VEDA. 



It appeared to Mr. Colebrooke from feveral other paffages, 

 and from the received opinion of the Hindoos themfelves, 

 that the Rich, Yajufh, and Saman, are the three principal 

 portions of the Veda ; and the Atharvana is commonly ad- 

 mitted as a fourth ; and that divers mytholo;Tical poems, 

 entitled Itahafa and Parana, are reckoned a fupplement to 

 the fcripture, and as fuch conftitute a fifth Veda. 



The Vedas are a compilation of prayers, called Mantra ; 

 with a colleftion of precepts and maxims, entitled Brahmana : 

 from which lafti'portion, that called Upanifhad is extrafted. 

 The prayers are properly the Veda, and apparently preceded 

 the Brahmana. Each Veda confifts thus of two parts, the 

 Mantras and the Brahmanas ; or prayers and precepts. The 

 complete coP.eftion of the hymns, prayers, and invocations 

 belonging to one Veda, is called its Sanhita : every other 

 portion of Indian fcripture is included under the general 

 head of divinity i Brahmana) : this compriie^ pncepts, which 

 inculcate religious duties ; maxims, which explain thofe pre- 

 cepts ; and arguments, which relate to theology. But in the 

 prefcnt arrangement of the Vedas, the portion which con- 

 tains paffages called Brahmana, includes many which are 

 ftriftly prayers, or Mantras. The theology of the Indian 

 fcripture, comprehending the argumentative portion entitled 

 Vedanta, is contained in the trafts denominated Upanifhad ; 

 fome of which are portions of the Brahmana, properly fo 

 called : others are found only in a detached form ; and one 

 is a part of a Sauliita. 



Prayers, employed at folemn rites, called Yajnya, have 

 been placed in the three firil Vedas : thofe in profe are 

 named Yajufh ; fuch as are in metre are denominated Rich ; 

 and fome which are intended to be chanted are called Saman ; 

 and thofe names, as diftinguirtiing different portions of the 

 Vedas, are anterior to their feparation in Vyafa's compila- 

 tion. But the Atharvana, not being ufed at the religious 

 ceremonies above-mentioned, and containing prayers em- 

 ployed at luftrations, at rites conciliating the deities, and as 

 imprecations on enemies, is elTentially different from the other 

 Vedas. This is adduced by Mr. Colebrooke as the true 

 reafon why the three firft Vedas are often mentioned without 

 any notice of the fourth ; which muft be fought, he fays, 

 not in their different origin and antiquity, but in the difference 

 of their ufe and purport. The fourth, or Atharvana, is 

 known to contain many forms of imprecation for the deftruc- 

 tion of enemies. Thefe are called Mantra (fee that article), 

 but it mull not be inferred that fuch is the chief fubjeft of 

 that Veda ; for it contains alfo a great number of prayers 

 for fafety, and for the averting of calamities ; and, like the 

 other Vedas, numerous hymns to the gods, with prayers to 

 be ufed at folemn rites and rehgious ceremonies, excepting, 

 as above-mentioned, fuch as are named Yajnya. 



Mr. Colebrooke gives a paffage from that part of the 

 fecond, diftinguiffied by the title of the IVkltif Yajurveda, 

 the other being called the Black, confirming his opinions as 

 above indicated, and important, as containing an enumeration 

 of the Vedas, and of the various forts of paffages which they 

 comprife : " As fmoke and various fubftances feparately 

 ilTue from fire lighted with moift wood, fo from this Great 

 Being were refpired the Rigvcda, the Yajurveda, the Sama- 

 veda, and the Atharva and Angiras ; the Itahafa and Pu- 

 rana ; the fciences and Upanifhads ; the verfes and aphorifms ; 

 the expofitions and illuftrations : all thefe were breathed 

 forth by Him." 



The commentators remark, that four forts of pravers 

 (Mantra), and eight kinds of precepts ( Brahmana), are here 

 ftated. The fourth defcription of prayers comprehends fuch 

 as were revealed to, or difcovered by Atharvan and Angiras, 

 meaning the Atharvana Veda. The Itahafa defignate fuch 



paffages, in the fecond part of the Vedas, as narrate a ftory. 

