English
Of the Atharva-veda nine divisions are mentioned, but the names given are incomplete and corrupt. They are given here, with some conjectural emenda- tions from the MSS.* 1. Paippal&das.^ > SuranSjanijaff, Ch. 785. * Prfijvalan&dvaitabhrits, Ch. 785.; Pl-anjalidvenabbrUs, Ch. 376. GanaGarg&dJ. ^ Pracliinajogjas and Naigeyas. * The text in the S. K. D. has Ijni^rrJ I ^iTfTt \ TraTflT* \ reads T^V^qfT 4l4)'4I "VT^^l^l*!? "*m-->__ jB :,__ .^j "^^^ Ci\i.a76. reads, ^ Pan. iv. 2. 66. CHARANAS. 375 2. iSaunakas.^ 3. Dllmodas. 4. Tottllyanas. 5. Jayftlas. 6. Br&hmapalfi6a8. 7. Eaunakhins. 8. Devadar6anin8.2 9. Chftranavidyas. This list makes no distinction between old and new Charanas. If we had the whole Yedic literature before us, as it was living during ancient times in the tradition of numerous Brahmanic families, it would be possible to determine which of these Charanas owe their origin to Siitras, which to Br&hmanas or San* hitd^. As it is, we can only infer that some Charanas, like those of the A^val&yanas, Hiranyake^ins, Bh&ra- dv&jins, Apastambins, Baudh&yanas, P&r&i^aryas, &c., are in all probability of modern origin, because the only works ascribed to their founders are Siitra com- pilations. Their Sanhit&s and Br&hmanas, when- ever they are mentioned, seem to be the same as those of older Charanas, with but small modifications. Otlier Charanas, like those of the Paingins, Kaushita* kins, Aitareyins, l^&ty&yanins, &c., are not mentioned in connection with any Siitras composed by authors bearing these names ; and it is most likely, therefore, that they derive their origin from authors whose names have been perpetuated in the titles of certain Br&hmanas. Whether these Charanas were in posses- sion of SAtras is doubtful, nor have we any means of determining whether, for instance, a member of the Aitareyi-charana, after, adopting the Kalpa-siitras of ' Pau. iv. 3. 106. Gnna Saunakadi. D B 4 I^aunaka, would retain his allegiance to the Aitareyins or not. The ancient Sanhit&s used in these BriLhniana- charanas, and originally adopted from older Cha- ranas, were not likely to be affected by considerable differences after their adoption. The fact that we never find a Eaushitaki-sanhit& or Paingi-sanhit^ quoted tends to show that the Charanas, which owe their independent constitution to the introduction of a Brd.hmana, retained in most instances the original text of their Sauhit&s. Charanas, lastly, like those of the l^&kalas, B&shkalas, I§ai6iras, Sec., whose names are connected neither with SMras nor Brd.hmanas, but with Sanhitd.s only, must be referred to the earliest period of the formation of Vedic communities, and must have existed, as the bearers of their own traditional collection of hymns, before the composition of either Br&hmanas or SAtras. With regard to many Charanas, however, it will remain doubtful to which of these three classes they belong, until a larger number of Vedic works peculiar to each Charana becomes available. Charanas like those of the Mddhyandinas and K&nvas must be re- ferred to the Br&hmana period, because their San hitfts and Br&hmanas are ascribed to one and the same teacher. This teacher, Y&jnavalkya is renre- sented as the author of modern Br6.hTxvaiias and we saw that, in all probability, his SatxVitk 4as even more modern than his Br&hmanas. 'py. r ^ v ever, that the Siitras adopted by tKc^ xr^^t ' :!• " and Ktova-charanas are ascribed \ ^^^7^^^^^^ shows that these Charanas existed ^^ K^t>/&.yana, to the Siitra period. With regard ^^"^^^7 iptevious charanas it will always be diflScult ^ ti\\e S^-^^^^^' far their differences were fixed - ^^t^tttv^^^''^^^ CHARANAS. 