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Revlews
387
BRUDERSCHAFT UND WÜRFELSPIEL (UNTERSUCHUNGEN
ZUR ENTWICKLUNGSGESCHICHTE DES VEDISCHEN OPFERS) : by Harry Falk; Hedwig Falk, Freiburg, 1986. Pp. 216.
In this book Falk gives the results of his investigations on the relationship between the Vratyas and the game of dice. The book has five chapters : (1) Bruderschaften in Indien, (2) Das Würfelspiel im Veda, (3) Das rituelle Würfelspiel, (4) Das profane Spiel, (5) Schluss. Falk has studied extensively the relevant literature on the subject. He cites frequently from original texts and he does not cite a Sanskrit passage without translating it into German. This is of great advantage.
According to Falk Vrātyas were not converts in the religious sense but were a product of a social reform ( Objekte einer Gesellschaftsreform'p. 55). In his concluding chapter (3), summarising the results, Falk observes 1 “ If we now consider the separate results in their totality, then the technical side at least of the game of dice seems explained. The three times fifty nuts corresponded to the members of the Young Mens' Associations who appeared together not only as students of the Veda but, in the period of intermission of study, as receivers of sacrificial animals they had to fulfil an important task in the religious life of the Aryan community. In the circle of these young men the one was procured with the help of 150 nuts who, as dog', must kill the sacrificial animal.
“At the time of dividing the glaha it was important that there was no remainder left over. This conception is inseparably connected with the way an animal should be cut up : A perfect cutting up leaving no remainder permitted the rising again of the sacrificial) victim. Just as the horse in the Aśvamedha could, as a whole, continue to live in the heaven, so also the nuts, after separation, were again collected together.
"In the original form of the game there was no opponent. The companions stepped up before the nuts one after the other. The one who retained one piece as remainder became the first, the leader of the group', Kali, Rudra, Pasupati, the 'master of the sacrificial animal.'” (p. 188)
In order to be able to pronounce judgement on the conclusions arrived at by Falk at various stages in his study it is necessary that one has first obtained a clear understanding of Falk's reasoning. Since the reviewer does not claim to have done this, what is done here is to offer some observations on details some of which may turn out to be corrections.
driving rod' is
1. p. 24: It is not clear why Falk says that pratoda-
Madhu Vidyā/687
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