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Reviews
361
PRAJAPATI'S RISE TO HIGHER RANK : by J. Gonda, E. J. Brill,
Leiden, 1986, Pp. X, 208.
Writing on Prajapati on an earlier occasion ( History of Religions 22 (1982) p. 129 ff.), Prof. Gonda had already expressed his doubts about the correctness of the view, widely held, that this deity is essentially a product of ritualistic and theological speculation and consequently comparatively
young'. In that article Prof. Gonda had demonstrated that already in the early period of Indian religious history Prajāpati must have been a popular deity meeting various wishes of a common man. In the present book be proposes to deal with the widening of the god's horizon and interests; the increasing number of bis relations with various other deities; his engagement in more complicated sacrificial rites; and his rise to higher rank and power.” (p. 1).
There is no doubt that Prof. Gonda has admirably achieved his objective. In Part One of the Book on “ Prajāpati's position and Gradual Rise in the Veda " he has collected and studied all the relevant texts in order to bring to light the various aspects of the deity and his association with other Vedic gods. of all the different activities ascribed to the deity by far the most important is the creative one. Whenever new rites were added to the ritual or the existing ones altered, the ritualists sought to give authority to the additions and alterations by ascribing them to Prajā pati himself (p. 42).
Io Part Two on “ Prajāpati in the Srauta Ritual" Prof. Gonda examines in details Prof. Oldenberg's view, which he does not share, that Prajāpati is a young and vague, broadly defined, deity who has no access to the main and fundamental rites of the Soma ceremonies. In order to substantiato his own view Prof, Gonda makes a detailed study of “the mantras and other passages from the descriptions of the frauta rites in which Prajāpati's name occurs or mention is made of his activity" (p. 119 ).
Prof. Gonda cautions bis readers not to see in his book chronological survey of Prajāpati's career. “What seems to emerge from the preceding disquition is that whereas the beginning of Prajā pati's career can be satisfactorily reconstructed and the outcome of the various associations and identifications of this god with other deities and powers is an unquestionablo historical fact, the intervening period cannot be adequately and definitely described in a few words as a strictly historical account” (p. 195 ).
It is somewhat surprising that while dealing with (p. 266 ) tbe honeywhip ( madhukasā) of the Asvina and the madhusükta (AV. 9. 1) Prof. Gonda makes no reference to H. Lüders : Varuņa II p. 370 ff.
M. A. Mehendale
Madhu Vidyā/683
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