436 Analysis of the Vishnu Purdna. [Oct, 



Vikriti, or simple and modified, became ten, and these were the objects 

 of the Vedas. 



The mode in which Vydsa is described as arranging the Veda, 

 implies its prior existence in separate portions, as he called to his 

 assistance four persons, severally acquainted with them, or Paila for 

 the Rik, Vaisampdyana for the Yajur, Jaimini for the Sdma, and 

 Sumanta for the Atharvan. The description is not very clear, but it 

 should seem that he made a kind of digest of the whole collectively, 

 which he again separated according to the purport of the different 

 passages ; the Rik, containing the Richas, or prayers used with obla- 

 tions by the Hotri, or officiating priest ; the Yajur, comprising the 

 formulae of the rite repeated by the Adhwaryu ; the Sdma, compos- 

 ed of the hymns chanted by the Udgdtd ; and the Atharvan compre- 

 hending prayers and rites suitable for princes or the military order, 

 repeated or conducted by the Brahmans on their behalf. 



The Vishnu Purdna then describes the different Sanhitds, or collec- 

 tions of the prayers and formulae of each Veda, and their respective 

 authors. The Rig was divided into two Sanhitds, by Paila, who 

 taught one to Indrapramati and the other to Vashkala ; each of 

 these and their disciples made further subdivisions. The Yajur was 

 divided into 27 Sdkhds by Vaisampayana, besides the other great 

 portion of it obtained from the sun, by Yajnawalkya, which sub- 

 sequently branched into fifteen divisions. The Sdma and Atharvan are 

 in a like manner extensively subdivided. The whole of these details are 

 curious, and indicate a period long forgotten, when the Vedas were 

 extensively studied : the names derived from the subdivisions, as Tait- 

 tiri, Vaji, &c. still designate tribes of Brahmans in some parts of 

 India, but few of any of the separate Sanhitds are procurable. Mr. 

 "Colebrooke has made use of these sections of the Vishnu Purdna in 

 his account of the Vedas. (A. R. Vol. viii.) 



The origin of the Purdnas is here also ascribed indirectly to various 

 individuals. Vydsa is said to have compiled the Purdna Sanhitd, 

 but he gave it to Suta or Lomahershana, who had six disciples, 

 Sumati, Agniverchcha, Maitreya, Sinsapayana, Kasyapa, and 

 Savarni ; and to them Suta delivered six Sanhitds. Three of the disci- 

 ples, Sinsapayana, Kasyapa, and Sa'varni, composed Sanhitds, also 

 called Mula Sanhita, and Romahershana compiled another. The 

 Vishnu Purdna, again, it may be inferred is a subsequent compilation, 

 as it is said to contain the substance of these four works. A list of 

 the Purdnas is then given as usual, omitting the Vdyu from the 

 series. 



