"He who knows the four Vedas, with their supplements and Upani shads is not really learned, unless he know also the Purāņas. Let a man, therefore, complete the Vedas by adding the Itihāsas and Purāņas. The Veda is afraid of a man of little learning, lest he should treat it injuriously."

The first of these verses is repeated in the Mahabharata, Ādiparvan verse 645, with a variation in the first half of the second line na chakhyānam idam vidyāt, "unless he know also this narrative" (i.e. the Mahabharata). The second of the verses of the Vayu Purāna also is to be found in the same book of the Mahābhārata verse 260, and is followed by these lines:

261. Kārshnam vedam imam vidvān śrāvayiṭvā'nnam aśnute ! 264. Ekataś chaturo vedān Bhāratam chaitad ekataḥ | purā kila suraiḥ sarvaiḥ sametya tulayā dhṛitam | chaturbhyaḥ sa-rahasyebhyo vedebhyo hy adhikam yadā | tadā-prabhṛiti loke 'smin mahābhāratam uchyate |

....

"The man who knows this Veda relating to Krishna (the Mahābhārata), and repeats it to others, obtains food. . . . . 264. All the collected gods formerly weighed in a balance the four Vedas which they placed in the one scale, and this Bharata which they put into the other. When the latter was found to exceed (in weight) the four Vedas with the Upanishads, it was thenceforward called in this world the Mahabhārata."

Here there is a play upon the word Bharata, as in part identical with bhāra, "weight."

The following verses of the same Ādiparvan and many others are also eulogistic of the great epic poem :

2298. Idam hi vedaiḥ sammitam pavitram api chottamam | śrāvyāṇām uttamam chedam purānam ṛishi-sam̃stutam |

"This (Mahabharata) is on an equality with the Veda, pure, most excellent, the best of all works that are to be recited, ancient, and praised by rishis."

2314. Vijneyaḥ sa cha vedānām pūrago Bhāratam paṭhan |

The reader of the Bhārata is to be regarded as having gone through the Vedas."

The benefits derivable from a perusal of the same poem are also set forth in the Svargārohanika-parvan, verses 200 ff.

In the same way the Rāmāyaṇa, i. 1, 94, speaks of itself, as "this

pure and holy narrative, which is on an equality with the Vedas " (idam pavitram ākhyānam punyam̃ vedaiś cha sammitam).

And in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa, ii. 8, 28, it is said: Prāha bhāgavatam nāma purānam brahma-sammitam | Brahmane Bhagavat-proktam Brahmakalpe upagate |

"(Brahmarāta) declared the Purana called the Bhāgavata, which stands on an equality with the Veda (brahma), and was declared by Bhagavat to Brahma when the Brahma-kalpa had arrived."

Brahma-vaivartta Purana.-The Brahma-vaivartta Purana asserts in a most audacious manner its own superiority to the Veda (i. 48 ff.): Bhavagan yat tvayā pṛishṭam jnātam sarvam abhīpsitam | sāra-bhūtaṁ purāṇeshu Brahma-vaivarttam uttamam | Purāṇopapurāṇānāṁ vedānām bhrama-bhanjanam |

"That about which, venerable sage, you have inquired, and which you desire, is all known to me, the essence of the Puranas, the preeminent Brahma-vaivartta, which refutes the errors of the Purāṇas and Upapurānas, and of the Vedas." (Professor Aufrecht's Cat. p. 21.)

In the following passage also, from the commencement of the Mundaka Upanishad, the Vedic hymns (though a divine origin would no doubt be allowed to them ") are at all events depreciated, by being classed among other works as part of the inferior science, in contrast to the Brahma-vidya or knowledge of Brahma, the highest of all knowledge, which is expressly ascribed to Brahma as its author:

1. Brahmā devānām prathamaḥ sambabhūva viśvasya karttā bhuvanasya goptā | sa brahma-vidyām sarva-vidyā-pratishṭhām Atharvāya jyeshṭhaputrāya prāha | 2. Atharvane yām pravadeta Brahmā Atharvā tām purovāchāngire brahma-vidyām | sa Bhāradvājāya Satyavāhāya prāha Bharadvajo 'ngirase parāvarām | 3. S'aunako ha vai Mahāśālo'ngirasam

