Development of Hinduism

SR No.: 007303
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: M M Ninan
Publisher: M M Ninan
Total Pages: 582
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 45 MB

Page 46

2. DATES OF VEDAS
http://www.sanskrit.nic.in/ABOUTSANSKRIT1.htm
Although twenty one recensions of Rig-Veda have been mentioned yet only five are more popular - Shakala, Vashkala, Ashvalayana, Sankhyayana and Mandukayana. Out of these five also, only
Shakala is available.
Strangley enough some zealots do quote the Rig Veda to show the existence of writing. But all those that refer writing are from Mandala I and X which were written in Sanskrit and dated in the postChrsitian period. Here is an example for it
http://www.crystalinks.com/indiawriting.html gives the following arguments to show it was indeed
written down:
"It is definitely older than the Ramayan (at least 5500 B.C) and some internal evidence takes it as far as 23,000 B.C. There are a number of references in the Rig Veda which allude to the art of writing. That the seers 'inscribed, engraved' words (on some material) itself points that they knew how to write.
"One more verse (Rig Veda 1-164-39) states, " In the letters (akshara) of the verses of the Veda...".
"There are a number of compositional chandas (metres), lines in a metre and specific number of words in a line available from the Rig Vedic text.
"It will take a tremendous amount of mental effort to compose and to commit to memory the vast amount of lines with all the intricacies involved.
"Unless these are reduced to writing and given a specific concrete shape, it would not facilitate oral transmission.
"Yet another verse (RgV 10-62-7) mentions cows being "marked" by an "8-eight" which again shows that the ancients possessed the art of writing.
"Also, RgVed 10-71-4 refers to a language which can be "seen"; that is a script.
"If there was no script, preferably the verb "to pronounce" rather than "to inscribe/write" would have been utilized.
"However, such a distinction has been made obviously because a written form of language existed during that time.
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