymns on different subjects; and (5) miscellaneous hymns on a variety of topics brought together in Maṇḍala x, with their number (191) kept same as that of Maṇḍala i and marked by special features of language, metrical form, and contents.