English
The readings of the text in this Yeda frequently differ, like those of the Yajur, from the text as found in the Pag, and Weber considers that the verses "occurring in the Sama Sanhita generally stamp themselves as older and more original by the greater antiquity of their grammatical forms." But this opinion is disputed. The verses of the Siima have been selected and arranged for the purpose of being chaunted at the sacrifices or offerings of the Soma. Many of the invocations are addressed to Soma, some to Agni, and some to Indra. The Mantra or metrical part of the Sama is poor in literary and 350 VEDA. historical interest, but its Bralimawas and the other literature belonging to it are full and important. There were different sets of priests for each of the three Vedas. Those whose duty it was to recite the it/g-veda were called Hotris or Bahv?'ichas, and they were required to know the whole Yeda. The priests of the Yajur, who muttered its formu- las in a peculiar manner at sacrifices, were called Adliwaryus, and the chaunters of the verses of the Saman were called Udgat?-/s. The Atharva-veda, the fourth Yeda, is of later origin than the others. This is acknowledged by the Brahmans, and is proved by the internal evidence of the book itself. It is supposed to date from about the same period as the tenth Ma?ic?ala of the i?ig-veda, and as Manu speaks of only " the three Yedas," the Atharva could hardly have been acknowledged in his time. Professor Yliitney thinks its contents may be later than even the tenth Ma?zf?ala of the Pdg, although these two " stand nearly connected in import and origin." There are reasons for suppos- ing it to have had its origin among the Saindhavas on the banks of the Indus. One-sixth of the whole work is not metrical, " and about one-sixth (of the hymns) is also found among the hymns of the jRig-veda, and mostly in the tenth book of the latter; the rest is peculiar to the Atharva." The number of the hymns is about 760, and of the verses about 6000. Professor Whitney, the editor of the Atharva, speaks of it thus : "As to the internal character of the Atharva hymns, it may be said of them, as of the tenth book of the Pdg, that they are pro- ductions of another and a later period, and the expressions of a different spirit from that of the earlier hymns in the other Yedas. In the latter, the gods are approached with reverential awe indeed, but with love and confidence also ; a worship is paid them that exalts the offerer of it ; the demons embraced under the general name Kakshasa are objects of horror whom the gods ward off and destroy ; the divinities of the Atharva are regarded ratlier with a kind of cringing fear, as powers whose wrath is to be deprecated and whose favour curried, for it knows a whole host of imps and hobgoblins, in ranks and classes, and addresses itself to them directly, offering them homage to induce them to abstain from doing harm. The ^lantra prayer, which in the older Yeda is the instrument of devotion, is here rather the tool of superstition ; it wrings from the unwilling hands VEDA. 351 of the gods the favours which of old their good-will to men in- duced them to grant, or by simple magical power obtains the fulfilment of the utterer's wishes. The most prominent charac- teristic feature of the Atharva is the multitude of incantations which it contains ; these are pronounced either by the person wdio is himself to be benefited, or more often by the sorcerer for him, and are directed to the procuring of the greatest variety of desirable ends ; most frequently perhaps long life or recovery from grievous sickness is the object souglit ; then a talisman, such as a necklace, is sometimes given, or in very numerous cases some plant endowed with marvellous virtues is to be the immediate external means of the cure ; farther, the attainment of wealth or power is aimed at, the downfall of enemies, success in love or in play, the removal of petty pests, and so on, even down to the growth of hair on a bald pate. There are hymns, too, in which a single rite or ceremony is taken up and exalted, somewhat in the same strain as the Soma in the Pavamanya hymns of the Rig. Others of a speculative mystical character are not wanting ; yet their number is not so great as might naturally be ex.pected, considering the development which the Hindu religion received in the periods following after that of the primitive Veda. It seems in the main that the Atharva is of popular rather than of priestly origin ; that in making the transition from the Vedic to modern times, it forms an inter- mediate step rather to the gross idolatries and superstitions of the ignorant mass than to the sublimated Pantheism of the Erahmans." Such is the general character of the fourth Veda, but Max Miiller has translated a hymn in his Ancient Sanshit Literature, of which Professor Wilson said in the Edinburgh Review, "We know of no passage in Vedic literature which approaches its simple sublimity." This hymn is addressed to Varuwa, " the great one who rules over these worlds, and be- holds all as if he were close by ; who sees all that is within and beyond heaven and earth," &c. This Veda is also called the Brahman Veda, " because it claims to be the Veda for the chief sacrificial priest, the Brah- man." It has a Brahma?ia called Gopa/ha and many Upanishads. An entirely new recension of this Veda has lately been found in Kashmir. It is in the hands of Professor Roth, and is believed to show many important variations. 352 VEDA-MATRI— VEDANGAS, The whole of the ^ig-veda, with the commentary of Saya?2a, has been magnificently printed in six large quarto vols, under the editorship of Max Miiller, at the expense of the Governmetit of India. Editions of the text separately in the Sanhita and in the Pada forms have been published by him ; also another edition with the Sanliita and Pada texts on opposite pages. There is also a complete edition of the text in Koman characters by Aufrecht, and a portion of the text was published by Roer in the Bibliotheca Indica. Dr. Eosen published the first Ash/aka of the text, with a Latin translation, in 1838. Pour volumes of Wilson's incom- plete translation have appeared. There is a French translation by Langlois, and Max Miiller has printed a critical translation of twelve hvmns to the Maruts. There are other translations of portions. Translations by Ludwig and by Grassmann have also lately appeared. The text, with an English and Mara/hi trans^ lation, is appearing in monthly parts at Bombay. The Sanhita of the Black Yajur-veda has been published by Roer and Cowell in the Bibliotheca Indica. The '\Miite has been printed by Weber, and another edition has been published in Calcutta. Of the Sama Sanhita, the text and a translation have been published by Dr. Stevenson. Benfey has also jDublished the text with a German translation and a glossary ; and an edition with the commentary of Saya/za is now coming out in the Biblio- theca Indica (vol. i.). The text of the Atharva-veda Sanhita has been printed by Roth and Whitney, and a part of it also by Aufrecht. VEDA-MATT^/. ' Mother of the Yedas.' The Gayatri. YEDANGAS. (Veda + angas. ) 'Members of the Veda,' The Shac/-angas or six subjects necessary to be studied for the reading, understanding, and proper sacrificial employment of the Vedas : — 1. ^ikshd. Phonetics or pronunciation, embracing accents, quantity, and euphony in general 2. Chhandas. Metre. 3. Vydharana. Grammar. Said to be represented by Pawini, but rather by older grammars culminating in his great work. 4. Nirulda. Etymology or glossary-, represented by the glos- sary of Yaska. 5. Jyotisha. Astronomy. Such knowledge of the heavenly bodies as was necessary for compiling a calendar fixing the days VEDANTA— VEDA VA Tl. . 353 and hours suitable for the performance of Yedic sacrifices and ceremonies. 6. Kalpa. Ceremonial. Eules for applying the Yedas to the performance of sacrifices. These rules are generally written in the form of Sutras or short aphorisms, and so they are known as the Ivalpa-siitras or /S'rauta-siitras. VEDANTA. The orthodox school of philosophy. See Darsana. VEDANTA-PARIBHASHA. A modern text-book on the Vedanta philosophy. VEDANTA-SARA. 'Essence of the Vedanta. ' A short popular work on the Vedanta philosoph}^ It has been trans- lated by Ballantyne, and also by Bbhtlingk, Roer, and Frank. VEDANTA-SUTRA. The aphorisms of Badaraj'a^za on the Vedanta philosophy.