English
346 The Br&hmanas of the Aitareyins and AsyalAyaniyaa • 347 The Br&hmanas of the Eauiihitakins and d&nkhayan!yas . 347 The Br&hmanas of the Chhandogas . . .347 The Br&hmanas of the Adhyaryus . . . 349 The Ancient School of the Charakas . . . 350 The Modem School of the Y&jasaneyins . . . 350 Y&jnayalkya's Authorship ..... 353 Tableof Contents of the yajasaneyi-sanhit& • . 354 Correspondence between the Sanhit& and Br&hmana . 356 CONTENTS. Xvii Page Distinction between Ancient and Modern Brahmanas . 360 Pinini's Rules on the Formation of the Titles of Ancient and Modem Brahmanas .^ • . . .361 The Brahmana-charanas reduced in number bj the introduc- tion of Sfltras •...., 365 List of Charanas from the Charanavyiiha . . . 367 Its Authoritj for theS^tra-cliaranas, not for Brahmana and Sanhit&-charanas • • • • . 367 How to distinguish between Siitra, Brahmana, and Sanhita- charanas . • .. . . . 375 Difference between Charanas and Gotras • • . 378 list of Grotras •••... 380 The Rales of Fravara . . • . . 3b6 The general Character of the Brahmanas . • . 389 Extract from the Aitareya-br&hmana (the Diksha) . • 390 Extract from the Kaushitaki-bralmiana • . • 406 Extract from the Aitareja-brahmana (the Story of Sunah- iSepha) ..••.••. 408 On the Character of Human Sacrifices • • .419 Extract from the ^atapatha-brahmana (the Story of Janaka) 421 Extract from the Aitareya-bruhmana (the Story of N&bha- nedishtha) • • • . • . 423 Extract from the ^atapatharbrahmana (the Story of the Deluge) ....... 425 The Mim&n8& l^Iethod of discussion in the Brahmanas . 427 What is presupposed by the Brahmanas? . . . 428 The Threefold Division of the Ceremonial completed before the Brahmanas .••••• 430 The y<^ic Hymns misinterpreted .... 432 Duration of the Brahmana period • • • . 435 Lists of Teachers ....•• 435 The Gopatha-brahmana ..... 445 CHAPTER in. THE MANTRA PERIOD. Its Character . . . • . • 456 The Rig-veda-sanhita, the only Document in which it can be studied •....•. 457 Difference between the Rig-yeda-sanhita and the other Sanhitas ....... 457 XVIU COKTENTS. Page Ssjana's Remarks on this point • • • . 458 Principles of collection followed in the Big-Teda*sanhit& • 468 The order of the Hymns according {o the Deities • .461 The Apri Hjmns .•••.. 463 Traces of Friestlj influence in the Rig-yeda-sanhit& . 467 Was the Rig-yeda-sanhita collected for the benefit of the Brahman priests ? . . • . • 468 The Offices of the Four Classes of Priests . . .468 The Adhvaryu Priests . . . . •471 The Udgatri Priests ... . • 472 The Hotri Priests ...... 473 The Brahman Priests ..... 475 The Rig-Yeda<'Sanhit^ not intended for anj Class of Priests • 477 Old Hymns collected during the Mantra period • • 477 New Hymns composed during the Mantra period • * 478 Distinction between ancient and modem Hymns • . 480 Allusions to the Ceremonial .... 484 ThePurohitas . . . . . .485 The Professional Priests . . . . .489 The Natural Sacrifices ..... 490 The Artificial Sacrifices . . . . . 491 The Panegyrics or Danastutis . . . 493 Satirical Hymn •••... 494 The Character of the Mantra period . . * 496 The introduction of Writing, an epoch in the History of San- skrit Literature ....•• 497 CHAPTEB IV. THE CHHAXDAS PEBIOD. Character of the Chhandas period . . 625 Antecedent Elements . 526 Specimens of primitive Yedic Poetry . 531 Hymnto theYiiiveOeTas . . 531 Gods invoked coIlectiTelj . . 532 Each God conceived as sopreme . 582 Hymn to Varuna . . . 534 Moral Truths , 537 The primary Elements of Religion . . 538 Hymn to Varuna . 540 CONTENTS. XIX Page Law and Merey . 540 The Conception of Sin and Forgiyen ess . . .540 Hymn to Indra • 542 HTmns to Agni . 547 Hymn to Ushaa . 551 Modem Hjmns . 552 Hymn to the Horse . • 553 Philoaophical Hymns . 556 The idea of one God . 558 The idea of a Creation . 559 Antiquity of Philosophy . 