377 called forth by the introduction of the Br&hmanas. Most likely the SanhitlUcharanas are restricted to the Rig-veda. It is certain, at least, that no Br&h- mana belonging to any Veda was composed before the division of priests into Hotris, Udg&tris, and Adhvaryus, — had taken place. Before that division there was but one collection of hymns, that of the Bahviichas, and it is among the Bahvrichas only that we have any distinct traces of Sanhitdrcharanas. It will always be very difficult to assign a distinct meaning to such terms as Charana and SlLkh&, because we have nothing that exactly corresponds to them in our own experience. Literary works, such as the diLkh&s were, have assumed with us a much more tangible shape. They exist as books, and not merely as a body of thought handed down in schools, or in families. To read a Mkhk meant not only to go over it, but to take possession of it, to guard it in the memory, and to enable others to read it by repeating it to them. A man who had read a book was him- self the book : the song of a poet had no outward existence except through those who heard and re* membered it. A work, once composed, might either wither for want of an audience, or grow, like a tree, of which every new listener would become a new branch. The idea of representing what we should call an edition of a hundred copies, by the simileof a branch, was a very natural one, and if we once adopt it and enter into the spirit of this Sanskrit idiom, we see that it is difficult to distinguish between the branch, as the book, and the branch, as the reader ; between the trust, and the trustee. It would be well, how- ever, to speak of the former only as ^kh&, and of the latter as the reader of a 6&kha, while we should re9e:r-^e the name of ck read t ft e same &^^.^ * ^'^Jcfc ^^ ?°e i^^eal s ir i* Js rfiificuit ; *" thoso belongec whafc *i^*^J' ^^'-^re ^^J" ^^^ the ^ "^^"^ ^^khA i same ^ *^of ra „/ ^"^^^ o? "^^^^^saiy to co.sia<^rabIe Thl^'^nio J^^'^^^'^^ that had a rf ancestors, and Pr^^^J'Jhtr^^^^^Se of India ^^8 scrupolotis care, ^/^^d thei^^^^^ P'^"^ of treatises on the soK-^^ be J^^'^ory with the pre.eT,t day- ,^,^^^ect ^ ^e ly ^he „, who Ins /a her, ^'' ^JS ^J^'? a*-e preserved tc thee,.d that hi, f,^^,^t Sti,^*^ brothe;s we^ * Gotras, or fa,,aj J^U,, <ie,,^he had adopted ^d ^spond to J -^ """^"r^,?^'^- (j^^s-' Charanasw, ren'do/ on t ";' -e ".'^JU^ ,^^^ depended. -cred^'rn tI:""^''C,^?;'3^ o^l'^^^' Cha.nas , ties of t^Iood ri'^ Of '^1<1 to. ^"^ *"^^^- ^^^ the most sacred 7^->' '^^Z ^r^hZ ^^ ^^ *'^'' ™' ^^-^ts, a the I ^'^ *h"" ^'^^ ™* ' ^^^'^ 3r,^ '"^ ^.Vu '"^ depositaries ^^ fW^ % *^' extinction of GOTRAS. 379 Charana, the words which were believed to be the breath of God would have been lost without the hope of recovery. Members of different Gotras might belong to the same Charana. Where the member of a Gotra became the founder of a new Charana, the new Charana might bear the name of its founder, and thus become synonymous, but not identical, with a Gotra. The names of the Charanas were naturally pre- served as long as the texts which they embodied con- tinued to be studied. The names of the Gotras were liable to confusion, particularly in later times, when their number had become very considerable. But the respect which the Brahmans, from the very earliest time, paid to their ancestors, and the strictness with which they prohibited marriages between members of the same family, lead us to suppose that the gene- alogical lists, such as we find in the Br&hmanas, in the Siitras, in the Mah&bh&rata, in the Purtoas, and even at the present day, present in their general outlines a correct account of the priestly families of India. All Brahmanic families who keep the sacred fires are supposed to descend from the Seven Rishis. These are: — BhrigUj Angiras^ Visvdmitraj Vasishthay Kdiyapa^ Atri^ AgasH. The real ancestors, however, are eight in number: — Jamadagnij Gautama and Bharadvdjaj Visv&mitra^ Vaskhtha^ Kdsyapa^ Atrij Agastya. The eight Gotras, which descend from these Rishis, are again subdivided into forty-nine Gotras, and these forty-nine branch off into a still larger number of families. The names gotra, van^, vargji, paksha, and gana are all used in the same sense, to express the larger as well as the smaller families, descended from the eight Rishis. to wl^ic^I' he belont^ ""^^^^^ors^^^^^^ting his ow clairm^ *^"^' ''^ two''^; , *^ach q/^''/> founded the' .am.- -f *;-se anc° /'^'•-^ o'V^^ ^^^^^-ne C char*-cter of each Got' /^ Con^/.? *"^^*°''' an most r *h^,^^Pa-:,° '^^•' Ali^,"'i"t the distir from tlie I2th Boor^"t'cJ TK''^*'^fo"n8p I^ist of tile jr^ I. T„ ^^- Name of Gotm.