TRACING VEDIC DIALECTS - People.fas.harvard.edu

JUB 2
PB 7 (ABn 9)
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The increase in the number of infinitives in -toḥ is clear, especially if the
later Taitt. texts are included. TS/TB, the materials of which belong to the
same strata as KS, have 30 cases of Taitt.S. + Br., as against 16 in KS. A
similar increase is seen in JB/JUB (92+113%!), and the Eastern boks of ŚB
participate in this spread of -toḥ. The Westrern books of ś‚ however have a
low figure (58%). A comparison of the first books of both the Kāṇva and the
Mādhyandina versions of ŚB is instructive. Both texts agree with each other
almost word for word, except for small deviations of vocabulary and in
matters of style (ŚBM 1-5 = ŚBK 1-7). But ŚBK has only 7 cases (142%)
against 13 in ŚBM (180%). Again, the extreme East goes together with the
Centre, while the Kāṇvas deviate and tend to agree with the texts of the West
(in this case, the Western books of ŚB).
The pattern of diffusion can now be described as follows. From a first
attestation in RV stanzas (100%), the usage of -toḥ has been reduced by half
in some Mantra texts. Note that the Western PS has 108 % while the Central
ŚS hs only 40%; the percentage holds in part of the early mixed
Mantra/Saṃh. prose texts (MS 101). Later Saṃhitā Mantra/prose texts show
a steady increase: KS 171%, TS 141% (+TB 138%). The centre of expansion
of this form seems to lie in the Kaṭha territory; the neighbouring Aitareyins
agree with this; they show more strongly (289%) and even the late PB has 194
%. From the Taittirīyas, the tendency spread southwards towards the
Jaiminīyas,be it modestly: (JB 92%, JUB 113%), and the neighbouring
(Pañcāla) Kauṣitakis again agreee with the Taitt.s (160%). 150
While the early books of the Mādhy.ŚB strongly participate in the usage
(180%), 151 the Kāṇvas, as usual, make an exception (142%) and tend to agree
with the Western Śāṇḍilya school (ŚBMw 58%, cf. the enigbouring JB, based
on a Central Śāṭy.Br., with only 92 %, also: MS 101 %, ŚS 40%).
Later lexts like TĀ 2x, KĀ 1x, drastically reduce the usage of the inf. in -toḥ.
But the Ait. school continues to use this inf. Just as the late AB (-toḥ + īsvara)
scores 679%, so does AA (-toḥ) with 483%. This seems to be a phenomenon
150 Perhaps this indicates the late time of composition of this Br., cf. the similar figures for
JUB, the late ŚBMn and especially ABn..
151 A text of later redaction, PB, also belongs here, with 194 %.The non-occurrence of -toḥ
in the Ar. and Up.of ŚBM is unexpected.
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