448 Mr. CoLEBBOOKE on the Philosophy of the Hindus. 



mitted. They are named after the person who uttered them, as to him 

 revealed. 



The eternity of the vcda, or authenticity of its revelation, is attempted 

 to be proved by showing that it had no human origin ; and, for this purpose, 

 the principal argument is, that no human author is remembered. In the 

 case of iiuman compositions, it is said, contemporaries have been aware 

 that the authors of them were occupied in composing those works : not so 

 with tlie veda, which has been handed down as primeval, and of which no 

 mortal author was known. 



It is, however, acknowledged, that a mistake may be made, and the work 

 of a human author may be erroneously received as a part of tlie sacred book 

 by those who are unacquainted with its true origin. An instance occurs 

 among tliose who use the Bahvrich, a s'cic'hd of the Rigveda, by whom a 

 ritual of Aswalavana has been admitted, under the title of the fifth Aran- 

 yaca, as a part of the Rigveda. 



Tlie veda received as holy by orthodox Hindus consists of two parts, 

 prayer and precept (inantra and brdhma/ia). Jaijiini has attempted to give 

 a short definition of the first, adding that the second is its supplement ; 

 " whatever is not mantra, is brdhmana."* Tlie ancient scholiast has endea- 

 voured to supply the acknowledged defect of Jaimini's imperfect definition, 

 by enumerating the various descriptions of passages coming under each 

 head. Later scholiasts have shown, that every article in that enumeration 

 is subject to exceptions ; and the only test of distinction, finally acknow- 

 ledged, is admission of the expert, or acceptance of approved teachers, who 

 have taught their disciples to use one passage as a prayer, and to read 

 another as a precept. Jaimini's definition, and his scholiast's enumeration, 

 serve but to alleviate " the task of picking up grains." 



Generally, then, a mantra is a prayer, invocation, or declaration. It is 

 expressed in the first person, or is addaessed in the second. It declares the 

 purpose of a pious act, or lauds or invokes the object. It asks a question 

 or returns an answer : directs, inquires, or deliberates ; blesses or imprecates, 

 exults or laments, counts or narrates, &c. 



Here it is to be remarked, that changes introduced into a prayer to adapt 



♦ M'm. 2. 1. 



r 



