830 On the History and Literature of the Veda. [Aug. 



nous literature of its time could furnish. As its completeness has had 

 for us the unfortunate consequence of throwing into oblivion older 

 writings of a similar purport, so have we also in it the most essential 

 results of this earlier literature, and we could certainly desire nothing 

 more important for the furtherance of Vedic studies than a complete 

 knowledge of the Sanhita of the Rig Veda and its copious commentator. 

 It affords me peculiar pleasure to be able to conclude with the 

 announcement that such a work is being prepared in England. For it 

 science will be indebted to Professor Wilson, the man whose industry 

 has already opened the way in so many provinces of this literature, 

 and who is daily rendering to these studies, the most essential services 

 by the unsurpassable liberality with which he first has afforded access 

 to the richest Indian library. Under his guidance it will become 

 possible for younger powers, among whom, along with Dr. Trithen in 

 London and Dr. Rieu of Geneva, I may reckon myself, to make ac- 

 cessible to study these extensive materials for the explanation of the 

 Veda. 



EXCURSES AND ANNOTATIONS. 



1. The Mandalas. — In the introduction to the Anukramanika of the 

 Rigveda, chap. 2, it is written : atha rishaya : satarchina adye 

 mandale, antye ksudrasukta, madhyameshu madhyama : (MS. 132, E. 

 I. H.) that is, the authors of the hymns of the first Mandala are called 

 authors of a hundred verses, those of the last, poets of the great and 

 little hymn, and the authors of the intermediate Mandalas, the mediate. 

 This explains Shaclgurusishya (No. 1823, E. I. H.) the commentator of 

 this book, as follows : Adyamandalastha rishaya : satarchina iti sanjnita i 

 (risa shatan chatarchan), To which the following verse belongs: 

 dadarsadau Madhuchanda dwy-adhikan yad richan satan, 

 tat-sahacharyad anye 'pi vijneyas tu satarchina. 



" Because Madhuchandas at the commencement (of the Rigveda) 

 has composed 102 verses, (hymns 1 — 10) the others also who are placed 

 along with him (in this Mandala) are called authors of a hundred verses." 

 The name, however, appears to be owing to the circumstance, that the 

 greater number of the Rishis, enumerated in the first book, are authors 

 of about a hundred double-verses, for instance Suna : Kepha of 97, 

 Kanwa of 96, Praskanwa of 82, Paruchepa of 100 double- verses. 



The name of the Rishis of the last or 10th Mandala is thus explained : 



