TRACING VEDIC DIALECTS - People.fas.harvard.edu

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KS 400 % TS 375 %
MS 25 %
TB 700 %
AB 200 % KB 100 % ŚBKo 0.04 % ŚBM 0.03 %
PB -0.! % JB O.22 % [ŚBMo,w,u -0!]
ṢB 0.33 % JUB 150% 256 BŚSb 200% [ŚBn 0.16 % ]
ABn 200 %
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The centre of usage of sam.yat lies with the Kaṭha and Taitt. schools. As TS
is a s,ightly later version of a YV Saṃhitā than is KS, the origin of the phrase
must be sought with the Kaṭhas or their close relative, the lost Caraka school.
The use of sam.yat is their innovation. MS is still older than KS, but
predominantly employs spṛdh, an old Indo-Iranian and Indo-European term
of racing and competition (OAv. spəәrəәd, Engl. sport, Germ. (sich) spurten,
etc.). 257
Note that the older Aitareyins who live in the same area as the Kaṭhas follow
their trend; they keep this up, even after their emigration to the East, with the
same percentage. This stands out clearly, as all the Eastern texts have but a
sprinkling of cases of sam.yat, even the usually Western-oriented Kāṇvas.
This is one of the many cases where the SW Maitr. and the Eastern Vāj. go
together, which is frequent in later ritual and in the use of particular
mantras. 258 The group MS-Vāj. is joined, in this case, by the Western and
Southern SV (PB,ṢB,JB). In other words, the innovation sam.yat is limited to
the Yajurveda and Ṛgveda texts. (Note the enormous increase in TB, in
BŚSb, and in the late JUB, although the actual occurrence of cases is limited
here.)
256 Note that all cases of sam.yat in JUB come from one passage, 2.10.1 (= VPK notation:
2.4.1.1), as opposed to two of spṛdh: 1.15.4.1, 1.8.5.1 (VPK).
257 Cf. Schroeder, ZDMG 33, 177 sqq.
258 How was this possible in geographical terms? In later texts, a closer connection between
the two schools is possible, as MS expanded southwards and ŚBM south-westwards; the
Madyandinoi reside, according to Arrian, Indikē 4.4, on the Southern side of the Ganges,
opposite Allahabad. But what about early texts? - The (non)occurrence of Maitr.-related
material must be checked in Jaim. texts.
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