ṛik-sāmātharva-yajushaś chaturo bhagavān prabhuḥ | chakāra nikhilān vedān brahma-yuktena karmaṇā |

" issued from him,

"While he was thus reflecting, the sound " om and resounded through the earth, air, and sky. While the god of gods was again and again repeating this, the essence of mind, the vashaṭkāra proceeded from his heart. Next, the sacred and transcendent vyahritis, (bhūḥ, bhuvaḥ, svar), formed of the great smriti, in the form of sound, were produced from earth, air, and sky. Then appeared the goddess, the most excellent of metres, with twenty-four syllables [the gayatri]. Reflecting on the divine text [beginning with] "tat," the Lord formed the savitrī. He then produced all the Vedas, the Rich, Saman, Atharvan, and Yajush, with their prayers and rites." (See also the passage from the Bhag. Pur. xii. 6, 37 ff., which will be quoted in a following section.)

Mahābhārata.-The Mahābhārata in one passage speaks of Sarasvati and the Vedas as being both created by Achyuta (Vishnu) from his mind (Bhishma-parvan, verse 3019: Sarasvatim cha vedāmś cha manasaḥ sasrije 'chyutaḥ). In another place, S'anti-parvan, verse 12,920, Sarasvatī is said, in conformity with the texts quoted above, pp. 10 and 12, from the Taittiriya Brāhmaṇa, the Vana-parvan, and the Harivamśa, to be the mother of the Vedas:

Vedānām mātaram paśya mat-sthām devīm Sarasvatīm |

"Behold Sarasvati, mother of the Vedas, abiding in me."

Manu.-According to the verses in Manu, xii. 49, 50, quoted in the First Volume of this work, p. 41, the Vedas, with the other beings and objects named along with them, constitute the second manifestation of the sattva guna, or pure principle; while Brahma is placed in a higher rank, as one of the first manifestations of the same principle. The word Veda in this passage is explained by Kullūka of those "embodied deities, celebrated in the Itihasas, who preside over the Vedas" (Vedābhimāninyaś cha devatāḥ vigrahavatyaḥ itihāsa-prasiddāḥ).

SECT. III.-Passages of the Brahmanas and other works in which the Vedas are spoken of as being the sources of all things, and as infinite and eternal.

The first text of this sort which I shall cite is from the Satapatha Brahmana, x. 4, 2, 21:

Atha sarvani bhūtāni paryaikshat | sa trayyam eva vidyāyām sarvāni bhūtāny apaśyat | attra hi sarveshām chhandasām ātmā sarveshām stomānām sarveshām prāṇānāṁ sarveshām devānām | etad vai asti | etad hy amritam | yad hy amṛitam tad hy asti | etad u tad yad martyam | 22. Sa aikshata Prajāpātiḥ “trayyām vāva vidyāyām sarvāṇi bhūtāni | hanta trayīm eva vidyām ātmānam abhisamskaravai" iti | 23. Sa richo vyauhat | dvadasa bṛihati-sahasrūny etavatyo ha richo yaḥ Prajapati-sṛishṭās tās trimsattame vyuhe panktishv atishthanta | tāḥ yat trimśattame vyūhe 'tishṭhanta tasmāt trim̃śad māsasya rātrayaḥ | atha yat panktishu tasmāt pānktaḥ Prajāpatiḥ | tāḥ ashṭāśatam śatāni panktayo 'bhavan |

21. "Then he looked around upon all beings. He beheld all beings in this triple Vedic science. For in it is the soul of all metres, of all hymns of praise, of all breaths, of all the gods. This, indeed, exists.14 It is an undying thing. For that which is undying (really) exists. This is that which is mortal. 15 Prajapati reflected, 'All beings are comprehended in the triple Vedic science: come let me dispose myself in the shape of the triple Vedic science.16 He arranged the verses of the Rigveda. Twelve thousand Brihatīs, and as many Rich-verses which were created by Prajapati, stood in rows in the thirtieth class. Since they stood in the thirtieth class there are thirty nights in the month. Since they stood in rows (pankti) Prajapati is called Pankta. They formed eighteen hundreds of rows."

