________________
132
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
land; the Mângs and Bhangis less frequently; but both the former tribes are often employed by other cultivators as labourers. There are a good many other castes whom a Hindu would consider Parwârîs, but in my classification
THE VEDA IN INDIA.
BY PROFESSOR RAMKRISHNA GOPAL BHANDARKAR, M.A.
Every Brahmanic family is devoted to the study of a particular Veda, or a particular sakhá of a Veda; and the domestic rites of the family are performed according to the ritual prescribed in the sútra connected with that Veda. The study consists in getting by heart the books forming the particular Veda. In Northern India, where the predominant Veda is the White Yujush, and the sákhá Mádhyandina, this study has almost died out, except at Banâras, where Brahmanic families from all parts of India are settled. It prevails to some extent in Gujarât, but to a much greater extent in the Marâțhâ Country, and in Tailangana there is a large number of Brahmans who still devote their life to this study. Numbers of these go about to all parts of the country in search of dakshina, and all well-to-do natives patronize them according to their means, by getting them to repeat portions of their Veda, which is mostly the Black Yajush, with Apastamba for their sútra. Hardly a week passes here in Bombay in which no Tailanga Brahman comes to me to ask for dakshiná.
On each occasion I get the men to repeat what they have learned, and compare it with the printed texts in my possession. With reference to their occupation, Brahmans of each Ved a are generally divided into two classes, Gri
Aávalâyana enjoins the Brahma-yajna in the following sutra :-अथ स्वाध्यायमधीयीतच यजूंषि सामान्यथर्वाङ्कि - रसो ब्राह्मणानि कल्पान्गाथा नाराशंसीरितिहासपुराणानीति'. Upon this is based the following, as repeated by the Rigvedt Brahmans in these days:-1. af gue &c. up to सचस्वा नः स्वस्तये | (Rig. 1. 1) ; 2. अभिर्वै देवानामवमो विष्णुः परमः | (Ait. Brah. 1. 1); 3. अथ महावतम्। (Ait. 1st Aran.); 4. (Ait. 2nd Aran.); 5. 3: संहिताया उपनिषत् | (Ait. 3rd Aran.); 6. विदामघवन्विदा। (Ait. 4th Aran.); 7. महाव्रतस्य पञ्चविंशतिं सामिधेन्य (Ait. 5th Aran.); 6. f (Yajurveda Sanhit);
[MAY, 1874.
they will come under the head of wandering tribes. The Ghadasis, Chambhârs, and Dhôrs, as mentioned under the head of Sankarjátya, are sometimes allowed to live inside villages, and so get the benefit of the doubt.
(Samaveda Sanh.); 10. tefte (Athar. Samh.); 11. अथैतस्य समाम्नायस्य (Asv. Kalp. 8. ); 12. समास्नायः समाम्नात | (Nirukta); 13. मयरसतजभनलगसंमितम् ।
hasthas and Bhikshukas. The former devote themselves to a worldly avocation, while the latter spend their time in the study of their sacred books and the practice of their religious rites. Both these classes have to repeat the Sandhya-Vandana or twilight prayers, the forms of which are somewhat different for the different Vedas. But the repetition of the Gayatri-mantra Tat Savitur varenyam, &c., five, ten, twenty-eight, or a hundred and eight times, which forms the principal portion of the ceremony, is common to all. The SandhyaVandana is performed early in the morning and at sunset by a few pious Brâhmans, but the rest do it a little before the morning and evening meals, i. e. from 10 A.M. to 12 noon, and at about 8 P.M. Besides this, a great many perform daily what is called Brahmayajna, which is incumbent on all on certain occasions. This for the Rigvedis consists of the first hymn of the first mandala, and the opening sentences of the Aitareya Brahmana, the five parts of the Aitareya Aranyaka, the Yajus-sanhitá, the Sama-sanhitá, the Atharvasanhitá, Ásvalayana Kalpa Sutra, Nirukta Chhandas, Nighantu, Jyotish, Siks há, Panini's Grammar, Yajnavalkya Smriti, Mahabharata, and the Sútras of Kanada, Jaimini, and Bâdarayana.* Such Bhikshukas as have (Chhandas); 14. (Nighantu); 15. q (Jyotish); 16. अथ शिक्षां प्रवक्ष्यामि । (siksha); 17. वृद्धिरादैन् । j. Smriti); 19. - यणं नमस्कृत्य (Mahabharata); 20. अथातो धर्मं व्याख्यास्यामः (Kanada 8ûtra); 21. (Jaimini Mimansa); 22. (Badarayana-Vedanta-Satra)
(Panini); 18.
तच्छंयोरावृणीमहे गातुं यज्ञाय गातुं यज्ञपतये देवी स्वस्तिरस्तु नः स्वस्ति मनुषेभ्यः ऊर्ध्व जिगातु भेषजं शं नो अस्तु द्विपदे शं चतुष्पदे । ॐ नमो ब्रह्मणे नमो अस्त्वग्नये नमः पृथिव्यै नमः ओषधिभ्यः । नमो वाचे नमो वाचस्पतये नमो विष्णवे महते करोमि ।. It would be hazardous to affirm that our Brahma-yajna, as recited in these days, was settled in Aśvalâyana's time, but it is evidently based upon his sutra quoted above. No. 1 corresponds to his w:, Nos. 2-7 to 1, No. 8 to his if, No. 9 to
