473 ON THE VE'DAS, 



van'a; and has been commented, as appertaining to 

 this Veda, by S'ancara, and by Ba'lacrishn'a*. 



It comprises six sections, severally entitled 

 Valli ; but constituting two chapters (adliyuya), 

 denominated Pnrra-vall/ and Uttara-faUi. Tlie 

 dialogue is supported by Mriti/ii, or death, and 

 the prince Nachice'tas, whom his father, Va'- 

 jas'ravasa, consigned to Yam a, being provoked 

 by the boy's importunately asking him, (through 

 zeal, liowever, for the success of a sacrifice per- 

 formed to ensure universal conquest,) " to whom 

 wilt thou give me?" Yama receives Naciiicetas 

 with honour, and instructs him in theology, by 

 which beatitude and exemption from worldly suf- 

 ferings may be attained, through a knowledge of 

 the true nature of the soul, and its identity with 

 the supreme being. The doctrine is simdar to 

 that of other principal Upamshads. 



The Ceneshita, or Ccna Upanishad, is the thirty- 

 seventh of the Atharvan'a, and agrees, almost 

 word for word, with a treatise bearing the same 

 title, and belonging to a S'achd of the Samaveda. 

 S'ANCARA has, however, written separate com- 

 mentaries on both, for the sake of exhibiting their 

 diiferent interpretations!. Both commentaries 

 have, as usual, been annotated. 



* The commentary of S'ancara is, as usual, concise and per- 

 spicuous: and that of Ba'lacrishn'a, copious but clear. Be- 

 sides their commeiilaries, and several copies of tlie text, together 

 with a paraphrase by ViDYARANYA, I have found \\\\% Upani- 

 shad forming a chapter in a Brahmnna, which is marked as be- 

 longinii to the SdmavCda, and which I conjecture to be the Pancha 

 vinsa Brahmnna of tliat Vtda, 



t Here, as iu other instances, I speak from copies in my pos- 

 session. 



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