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A passage for editorial review. A HISTORY ANCIENT SANSKRIT LITERATURE THE FRIMITiyE RELIGION OF THE 6RAHHANS. BY MAX ItftJIJiEB, M.A. Pellow of All Sonb College, Oxford : Coimpondaat de I'lnatitnt Imperial de France ; Foreign Member of the Royal Bavarian Academy; Honorary Member of the Royal Society of Literature ; Corresponding Member of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, and of the American Oriental Society : Member of the Asiatic Society of Paris, and of the Oriental Sodely of Germany ; and Ti^lorian Proftaaor in the UniTersity of Oxford. WILLIAMS AND NOEGATE, 14^ HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN, LONDON; AlfD 20, SOUTH FREDERICK STREET, EDINBURGH. PARIS : & DUPRAT. LBXPZIG : ' B. HARTMAMH. 1859. LOiroov VBIVTID BT BP0TTX8W00D1 AVB CO. VBW*0XBBXT BQUABB ^ TO HORACE HATMAN WILSON, ESa BODor vBovBasoB ov sAvsniT, ABMCiATi ov tn prsrrnjvs ov vkavcb, xto. %^gA SRork is Instxilrtb AS A TOKEN 07 ADIOEATIOH AND OEATITVD£ BT HIS P17PIL AND PBIEND MAX MtJLLER. FBEFACE* Vll have throughout carefully abstained from it. Where it seemed necessary to controvert unfounded statements or hasty conclusions, I have endeavoured to do so by stating the true facts of the case, and the legitimate conclusions that may be drawn from these facts. My readers have to thank Dr, Btthler, a pupil of Professor Benfey of Gottingen, for the alphabetical index at the end of this volume. The same industri- ous scholar has supplied me with a list of errata, to which some remarks of his own are appended. MAX MijLLEB. Raj Lodge, Maidenhead^ Aug. 3, 1859. A 4 ERRATA. Page S6. line 26. reed Sakuntald. „ 45. line 37. „ Dv&raka. „ 110. line 21. „ Purana. „ 160. line 28. „ Ashman. „ 181.- line 24. „ Dh&nanjayya. ^ 200. line 80. „ drft. „ 227. bne 26. „ ^5^ lineSO. ftj Ibid. uj^^'. „ 247. line 27. „ kripifam, kixitam. „ 284. line 2. „ tirita. „ 364. line 27. „ gaunakins. „ 382. line 14. „ K&kshiyateti; line 16., Dtrgha. „ 499. line 4. „ <r^fiara. „ 573. line 9. „ TTT^. „ 576. line 10. „ p^^^. „ 585. line 5. „ ^i^lWIKlK. Page 252. line 26. The Eratusangraha is frequently quoted bj S&yana, in his Commentary on the Tdn4yar-br&hmana in elncidation of obscure passages. P. 252. 1. 27. The Yiniyogarsangraha is likewise quoted by S&yana as containing explanations of the Mantras employed in the T^4y<^~br&hmana. Page 325. line 22. There was no space left for printing the list of the Upanishads ; it will be published in one of the Oriental Journals. Page 580. line 3. The statement of Ajtgarta intending to deyour his own son is clearly a modem addition of the Sftnkh&yanas. TABLE OF CONTENTS. Pdgo Preface ....... v. INTRODUCTION. 1 8 9 10 11 Origin and Progress of Sanskrit Philology . The true Object of Sanskrit Philology The Yeda is the basis of Sanskrit Literature The Yeda represents the Yedic Age Necessity of establishing the Antiquity of the Yeda Absence of Synchronistic Dates in the early History of the Aryan Family ..... The earliest History of the Aryan Family . Separation of the Northern and Southern Branches of the Aryan Family ..... Their distinctiye character .... Comparison between the early Histories of India and Greece The peculiarities of the early Colonists of India Thdr neglect of the Eeal and Historical Elements of Life Their interest in Supernatural Problems The meaning of Atman or Self Dialogue between Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi The character of the Indians at the time of Alexander's ex pedition ...... The Indians have no place in the Political History of the Ancient World ..... Their place in the Intellectual History of the World The influence of India on the Religious History of Asia The origin of Buddhism . The Buddhistic Era and its importance for the Chronology of India . . . . . . .34 11 12 12 U 17 18 18 19 20 22 25 29 82 32 33 X CONTENTS. Page Traces of the Buddhistic crisis in the latest productions of the Yedic Literature . . . .35 y Distinction between Yedic and non-Vedic works • . 