 The Parana intends thofe which relate to the creation, and 

 fimilar topics. " Sciences" are meant of religious worffiip ; 

 " I'er/es" are memorial lines ; " aphorifms" are ffiort fen- 

 tences in a concife ftile ; '^expofitions" interpret fuch fentences ; 

 and " ilhijlrations" elucidate the meaning of the prayers. 



The Puranas here meant are not the mythological poems 

 bearing the fame title ; but, as already mentioned, certain 

 paffages interfperfed throughout that part of the Vedas 

 called Brahmana, or divine precepts. This diitinftion is 

 important. Under our article Purana a pretty full account 

 of thofe mythological romances will be found. 



The fubjefts and ufes of the prayers contained in the 

 Vedas, differ more than the deities which are invoked, or the 

 titles by which they are addreffed : every line is replete with 

 allufions to mythology, and to the Indian notions of the 

 divine nature and of celeftial fpirits. For the numerous 

 ceremonies to be performed by a houfeholder, and ftill more 

 for thofe endlefs rites enjoined to hermits and afcetics, a 

 choice of prayers is offered in every ftage of the celebration. 

 It may be here fufBcient to obferve, that Indra, or the firma- 

 ment, fire, the fun, the moon, water, air, the fpirits, the 

 atmofphere, and the earth, are the objeAs moft frequently 

 addreffed ; and the various and repeated facrifices with fire, 

 and the drinking of the milky juice of the moon-plant, or 

 acid afclepias (fee Somalata), furnifh abundant occafions 

 for numerous prayers adapted to the many ftages of thofe 

 religious rites. 



In defcribing the Vedas fo replete with mythological 

 allufions, Mr. Colebrooke does not mean a mythology which 

 avowedly exalts deified heroes, as in the Puranas ; but one 

 which perfonifies the elements and planets ; and which peo- 

 ples heaven, and the world below, with various orders of 

 beings. He obferved, however, in many places, the ground- 

 work of legends which are familiar in mythological poems } 

 fuch, for example, as the demon Vritra, flain by Indra, 

 who is thence furnamed Vritrahan (which fee,) but he did 

 not remark any thing, except fome detached portions, the 

 genuinenefs of which appeared doubtful, that correfponds 

 with the favourite legends of thofe fefts which worfhip either 

 the Linga or Sakti, or elfe Rama or Kriffina. Such por- 

 tions, he reafonably fufpeils to have been compofed in more 

 modern times, when compared with the other parts of the 

 Vedas. This fufpicion is chiefly grounded on the opinion, 

 that the fefts which now worfiiip Rama and Krilhna as 

 incarnations of Viffinu, are comparatively new : he did not 

 find in any other part of the Vedas the leaft trace of fuch a 

 worfhip. The real do&rine of the whole Indian fcripture 

 is the Unity of the Deity, in whom the univerfe is compre- 

 hended ; and the feeming polytheifm which it exhibits, 

 offer the elements, and ftars, and planets as gods. The three 

 principal manifeftations of the Divinity, with other perfoni- 

 fied attributes and energies, and moft of the other gods of 

 Hindoo mythology, are indeed mentioned, or at leaft indi- 

 cated, in the Vedas. But the worfhip of deified heroes ;s no 

 part of that fyflem ; nor are the incarnations of deities fug- 

 gefted in any other portion of the text which he had feen, 

 though fuch are hinted at by the commentators. 



On the point of unity in dodlrine, inculcated with great 

 fubhmity and purity, we may refer to fome tranflations 

 from the Vedas by fir W. Jones, in the laft volume of his 

 Works. 



After giving ftrong reafon for believing the Vedas to be 

 genuine compofitions, in oppofition to fome affcrtions of their 

 being forgeries, or grofsly interpolated, Mr. Colebrooke avows 

 his opinion, that the greater part of the books received by 

 the learned among the Hindoos will affuredly be found ge- 

 nuine ; 