The next text, from the Taittiriya Brāhmaṇa, iii. 12, 9, 1, speaks of the three Vedas as being respectively the sources of form, motion, and heat, or brilliancy:

Rigbhyo jātām sarvaśo mūrttim āhuḥ sarvā gatir yājushi haiva śaśvat | sarvam tejaḥ sama-rūpyam ha saśvat |

"They say that form universally proceeds from rich verses; that motion is always connected with the yajush, and that all heat has the nature of the saman."

We have already seen, p. 6, that Manu (i. 21) speaks of the names,

14 "Always exists" (sarvadā vidyate).—Comm.

15 On this the commentator remarks: Yach cha martyam marana-dharmakam manushyādi tad apy etat trayī-bhūtam eva | ato marttyāmṛitātmakaṁ sarvam jagad attrāntarbhūtam | "And that which is mortal, subject to death, the human race, etc., is also one with the triple Vedic science. Hence the latter includes all the world both mortal and immortal."

16 I owe this interpretation of this clause to Prof. Aufrecht.

functions, and conditions of all things as fashioned from the words of the Veda. It is similarly said in the Vishnu Purāna, i. 5, 58:

Nama rupam cha bhūtānām kṛityānām cha pravarttanam | Veda-sabdebhya evadau devādīnām chakāra saḥ | ṛishīņām nāmadheyāni yathā veda-śrutāni vai | yathā-niyoga-yogyāni sarveshām api so’karot |

"In the beginning he created from the words of the Veda the names, forms, and functions of the gods and other beings. He also assigned the names of all the rishis as indicated in the Vedas, and as appropriate to their respective offices."

The same idea is repeated in the Mahābhārata, S'antiparvan, 8533: Rishayas tapasā vedān adhyaishanta divāniśam | An-ādi-nidhanā vidyā vāg utsṛishṭā Svayambhuvā | ādau vedamayi divyā yataḥ sarvāḥ pravṛittayaḥ | rishīnām nāmadheyāni yāś cha vedeshu sṛishtayaḥ | nānārūpam̃ cha bhūtānām karmaṇāṁ cha pravarttayan (pravarttanam?) | veda-sabdebhya evadau nirmimīte sa iśvaraḥ |

"Through austere-fervour (tapas) the rishis studied the Vedas, both day and night. In the beginning knowledge (vidya)" without beginning or end, divine speech, formed of the Vedas, was sent forth by Svayambhu (= Brahma, the self-existent): from her all activities are derived. It is from the words of the Veda that the lord in the beginning frames the names of the rishis, the creations which (exist) in the Vedas, the various forms of beings, and the activity manifested in works."

The Mangalacharana, or prayer prefixed to their commentaries on the Rik Sanhitā and Taittirīya Sanhitā, by both Sāyaṇa and Mādhava, is as follows:

Yasya niśśvasitam vedāḥ yo vedebhyo 'khilam jagat | nirmame tam aham vande vidya-tirtham maheśvaram |

"I reverence Maheśvara the hallowed abode of sacred knowledge, of whom the Vedas are the breathings, and who from the Vedas formed the whole universe."

The following passage from the Taittiriya Brāhmaṇa, iii. 10, 11, 3, asserts that the Vedas are infinite in extent:

Bharadvājo ha tribhir āyurbhir brahmacharyyam uvāsa | tam̃ ha jîrnim

17 In quoting this line in a passage of his Vedartha-prakāsa, or commentary on the Taittiriya Sanhitā, which I shall adduce further on, Madhava Acharyya gives the reading nitya, 'eternal,' instead of vidyā, ‘knowledge.' It is possible that the line may be taken from some other book.

sthavıram śayānam Indraḥ upavrajya uvācha | "Bharadvāja yat te chaturtham ayur dadyām kim etena kuryyāḥ" iti | "brahmacharyyam eva enena chareyam" iti ha uvacha | 4. Tam ha trin giri-rūpān avijnātān iva darśayānchakāra | tesham ha ekaikasmād mushṭim ādade | sa ha uvacha "Bharadvaja" ity amantrya | "vedāḥ vai ete | anantāḥ vai vedāḥ | etad vai etais tribhir āyurbhir anvavochathāḥ | atha te itarad ananāktam eva | ehi imam viddhi | ayam vai sarva-vidyā" iti | 5. Tasmai ha etam agnim sāvitram uvācha | tam sa viditvā amṛito bhūtvā svargam lokam iyāya ādityasya sāyujyam | amṛito ha eva bhūtvā svargam lokam ety adityasya sāyujyam yaḥ evam veda | eshā u eva trayī vidyā | 6. Yāvantam ha vai trayyā vidyayā lokam jayati tāvantam lokam jayati yaḥ evam veda |