34 In fact the following verses (4 and 6) occur in the second chapter of the same Mund. Up.: Agnir mūrddhā chakshushī chandra-sūryyau diśaḥ śrotre vāg vivṛitās cha vedāḥ | vāyuḥ prāno hridayam viśvam asya padbhyām pṛithivī hy esha sarvabhūtāntarātmā |.... 6. Tasmād ṛichaḥ sāma yajūmshi dīkshā yajnāś cha sarve kratavo dakshinās cha | samvatsaram cha yajamānas cha lokāḥ somo yatra pavate yatra suryaḥ | "Agni is his [Brahma's] head, the sun and moon are his eyes, the four points of the compass are his ears, the uttered Vedas are his voice, the wind is his breath, the universe is his heart, the earth issued from his feet: he is the inner soul of all creatures. ... 6. From him came the Rich verses, the Saman verses, the Yajush verses, initiatory rites, all oblations, sacrifices, and gifts, the year, the sacrificer, and the worlds where the moon and sun purify."

vidhivad upapannaḥ prapachchha | kasmin nu bhagavo vijnāte sarvam idum vijnātam bhavatīti | 4. Tasmai sa hovācha | dve vidye veditavye iti ha sma yad brahma-vido vadanti parā chaivāparā cha | 5. Tatrāparā "rigvedo yajurvedaḥ samavedo 'tharvavedaḥ śiksha kalpo vyakaranam niruktam chhando jyotisham" iti | atha parā yayā tad aksharam adhigamyate |

"Brahma was produced the first among the gods, maker of the universe, preserver of the world. He revealed to his eldest son Atharva, the science of Brahma, the basis of all knowledge. 2. Atharvan of old declared to Angis this science, which Brahma had unfolded to him; and Angis, in turn, explained it to Satyavaha, descendant of Bharadvaja, who delivered this traditional lore, in succession, to Angiras. 3. Mahāśāla Saunaka, approaching Angiras with the proper formalities, inquired, What is that, o venerable sage, through the knowledge of which all this [universe] becomes known?' 4. [Angiras] answered, 'Two sciences are to be known-this is what the sages versed in sacred knowledge declare-the superior and the inferior. 5. The inferior [consists of] the Rig-veda, the Yajur-veda, the Sama-veda, the Atharva-veda, accentuation, ritual, grammar, commentary, prosody, and astronomy. The superior science is that by which the imperishable is apprehended.35

I adduce some further passages which depreciate the ceremonial, or exoteric parts of the Vedas, in comparison with the esoteric knowledge of Brahma.

My attention was drawn to the following passage of the Bhagavad Gītā, ii. 42 ff., by its quotation in the Rev. Professor K. M. Banerjea's Dialogues on Hindu Philosophy:

Yam imām pushpitām vācham pravadanty avipaśchitaḥ | veda-vāda-ratāḥ pārtha nānyad astīti vādinaḥ | kāmātmānaḥ svarga-parāḥ janma-karmaphala-pradām | kriyā-viśesha-bahulām bhogaiśvarya-gatim prati | bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānām tayā 'pahṛita - chetasām | vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ samādhau na vidhīyate | traigunya-vishayāḥ vedāḥ nistraigunyo bhavār

35 Compare the Mahābhārata, Ādip. verse 258, which speaks of the Aranyakas as superior to (the other parts of) the Vedas, and amrita as the best of medicines (āranyakam cha vedebhyas chaushadhibhyo'mṛitam yatha). Similarly the S'atapatha Brālmana, x. 3, 5, 12 (quoted in Müller's Anc. Sansk. Lit. p. 315, note), speaks of the Upanishads as being the essence of the Yajush: Tasya vai etasya yajusho rasaḥ eva upanishat |

pure and holy narrative, which is on an equality with the Vedas" (idam pavitram akhyānam punyam vedaiś cha sammitam).

And in the Bhagavata Purāna, ii. 8, 28, it is said: Praha bhāgavatam nāma purānam brahma-sammitam | Brahmane Bhagavat-proktam Brahmakalpe upagate |

"(Brahmarāta) declared the Purana called the Bhagavata, which stands on an equality with the Veda (brahma), and was declared by Bhagavat to Brahma when the Brahma-kalpa had arrived."

Brahma-vaivartta Purāna.-The Brahma-vaivartta Purāņa asserts in a most audacious manner its own superiority to the Veda (i. 48 ff.) : Bhavagan yat trayā pṛishṭam jnātam sarvam abhīpsitam | sāra-bhūtam purāneshu Brahma-vaivarttam uttamam | Purāṇopapurāṇānāṁ vedānām bhrama-bhanjanam |

"That about which, venerable sage, you have inquired, and which you desire, is all known to me, the essence of the Purāṇas, the preeminent Brahma-vaivartta, which refutes the errors of the Purāṇas and Upapurānas, and of the Vedas." (Professor Aufrecht's Cat. p. 21.)

