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CHAPTER II.

THE RISHIS, AND THEIR OPINIONS IN REGARD TO THE ORIGIN OF THE VEDIC HYMNS.

I HAVE already shewn, in the preceding pages, as well as in the Second Volume of this work, that the hymns of the Rig-veda themselves supply us with numerous data by which we can judge of the circumstances to which they owed their origin, and of the manner in which they were created. We have seen that they were the natural product and expression of the particular state of society, of the peculiar religious conceptions, and of all those other influences, physical and moral, which prevailed at the period when they were composed, and acted upon the minds of their authors. (Vol. I. pp. 161 f., Vol. II. pp. 205 ff.; and above, pp. 211 f.) We find in them ideas, a language, a spirit, and a colouring totally different from those which characterize the religious writings of the Hindus of a later era. They frequently discover to us the simple germs from which the mythological conceptions current in subsequent ages were derived,―germs which in many cases were developed in so fanciful and extravagant a manner as to shew that the simplicity of ancient times had long since disappeared, to make way for a rank and wild luxuriance of imagination. They afford us very distinct indications of the locality in which they were composed (Vol. II. pp. 354-372); they shew us the Aryan tribes living in a state of warfare with surrounding enemies (some of them, probably, alien in race and language), and gradually, as we may infer, forcing their way onward to the east and south (Vol. II. pp. 374 ff., 384 ff., 414 ff.); they supply us with numerous specimens of the particular sorts of prayers, viz. for protection and victory, which men so circumstanced would naturally address to the gods whom they worshipped, as well as of those

more common supplications which men in general offer up for the various blessings which constitute the sum of human welfare; and they bring before us as the objects of existing veneration a class of deities (principally, if not exclusively, personifications of the elements, and of the powers either of nature, or of reason) who gradually lost their importance in the estimation of the later Indians, and made way for gods of a different description, invested with new attributes, and in many cases bearing new appellations.

These peculiarities of the hymns abundantly justify us in regarding them as the natural product and spontaneous representation of the ideas, feelings, and aspirations of the bards with whose names they are connected, or of other ancient authors, while the archaic forms of the dialect in which they are composed, and the references which are made to them, as pre-existent, in the liturgical works by which they are expounded and applied, leave no reason for doubt that they are the most ancient of all the Indian Scriptures.

We can also, as I have shown, discover from the Vedic hymns themselves, that some of them were newer and others older, that they were the works of many successive generations of poets, that their composition probably extended over several centuries, and that in some places their authors represent them as being the productions of their own minds, while in other passages they appear to ascribe to their own words a certain divine character, or attribute their composition to some supernatural assistance. (Vol. I. p. 4, and II. pp. 206 ff., 219 ff.)

I shall now proceed to adduce further proofs from the hymns of the Rig-veda in support of these last mentioned positions; repeating, at the same time, for the sake of completeness, the texts which I have already cited in the Second Volume.

SECT. I.-Passages from the Hymns of the Veda which distinguish between the Rishis as Ancient and Modern.

The appellations or epithets applied by the authors of the hymns to themselves, and to the sages who in former times had instituted, as well as to their contemporaries who continued to conduct, the different rites of divine worship, are the following: rishi, kavi, medhāvin, vipra,

vipaśchit, vedhas, muni, etc. The rishis are defined in Böhtlingk and Roth's Lexicon, to be persons "who, whether singly or in chorus, either on their own behalf or on behalf of others, invoked the gods in artificial language, and in song;" and the word is said to denote especially "the priestly bards who made this art their profession." The word kavi means "wise," or a poet," and has ordinarily the latter sense in modern Sanskrit. Vipra means "wise," and, in later Sanskrit, a "Brāhman;” medhāvin means "intelligent;" vipaśchit and vedhas, "wise " or "learned." Muni signifies in modern Sanskrit a "sage" or "devotee." It is not much used in the Rig-veda, but occurs in viii. 17, 13 (Vol. II. p. 397).

The following passages from the Rig-veda either expressly distinguish between contemporary rishis and those of a more ancient date, or, at any rate, make reference to the one or the other class. This recognition of a succession of rishis constitutes one of the historical elements in the Veda. It is an acknowledgment on the part of the rishis themselves that numerous persons had existed, and events occurred, anterior to their own age, and, consequently, in time; and it therefore refutes, by the testimony of the Veda itself, the assertion of Jaimini (above, pp. 77 ff.) that none but eternally pre-existing objects are mentioned in that book.

If, under this and other heads of my inquiry, I have cited a larger number of passages than might have appeared to be necessary, it has been done with the intention of showing that abundant evidence of my various positions can be adduced from all parts of the Hymn-collection.' R. V. i. 1, 2. Agniḥ pūrvebhir rishibhir īḍyo nūtanair uta | sa devān eha vakshati |

"Agni, who is worthy to be celebrated by former, as well as modern rishis, will bring the gods hither."

The word pūrvebhiḥ is explained by Sāyaṇa thus: Purātanair Bhrigvangiraḥ-prabhṛitibhir rishibhiḥ | "By the ancient rishis, Bhrigu, Angiras,” etc.; and nūtanaiḥ is interpreted by idānīntanair asmābhir api, "by us of the present day also." See also Nirukta, vii. 16.

