TRACING VEDIC DIALECTS - People.fas.harvard.edu

Northern India differ from those of the Vedic texts: 340 Again, the Pāli
texts seem to reflect a later stage in the political development. 341
The Pāli texts, 342 indeed, know of the complete Vedic corpus: 343 the
three Vedas and their transmitters (tiṇṇaṃ vedānaṃ pāragū, DN 1.88;
tevijja Thag 1248, Thīg 65; mantrapāragū Aṅg.N. I p.163,166: 58,59,
etc.), and even the the various ancillary texts like etymology, grammar,
etc. (DN 2.13, MN 2.91.93, Bv.38). The Vedic texts apparently had alredy
been redacted and collected: "the old text of the mantras.." (porāṇaṃ
mantapadaṃ itīhītiha paraṃparāya piṭakasampadāya MN 2, p.169 : 95);
apparently the collection of mantras is called piṭaka in analogy to the the
Buddhist texts. A Padapāṭha seems to have been in existence, as padaka
belongs to the standard description of Brahmins (DN 1.88, MN 2.133, Ap
502, etc.). The names of the Vedas occur in later texts, at MA 3.362, DA
247, AA 2.61 SnA 447: iru- 344 , yaju-, sāma-(b)beda; otherwise, some
Veda schools are mentioned at DN 1.237.10-18, Addharīya (~
Ādhvaryava, adhvaryu-, YV), Tittirīya (Taittirīya), Chandoka
(Chāndog(y)ā, SV), and Bavharija (Bāhvṛca-, RV) are known; Titt.
brahmacāriya occurs at Vin. 2.162, and two separate Brahmins called
Assalāyana (Āśvalayana) are found at MN 2.147.9-157.17, Pj 2.372.25,
406.26, Ap 480.17. A late text even quotes, almost verbatim, a passage 345
from TS. 346 136
If the late Br. texts are compared with the earlier Brāhmaṇas which are
limited to the Kuru-Pañcāla area, or better, with the YV Saṃhitā texts
340
The only Vedic text that mentions 16 kingdoms, however, without names, is VādhB., see
StII 1, p. 75 sqq.
341
Note that king Ajātaśatru occurs in ŚB and VādhB but as a king of the Kāśīs viz., the
Kurus. Ajātasattu of Magadha is still unknown; cf. also Brahmadatta Prāsenajita of
Kosala, JB §115, with the Kosala king Pasenadi in Pāli; apparently both names were
common in late Vedic as well as at the time of the Buddha (for more ling. correspondences,
see ann. 314, 359). W. Rau, Altertumskunde, p.21, ann.2 regards the Pāli texts as much
later, because of the development of (material) culture they indicate, and consequently
wants to date all the Vedic texts that precede them later than usually thought.
342
Of course, the problem of the redaction of the Pāli canon, at a later date, remains. Yet
the testimony about Vedic schools , at inconspicuous places in the Pāli canon, is valuable.
343
For many of the following passages, see Hillebrandt, Kl. Schr. p. 309 sqq.; cf. now Pali
Tip. Concordance for more examples.
344
There is some S.Indian influence in these late texts; irubbeda in Mil. under has received
its shape under the influence of the form of the word, see O.v. Hinüber, Überblick, § 126
345
Cf. TS 1.1.9.1, quoted in Jātaka VI,212,11*, see O.v. Hinüber, Überblick, p.131 §275.
346
Note also that both late Vedic and Pāli texts contain similar concepts, like the case of the
shattered head (cf. Fs.W.Rau), and often express them with more or less the same words
(e.g. the Gandharva, Ṛtu, Yakkha kūṭahasta, see ann. 314,359.
136