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A HISTORY OF INDIAN LITERATURE
JAN GONDA
VEDIC LITERATURE
OTTO HARRASSOWITZ • WIESBADEN
AHISTORY OF INDIAN LITERATURE EDITED BY JAN GONDA
VOLUME I Fasc. 1
1975 OTTO HARRASSOWITZ
• WIESBADEN
JAN GONDA
VEDIC LITERATURE (SAMHITAS AND BRAHMANAS)
1975 OTTO HARRASSOWITZ
•
WIESBADEN
CONTENTS
Editor's Introduction CHAPTER
I
Introduction to the Veda in general and the Rgveda in particular 1. General introductory definitions. Composition of the Rgveda 2. The text of the Rgveda .. .. 3. Chronology; environment and culture 4. Development of 'schools'; appendices and ancillary literature 5. Commentaries 6. Survival of the Veda .. 7. Study of the Veda
CHAPTER
II
7 15 20 26 39 43 55
Poetry, poet, poem 1. 2. 3. 4.
Inspiration and poetry . . .. The poet Sociology and performance .. Ritual application
65 74 79 83
CHAPTER I I I Contents of the Rgveda 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
Introduction Invitations and invocations . . . . Apri hymns Praise Prayers Myths .. Legends .. . v History .. .. . . Riddles .. Speculative hymns . . . . . . . . Magic ,v?f
..
93 101 104 105 108 114 123 128 132 136 142
VI
J. Gonda • Vedic Literature 12. Ecstatic practices 13. Erotic poetry 14. Morals and maxims 15. Lyrics; emotions 16. So-called ballads 17. Nature 18. Animals 19. Labour songs 20. Irony; humour 21. Danastutis
CHAPTER IV
The structure of the Rgvedic poems 1. Stanzas and metres 2. Structure of the suktas 3. Introductory and final stanzas 4. Groupings of stanzas 5. 'Composite' hymns 6. Similarities and repetitions 7. Monologues, dialogues, the akhyana theory
CHAPTER V
149 151 153 156 159 161 166 167 168 170
..
173 178 185 189 191 193 . . 198
The style of the Vedic hymns 1. The Rgveda from the stylistic point of view . . . . 2. Formulas, parallelism and its corollaries, variation 3. Epithets 4. Brevity 5. Ambiguity 6. Imagery 7. Similes 8. Other stylistic features
CHAPTER VI
211 221 231 236 240 248 254 261
The Atharvaveda
1. Names and position 2. Genesis and recensions of the Atharvaveda-Samhita 3. The magical sUktas 4. Ritual and speculative suktas 5. Style and structure 6. Ancillary and exegetical literature , . ,, ,, ..
267 272 277 288 298 307
Contents CHAPTER
VII The liturgical Samhitds 1. The Samaveda 2. The Yajurveda
CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER
VII
IX
313 323
The Brdhmanas 1. General introduction 2. The texts 3. Chronology 4. The brahmanas as historical sources 5. Interpretation and argumentation 6. Disputations 7. Myths, legends and narrative episodes 8. Style and structure
339 344 357 361 368 379 384 410
The Aranyakas
423
Glossary
433
Abbreviations
437
Index
445
EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY
One of the main reasons why Indian thought and Indian civilization make so fascinating a field of study and research lies in their unique history and remarkable structure. Indian civilization has its roots in an ancient heritage, in that pattern of culture which is sometimes called archaic or semi-primitive, sometimes also pre- or non-modern. This culture, or rather structure of the human mind, is, in the main, characterized by presenting, in some essential features, striking contrasts to our modern 'mentalite.' Without being onesidedly intellectual, it gives free scope to the emotional and imaginative sides of human nature; our distinction between the subjective and the objective, our contrast between reality and appearance are almost meaningless; the realm of nat