In the following passage also, from the commencement of the Mundaka Upanishad, the Vedic hymns (though a divine origin would no doubt be allowed to them ") are at all events depreciated, by being classed among other works as part of the inferior science, in contrast to the Brahma-vidya or knowledge of Brahma, the highest of all knowledge, which is expressly ascribed to Brahmā as its author:

1. Brahmā devānām prathamaḥ sambabhūva viśvasya karttā bhuvanasya goptā | sa brahma-vidyām sarva-vidyā-pratishṭhām Atharvāya jyeshṭhaputrāya praha | 2. Atharvane yām pravadeta Brahma Atharvā tām purovāchāngire brahma-vidyām | sa Bhāradvājāya Satyavāhāya prāha Bharadvajo 'ngirase parāvarām | 3. S'aunako ha vai Mahāśālo'ngirasaṁ

34 In fact the following verses (4 and 6) occur in the second chapter of the same Mund. Up.: Agnir mūrddhā chakshushi chandra-sūryyau diśaḥ śrotre vāg vivṛitās cha vedāḥ | vāyuḥ prāno hṛidayam viśvam asya padbhyām pṛithivī hy esha sarvabhūtāntarātmā |. 6. Tasmād richaḥ sāma yajūmshi dīkshā yajnāś cha sarve kratavo dakshinās cha | samvatsaram cha yajamānas cha lokāḥ somo yatra pavate yatra suryaḥ "Agni is his [Brahma's] head, the sun and moon are his eyes, the four points of the compass are his ears, the uttered Vedas are his voice, the wind is his breath, the universe is his heart, the earth issued from his feet: he is the inner soul of all 6. From him came the Rich verses, the Saman verses, the Yajush verses, initiatory rites, all oblations, sacrifices, and gifts, the year, the sacrificer, and the worlds where the moon and sun purify."

creatures.

...

vidhivad upapannaḥ prapachchha | kasmin nu bhagavo vijnāte sarvam idam vijnātam bhavatīti | 4. Tasmai sa hovācha | dve vidye veditavye iti ha sma yad brahma-vido vadanti parā chaivāparā cha | 5. Tatrāparā “ṛigvedo yajurvedaḥ sāmavedo 'tharvavedaḥ śikshā kalpo vyākaranam niruktam chhando jyotisham" iti | atha para yayā tad aksharam adhigamyate |

"Brahma was produced the first among the gods, maker of the universe, preserver of the world. He revealed to his eldest son Atharva, the science of Brahma, the basis of all knowledge. 2. Atharvan of old declared to Angis this science, which Brahma had unfolded to him; and Angis, in turn, explained it to Satyavaha, descendant of Bharadvaja, who delivered this traditional lore, in succession, to Angiras. 3. Mahāśāla Saunaka, approaching Angiras with the proper formalities, inquired, What is that, o venerable sage, through the knowledge of which all this [universe] becomes known?' 4. [Angiras] answered, 'Two sciences are to be known-this is what the sages versed in sacred knowledge declare-the superior and the inferior. 5. The inferior [consists of] the Rig-veda, the Yajur-veda, the Sama-veda, the Atharva-veda, accentuation, ritual, grammar, commentary, prosody, and astronomy. The superior science is that by which the imperishable is apprehended.35

I adduce some further passages which depreciate the ceremonial, or exoteric parts of the Vedas, in comparison with the esoteric knowledge of Brahma.

My attention was drawn to the following passage of the Bhagavad Gită, ii. 42 ff., by its quotation in the Rev. Professor K. M. Banerjea's Dialogues on Hindu Philosophy:

Yam imam pushpitām vācham pravadanty avipaśchitaḥ | veda-vāda-ratāḥ pārtha nānyad astīti vādinaḥ | kāmātmānaḥ svarga-parāḥ janma-karmaphala-pradām | kriyā-viśesha-bahulām bhogaiśvarya-gatim prati | bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānām tayā 'pahṛita - chetasām | vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ samādhau na vidhiyate | traigunya-vishayāḥ vedāḥ nistraigunyo bhavār

35 Compare the Mahābhārata, Ādip. verse 258, which speaks of the Aranyakas as superior to (the other parts of) the Vedas, and amrita as the best of medicines (āranyakam cha vedebhyas' chaushadhibhyo'mṛitam yathā). Similarly the S'atapatha Brāhmana, x. 3, 5, 12 (quoted in Müller's Anc. Sansk. Lit. p. 315, note), speaks of the Upanishads as being the essence of the Yajush: Tasya vai etasya yajusho rasaḥ eva spanishat |