36 The Epic Poems^ the B&m&jana and Mahftbh&rata no au- thority for the History of the Yedic Age • • 36 Traces of earlier Epic Poetry . . . .37 Extract from the Sankhayana-siitras . . .37 Meaning of Gathll, Naraiansi, Itihasa, Akhyftna, Pur&na^ Kajpa, Yidy&, Upanishad, l^loka, Siitra, Yyftkhy&na, and Anuyyakhyaua, as titles of Yedic Literature . • 40 Supposed quotation of the Bh&rata or Mah&bhftrata, in the Stltras of ASval&jana . • , .42 The war between the Kurus and Pin^avas, unknown in the Yedic Age • • • . . .44 The original Epic Traditions of Lidia were remodelled by the Brahmans . • • .46 The Five Husbands of Draupadi . . . .46 The Two Wives of Pandu, and the Burning of Mftdri at his Death . . . . . .48 King Daiaratha killing the Son of a Brahman • . 49 The relation between ParaSu-B&ma and Rftma . . 49 Yariety of Local Customs during the Yedic Age • • 49 Family-laws and Traditions • . . .51 Yedic customs differing from the later Brahmanic Law • 56 The Story of Kakshivat . . . . .56 The Story of Eavasha AilAsha • . . .58 The Purftnas, no authority for the History of the Yedic Age 61 The so-called Laws of Manu, no authority for the History of the Yedic Age . . . . . .61 The Yeda the only safe basis of Indian History . . 62 Importance of the Yeda in the History of the World . 63 Importance of the Yeda in the History of India • • 63 The Yeda> the most Ancient Book of the Aryan Family ^ HISTORY OF YEDIC LITERATURE. External criteria for distinguishing between Yedic and non- Yedic Works ...... 67 Metre, as an external Criterion . . . .68 No work written in continuous Anushtubh-i^lokas belongs to the Yedic age . • . . . .68 CONTENTS. XI Page Division of the Vedic Age . • . . .70 The Chhandasy Mantra, Brahmana, and SAtra Periods • 70 CHAPTER L THE B^TBA. PBBIOD. The peculiarities of the Siitras • . • 71 The Paribhashi or kej to the Siitras . . .72 TheLawof Anurritti and Nirvritti . . .73 The system of Piirva-paksha^ Uttara-paksha, and Siddh&nta 73 The Siitras belong to the Smriti or non-revealed Literature of the Brahmans . . • . • .74 The distinction between Srati (revelation) and Smriti (tradi- tion) was made by the Brahmans after their ascendancy was established . . • . .76 It preceded the Schism of Buddha . . . .77 Attacks on the Brahmans before Buddha's time . . 80 ViBVfLmitra Janaka Buddha, all Kshatrijas • ^ . 80 Arguments used by the Brahmans against the Buddhists . 82 The Brahmans appeal to the absolute authority of the druti or revelation • • • . . .82 A similar argument adopted iti later times by the Buddhists themselves . • • . • .83 Extract from Knmarila . . . • .84 The Admission of a human Authorship for the S&tras shows, that at the time of the Buddhistic Controversy the Sutras were works of recent origin . . .86 Sxnpti and Smptis • • • • . .86 The Authority of the Smpti defended . . .87 Extract from Saya^a's Commentary on Paradara^s Smriti . 87 Tiie Siitras are not classed as Sruti, though they treat on subjects connected with the Veda . . .95 Extract from Kumftrila . • . • .95 The Stltras divided into Srauta and Smftrta . . • 99 - The Admission of Lost d^hds discussed . . .100 Extract from Haradatta's Commentary on the Samayft- chlbika-sfltras ...... 100 Extract from Apastamba ..... 105 Probability of the loss of Sakbfts . . . .106 Th^e distinction between Sruti and Smriti known to the aathors of the Sutras • . . . 107 ' Xll CONTENTS. The Six Vedangas, or Branches of Vedic Exegesis . The Name of the Vedangas .... The Number of the Vedangas The First Vedanga, Siksha or Pronuociation It formed part of the Aranyakas It became the principal Subject of the Pr&tiSakhjas Origin of the PratiSakhyas . . Numerous Authors quoted in the Pratii^khjas Prati^akhyas attached to the different Sakhas of each Veda . .