Grihya Sutras

SR No.: 007685
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Hermann Oldenberg
Publisher: Oxford
Publication Year: 1886
Total Pages: 2642
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 49 MB

Page 1061

4
VEDIC HYMNS.
itself is an ἅπαξ λεγόμενον. Sám avartata is found only in the last Mandala, X, 90, 14; 129, 4. Bhútá also, in the sense of what is, occurs in the tenth Mandala only. It is used three times (X, 55, 2; 58, 12; 90, 2) as opposed to bhavya, i. e. what is and what will be; and once more in the sense of all that is (X, 85, 17). Âtmadah, in the sense of giving life, is another drag λeyóμevov. Prasísh is restricted to Mandalas I (I, 145, 1), IX (IX, 66, 6; 86, 32), and our passage. Himávat, &а§ λeуóμevov. The repetition of the relative pronoun in verses 2 and 4 is unusual. In the tenth verse the compound yát-kâmah is modern, and the insertion of etani between tvát and anyáh is at all events exceptional. The passage V, 31, 2 is not parallel, because in tvåt indra vásyah anyát, the ablative tvát is governed by vásyah. In VI, 21, 10, ná tvấvân anyáh amrita tvát asti, anyáh is separated from tvát by a vocative only, as in VIII, 24, II.
But when we say that a certain hymn is modern, we must carefully consider what we mean. Our hymn, for instance, must have existed not only previous to the Brahmana period, for many Brahmanas presuppose it, but previous to the Mantra period also. It is true that no verse of it occurs in the Sâma-veda, but in the Sâma-veda-brâhmaṇa IX, 9, 12, verse I at least is mentioned". Most of its verses, however, occur in the Vâgasaneyi-samhitâ, in the Taittirîyasamhitâ, and in the Atharva-veda-samhitâ, nay, the last verse, to my mind the most suspicious of all, occurs most frequently in the other Samhitâs and Brahmanas.
But though most of the verses of our hymn occur in other Samhitâs, they do not always occur in the same order.
In the Vâg. Samh. we have the first verse in XIII, 4, but no other verse of our hymn follows. We have the first verse again in XXIII, 1, but not followed by verse 2, but by verse 3 (XXIII, 3). Then we have verse I once more
a The last line is here, tasmai ta indo havishâ vidhema, let us sacrifice to him with thy oblation, O Soma!
b Var. lect. nimeshatáh.
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