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Added to these are, in the beginning, the hymns of various poets, collected in the first Mandala, called the book of the i^tarchins, from the fact that each poet contributed about a hundred verses ; and at the end, the book of the Prag&tha hymns (8th Mandala), the book of the doma hymns (9th Mandala), and the book of long and short hynms, ascribed to the Eshudrasiikta and Mah&stlkta poets, which, in accordance with its very name, is a miscellaneous collection. It by no means follows that all the hymns of the seven middle Rishis are more ancient than those of the first and the last books ; or that these books contain nothing but modem hymns. But the very name of M&dhyama^ given to the poets of the hookA from the second to the seventh, shows that they were considered, even by the Brahmans, as dis- ^ See page 42, note 2, and page 59. 4.80 ^H* MAKTttA PKRIOV. tiict f^ t^ firat and the thrbe last books- They 3^,^ not the middle books numerically, bat they called o because they stand by themaelves, in **> ^idst of other books of a more miscellaneoos ch- rtfccter. Traces, however, of earlier and later poem ar®.*** Y,e found through the whole collection of the Big- ved; and many hymns have been singled out by aifferetit scholars as betraying a later origin *^" the rest. All such hymns I i^fer to the Mantra period, to an age which, though chiefly occupied in collecting and arranging, possessed likewise th power of imitatmg, and carrying on the tradition* of a former age. -^ ^* Z ^-f hrmxf^'*r?* ^ P^ve the modern origin of certain hymns and I feel by no means convinced ^^il'T^x^.r^'^i^ Hav^Ln uid for this pnrposc. At present, however I need not enter into the mmutias of thla * Jl- , . of an* dent and njodern poet^. ^^^<f ""^""'iLl prove that this or that h4,* • ** ^^* "^VTiZ thP rest; but I only wislTv^^ ** ^""^ modern tMB SlCt^^en as a 4^' *k "^J^^li^l^ the general fe^ tnc of having been c^^^^-ns do contain ev.- In orderto guard agai^S^ ** ^*"°''* P* v i^ he underatood that, if t^^^^^^<^V^^<^'h it ^^^ can be meant is that it waa^ * ^jvan modern, allthw ^bich succeeded the fi^^^Posed during the period ie. during 'the Mju^^j^ Pep-c.^^"S of Vedic poetry, hymn in the Rig-veda S^* '^^^^ is not a mg\e Brfthnwna period. Even ^^^^ ^ ascribed to the as they a^V^^ ^ ns, a^^ ^^ ^^ the KhUas, ino(fcni nuuMS ao^ qooted, tog^^^^ P^'eanpposed by tbe Btftlt hymns. T^e most moaer*^ T^*^ ***^®*' ™ "''^*°* ** l^ymns in the Kgreds- ANCIENT AND MODERN HYMNS. 481 sanhitA, if our calculations are right, must have been composed previous to 800 B.C., previous to the first introduction of prose composition. In order to prove that the hymns which are now thrown together into one body of sacred poetry, were not the harvest of one single generation of poets, we have only to appeal to the testimony of the poets themselves, who distinguish between ancient and modem hjnnns. Not only has the tradition of the Brahmans, which is embodied in the Anukramanis, assigned certain hymns to Rishis, who stand to each other in the relation of father and son, and grandson, but the hymns themselves allude to earlier poets, and events which in some are represented as present, are mentioned in others as belonging to the past. The argument which Dr. Roth^ has used in order to prove the comparatively modern date of the Atharvana, applies with equal force to some of the hyiiins of the Rig-veda. Here, also, the names of Purumiiha, Vasishtha, Jamadagni, and others, who are known as the authors of certain hymns, are mentioned in other hymns as sages, Avho in former times enjoyed the favour of the gods. " As our ancestors have praised thee, we will praise thee," is a very frequent sentiment of the Vedic poets. A new song was considered a special honour to the gods. The first hymn of the Rig-veda gives utter- ance to this sentiment. " Agni," says Madhuchhan- das, " thou who art worthy of the praises of an- cient, and also of living poets, bring hither thou the gods." Vi&v&mitra, the father of Madhuchhandas, and * Abhandlungen, p. 43. I 1 . g2 ANciBxrr akd modkbn btmns. Himself one of the ancient Risbis, <^^^^^^^^Ja irst tynin^ with the words, I have P'^*^* ' O Ag^ *^C8e thy ancient songs ^ and new for tbee who art old. Th4se great lil^atio*** n^ .jj^jj made to him who showers benefits ^^!