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INTRODUCTION.
19
to be mentioned. I may add that in commenting on SankaBitarya's remarks on this passage, Anandagiri (and Madhusidana Sarasvati also) seems evidently to have been conscious of the possible force of this omission of the Atharva-veda. He accordingly says that by force of the word 'and' in the verse in question, the Atharvargirasas, or Atharva-veda, Dus also be included. Are we at liberty to infer from this, that the Atharva-veda did not exist in the days when the Gira was composed? The explanation ordinarily given for the omission of that Veda, where such omission occurs, namely, that it is not of any use in ordinary sacrificial matters, is one which can scarcely have any force in the present instance; though it is adequate, perhaps, to explain the words 'those who know the three branches of knowledge, which occur only a few lines after the verse Dow under consideration. The commentators render no further belp than has been already stated. Upon the whole, however, while I am not yet quite prepared to say, that the priority of the Gita, even to the recognition of the Atharva-veda as a real Veda, may be fairly inferred from the passage in question, I think that the passage is noteworthy as pointing in that direction. But further data in explanation of the omission referred to must be awaited.
If the conclusions here indicated about the relative positions of the Gita and certain Vedic works are correct, we an fairly take the second century B.C. as a terminus before which thc Gita must have been composed. For the Upanishads are mentioned in the Mahâbhâshya of Patažgali, which we are probably safc in assigning to the middle of that century. The epoch of the older L'panishads, therefore, to which reference has been so frequently made here, may well be placed at some period prior to the beginning of the second century B.C. The Atharva-veda is likewise mentioned by Patañgali', and as' ninefold,' too, be it remembered; so that if we are catitled to draw the conclusion which has been mentioned above from chapter IX, stanza 17, wC come to the same period for the date of the Gita.
See also Sutta Nipata, p. 115.
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