564 Hymn to the Supreme God . 569 Date of the Chhandas Period . 570 Appendix. The Story of SunaWepl [ia . . . 573 Indsx . 589 INTRODUCTION. Full seventy years have passed since Sir William Jones published his translation of Sakuntala^, a work which may fairly be considered as the starting point of Sanskrit philology. The first appearance of this beautiful specimen of dramatic art created at the time a sensation throughout Europe, and the most rapturous praise was bestowed upon it by men of high authority in matters of taste.^ At the same time the attention of the historian, the philologist, and the philosopher was roused to the fact that ^ *' Sacontala or the Fatal Ring, an Indian drama, translated from the original Sanskrit and Prakrit. Calcutta, 1789.** There have since appeared three editions of the Sanskrit text^ and trans* lations in French, German, Italian^ Danish, and Swedish. A new and yery elegant English version has lately been pablished by Professor Williams. Hertford, 1856. ' Goethe was one of the greatest admirers of ^kuntala, as may beseen from the lines written in his Italian Travels at Naples, and from his well-known Epigram : ** Willt Da die Bluthe det fnihen, die Priichte des spiUeren Jahres, Willi Do, was reizt nnd entsuckt, wilU Da was oaUigt and nihrt, Willi Da den Himmel, die Erde mit einem Namen begreifen, Kenn ich, Sacontala, Dicb, nnd so ist A lies gesagt** ** Wilt then the blossoms of spring and tbe fniits that are later in season. Wilt thoa hare charms and dcligbts, wilt tbon haTe strength and support, Wilt thoa with one short word encompass the earth and the heaTen, All is said if I name only, Sacontala, thee." B 2 HISTORY OF SANSERIT PHILOLOGT. a complete literature had been preserved in India, which promised to open a new leaf in the ancient history of mankind, and deserved to become the object of serious study. And although the en- thusiasm with which works like Sakuntala were at first received by all who took an interest in literary curiosities could scarcely be expected to last, the real and scientific interest excited by the language, the literature, the philosophy, and antiquities of India has lasted, and has been increasing ever since. England, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Russia, and Greece have each contributed their share towards the advancement of Sanskrit philology, and names like those of Sir W. Jones, Colebrooke, Wilson, in England, Bumouf in France, the two Schlegels, W. von Hum- boldt, Bopp, and Lassen, in Germany, have secured to this branch of modem scholarship a firm standing and a universal reputation. The number of books that have been published by Sanskrit scholars in the course of the last seventy years is but small.^ Those works, however, represent large and definite results, important not only in their bearing on Indian anti- quities, but, as giving birth to a new system of Com-> parative Philology, of the highest possible importance to philology in general.^ In little more than half a ^ Professor Gildemeister in his most laborious and accurate work, " BibliothecflB SanscritsB Specimen, Bonnas, 1847,^' brings the number of books that have been published up to that time in Sanskrit philology to 603, exclusive of all works on Indian anti. quities and Comparative Philology. During the last twelve years that number has been considerably raised. ' Professor Lassen, in his work on Indian Antiquities, now in course of publication, is giving a resum^ of the combined labours of Indian philologists during the last seventy years, sifted critically HI8T0BT OF 6ANSKBIT FHILOLOGT. 8 century, Sanskrit has gained its proper place in the republic of learning, side by side with Greek and Latin. The privileges which these two languages enjoy in the educational system of modem Europe will scarcely ever be shared by Sanskrit.