"Bharadvaja lived through three lives 18 in the state of a religious student (brahmacharyya). Indra approached him when he was lying old and decrepit, and said to him: 'Bharadvāja, if I give thee a fourth life, how wilt thou employ it?' 'I will lead the life of a religious student,' he replied. 4. He (Indra) showed him three mountain-like objects, as it were unknown. From each of them he took a handful: and, calling to him, 'Bharadvaja,' said, 'These are the Vedas. The Vedas are infinite. This is what thou hast studied during these three lives. Now there is another thing which thou hast not studied, come and learn it. This is the universal science.' 5. He declared to him this Agni Săvitra. Having known it he (Bharadvaja) became immortal, and ascended to the heavenly world, to union with the sun. He who knows this ascends to heaven, to union with the sun. This is the triple Vedic science. He who knows this conquers a world as great as he would gain by the triple Vedic science."

Another text from the Taittiriya Sanhitā, vii. 3, 1, 4, puts the matter somewhat differently:

Atha brahmā (brahma-vādino?) vadanti parimitāḥ vai richaḥ parimitāni sāmāni parimitāni yajūmshi atha tasya eva anto nāsti yad brahma |

"The expounders of sacred science say, 'Rich verses are limited, saman verses are limited, yajush verses are limited; but there is no end of sacred knowledge."

Vishnu Purāna.-At the end of Section 6 of the third book of the

Is This does not appear to mean, three lives in three different births, but a life of thrice the usual length, or already twice renewed.

2

ว

Vishnu Purāna we have the following assertion of the eternity of the Veda:

Iti sakhaḥ prasankhyātāḥ śākhā-bhedās tathaiva cha | karttaraś chaiva śākhānām bheda-hetus tathoditah | sarva-manvantareshv eva śākḥā-bhedāḥ samāḥ smritāḥ | Prājāpatyā śrutir nityā tad-vikalpās tv ime dvija |

"Thus the Sākhās, their divisions, their authors, and the cause of the division have been declared. In all the manvantaras the divisions of the Sākhās are recorded to be the same. The śruti (Veda) derived from Prajapati (Brahmā) is eternal: these, o Brahman, are only its modifications."

In another passage of the same book, Vishnu is identified with the Vedas: Vishnu Purāna, iii. 3, 19 ff.:

Sa rin-mayaḥ sa sāmamayaḥ sa chātmā sa yajurmayaḥ | rig-yajuḥsāma-sārātmā sa evātmā śarīriņām | sa bhidyate vedamayaḥ sa vedam karoti bhedair bahubhiḥ saśākham | śākhā-pranetā sa samasta-śākhāḥ ināna-svarupo bhagavān anantaḥ |

"He is composed of the Rich, of the Saman, of the Yajush; he is the soul. Consisting of the essence of the Rich, Yajush, and Saman, he is the soul of embodied spirits. Formed of the Veda, he is divided; he forms the Veda and its branches (śākhās) into many divisions. Framer of the Sākhās, he is also their entirety, the infinite lord, whose essence is knowledge."

SECT. IV.-Passages from the Satapatha Brahmana and Manu, eulogistic of the Veda, with some statements of a different tenor from Manu and other writers.

The following panegyric on Vedic study is taken from the Satapatha Brāhmaṇa, xi. 5, 6, 1:

Pancha eva mahāyajnāḥ | tāny eva mahāsattrāni bhūta-yajno manushya-yajnaḥ pitri-yajno deva-yajno brahma-yajnaḥ iti | 2. Ahar ahar bhūtebhyo balim haret | tathā etam bhūta-yajnam samāpnoti | ahar ahar dadyad a uda-pātrāt tathā etam manushya-yajnam samāpnoti | ahar ahaḥ svadhākuryād ā uda-pātrāt tathā etam pitṛi-yajnam samāpnoti | ahar ahaḥ svāhākuryādā kāshṭhāt tathā etam deva-yajnam samāpnoti | 3. Atha brahma-yajnaḥ svādhyāyo vai brahma-yajnaḥ | tasya vai etasya brahma