^ ^ ^be sci^ fire has been kept from geoeratio jjeration." ^ In another hymn, Vifev&mitra distinguiaji^ ^^ twecn three classes of hymns, and speaks of m as hvi*^g ^^ magnified by andent, noidale, ciodern songs. The sacrifice itself is sometimes represented * thread which unites the living with the departeo, and through them, with the first ancestors ofrnf' the god8.* The son carries on the weaving ^Dicn ^g interrupted by the death of his father*, f <^ the poet, at the beginning of a sacred rite', exdajn"^ I beheve I see with the eye of the mind, those ^bo in byegone days performed this sacrifice." ^^'^ ^^""^blct to^h-^'^"^^^'^*^' i^ Ws morning Player, looks back to his fathers, who have sazed on the ,i,ing sun Wore him, ax.^ hiv: ^xUZ F^^^^ the go^^ • , " r,^ ^ T ^^'""ght, spoken out fe^ torf. Ke thee when it U recited t l * 1 Bv. i"- *• ^• . JaninA originally creation- . plained as ''o**- Cf. iii. 3^ ^'* *o.<i;,ara; it is Ukewue * ^ Bv.ii-^'^- 18. * *- See / ^y ^^ te ^*xerai O 6 Bt. X. 1^- J- ** 'Ceremonies, p. xxiLnote. • ^'' ^: 3? 7 Ev. iii- ^* ANCIENT AND MODERN HYMNS* 483 crifice; Indra, take heed of that which is made for thee! " Rising even before the day, awakening thee when recited at the sacrifice, clothed in sacred white raiments \ this is our prayer, the old, the prayer of our fathers. " The Dawn, the mother of the twins, has given birth to the twins (u e. Day and Night) — the top of my tongue fell, for he (the Sun) came. The twins, who have come near the root of the Sun, assume their bodies as they are born together, the destroyers of darkness. ^^ Amongst men there is no one to scoff at them who were our fathers, who fought among the cattle. Indra, the mighty and powerful, has stretched out their firm folds." ^ Yasishtha, another of the ancient Rishis, speaks likewise of ancient and modern hymns by which others, besides his own family, secured the favour of the gods.* " Whatever poets, ancient or modern, wise men, made prayers to thee, 0 Indra, ours may be thy propitious friendship: protect us, 0 gods, always with your blessings ! " One of the greatest events in the life of Yasishtha was the victory which King Sud&s achieved under his guidance. But in the Mandala of the Yasishthas, the same event is sometimes alluded to as belonging 1 The Yi^v&mitras wore white raiments. Their colour, called arjuna, can hardly be distinguished, however, from the colour of the dress of the Yasishthas, which is called liveta. ' Gotra, originally a hurdle, then those who live within the same hurdles or walb ; a family, a race. Rv. vi. 23. 9. I i9 484 CBaBMOWAl. HY^3 to the past, and in one o*- *x- the same Vasishtha we r ^ hymns ascribed to and offspring to the sa^ ' '* Committing our sons A^diti, Mitn, and Varun ^ ^^^^ protection which Sud&s, let us not make on** ^^® guardians, give to These passages, which ^^""^ angry." Yrill be sufficient to sh ^^ ' ^ greatly increased, generations of Vedic t>*^^ *^^* *^ere were various imitations are less consid ^**® *'*^®^ °^ ^^^^ pect under such circumaf^^^® *^°" '^^ ""S^* ®^' meet with stereotyped r>i!*^*^® ' ^^^ ^here we do to, say v<rhich poet used Ji^®' ^* ^ often difficult When we find I>trghatamal T^ ^*''' *^® fi™' *'°'^' hymn to Vishnu with the '^'^^^^athya, beginning a claim the manly deeds of^???®' " Let me now pro- hymn of Hiranyastapa J^n • *®^nu;" and another with, " Let me now procf^^* *° I^^Jra, beginning Indra," je may supp^^^^l^'^'^ the manly d^ds of composed with a pointed reS"** ^^^ one hymn was "'I'Tchthi ""^^"^ Of tSr^'^^e to the other; but and whicn the copv ^n^ t\Kr^ ^ .1 • • i The fact, howeve;, of *^' ^"^""^ being once admitted , ^^^^ent ot,/i j ,. dual^ at some criterL^^ ^^y W T^^"^- ^^ age of single hyn.^^^* ^I "^^IhTJ^ r^"\f" their comparatively ^od^""^^ of tt u *^' 'f'^"' sion to ceremonial sS.