I have to acknowledge the assistance kindly rendered to me by Prof. Aufrecht in the revision of my translation of the passages quoted in this and the following sections. As, however, the texts are mostly quite clear in so far as regards the points which they are adduced to prove, any inaccuracies with which I may be chargeable in other respects are of comparatively little importance.

i. 45, 3. Priyamedha-vad Atri-vaj Jātavedo Virupa-vat | Angiras-vad mahi-vrata Praskanvasya śrudhi havam | 4. Mahi-keravaḥ ūtaye Priyamedhaḥ ahushata |

"O (god) of great power, listen to the invocation of Praskanva, as thou didst listen to Priyamedha, Atri, Virupa, and Angiras. 4. The Priyamedhas, skilled in singing praises, have invoked thee."

Here Praskanva is referred to, in verse 3, as alive, whilst Priyamedha, Atri, Virūpa, and Angiras belong to the past. In verse 4 the descendants of Priyamedha are however alluded to as existing. The three other names are also, no doubt, those of families. In R.V. iii. 53, 7, (see Vol. I. p. 341) the Virūpas appear to be referred to; while in viii. 64, 6 (which will be quoted below), a Virūpa is addressed. In v. 22, 4, the Atris are spoken of.

i. 48, 14. Ye chid hi tvām ṛishayaḥ pūrve ūtaye juhūre ityādi | "The former rishis who invoked thee for succour," etc.

i. 80, 16. Yām Atharvā Manush pitā Dadhyañ dhiyam atnata | tasmin brahmāni pūrvathā Indre ukthä samagmata ityādi |

"In the ceremony [or hymn] which Atharvan, or our father Manu, or Dadhyanch performed, the prayers and praises were, as of old, congregated in that Indra," etc.

i. 118, 3 (repeated in iii. 58, 3). Āhur viprāsaḥ Aśvinā purājaḥ | "O Aśvins, the ancient sages say," etc.

i. 131, 6. Ã me asya vedhaso navīyaso manma śrudhi navīyasaḥ |

"Hear the hymn of me this modern sage, of this modern [sage]." i. 139, 9. Dadhyan ha me janusham pūrvo Angirāḥ Priyamedhaḥ Kanvo Atrir Manur vidur ityādi |

"The ancient Dadhyanch, Angiras, Priyamedha, Kanva, Atri, and Manu know my birth."

i. 175, 6. Yathā pūrvebhyo jaritṛibhyaḥ Indra mayaḥ iva āpo na tṛishyate babhutha | Tām anu tvā nividam johāvīmi ityūdi |

"Indra, as thou hast been like a joy to former worshippers who praised thee, like waters to the thirsty, I invoke thee again and again with this hymn," etc.

iv. 20, 5. Vi yo rarapse rishibhir navebhir vriksho na pakvaḥ sṛinyo na jetā | maryo na yoshām abhi manyamāno achhā vivakmi puruhūtam Indram |

"Like a man desiring a woman, I call hither that Indra, invoked by

many, who, like a ripe tree, like a conqueror expert in arms, has been celebrated by recent rishis."

iv. 50, 1. Tam pratnāsaḥ rishayo dīdhyānāḥ puro viprāḥ dadhire mandra-jihvam |

"The ancient rishis, resplendent and sage, have placed in front cf them [Brihaspati] with gladdening tongue."

v. 42, 6. . . . . Na te pūrve Maghavan na aparāso na vīryam nūtanaḥ kaśchana āpa |

"Neither the ancients nor later men, nor any modern man, has attained to [conceived] thy prowess, o Maghavan."

x. 54, 3. Ke u nu te mahimanaḥ samasya asmat pūrve rishayo antam āpuḥ | yad mātaram cha pitaram cha sākam ajanayathās tanvāḥ svāyāḥ| "Who among the rishis who were before us have attained to the end of all thy greatness? for thou didst at once produce from thy own body both the mother and the father (earth and heaven)."

vi. 19, 4. Yathu chit pūrve jaritāraḥāsur anedyāḥ anavadyāḥ arishṭāḥ| "As [Indra's] former worshippers were, [may we be] blameless, irreproachable, and unharmed."

vi. 21, 5. Idā hi te vevishataḥ purājāḥ pratnāsaḥ āsuḥ purukṛit sakhāyaḥ | Ye madhyamāsaḥ uta nūtanāsaḥ utāvamasya puruhūta bodhi |

"For now, o energetic god, men are thy worshippers, as the ancients born of old and the men of the middle and later ages have been thy friends. And, o much-invoked, think of the most recent of all."3

vi. 21, 1. Sa tu śrudhi Indra nūtanasya brahmanyato vīra kārudhāyaḥ | "Heroic Indra, supporting the poet, listen to the modern [bard] who wishes to celebrate thee."

vi. 22, 2. Tam u naḥ pūrve pitaro navagvāḥ sapta viprāsaḥ abhi vājayantaḥ ityādi |

"To Him (Indra) our ancient fathers, the seven Navagva sages, desiring food, (resorted) with their hymns," etc.

vi. 50, 15. Evā napāto mama tasya dhibhir Bharadvājāḥ abhyarchanti arkaiḥ |

"Thus do the Bharadvajas my grandsons adore thee with (my ?) hymns and praises."

2 Prof. Aufrecht thinks sṛinyo na jetā may perhaps mean, "like a winner of sickles (as a prize)."

3 This verse is translated in Benfey's Glossary to the Sama-veda, p. 76, col. i.