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large/12430/twooldfaiths_1901_librivox_64kb_mp3/twooldfaiths_03_mitchell_64kb
English
12430
By this time the Sanskrit language had ceased to be generally understood. The original texts could hardly receive accessions; the most learned man could do little more than interpret, or perhaps misinterpret, them. BY THIS TIME THE SANSCRIT LANGUAGE HAD CEASED TO BE GENERALLY UNDERSTOOD THE ORIGINAL TEXT COULD HARDLY RECEIVE ASSISTANCE THE MOST LEARNED MAN COULD DO LITTLE MORE THAN INTERPRET OR PERHAPS MISINTERPRET THEM
 to pray quite apart, so that neither might disturb the other. Each dealt with heaven, so to speak, solely on his own behalf. [Sidenote: No temples.] We hear of no places set apart as temples in Vedic times. [Sidenote: The treatises on ritual.] A Veda consists of two parts called _Mantra_ or _Sanhita_, and _Brahmana_. The first is composed of hymns. The second is a statement of ritual, and is generally in prose. The existing Brahmanas are several centuries later than the great body of the hymns, and were probably composed when the Hindus had crossed the Indus, and were advancing along the Gangetic valley. The oldest may be about the date of 800 or 700 B.C. [Sidenote: Growth of priestly power. Schools for the study of sacred books, rites, and traditions.] The Brahmanas are very poor, both in thought and expression. They have hardly their match in any literature for "pedantry and downright absurdity."[10] Poetical feeling and even religious feeling seem gone; all is dead and dry as dust. L THAT IT SEEMS TO BE PROBABLY DRAWN FROM THE VISIBLE REPRESENTATIONS OF THEM WORSHIP WAS PERSONAL AND DOMESTIC NOT IN ANY WAY PUBLIC INDEED TWO MEN PRAYING AT THE SAME TIME HAD TO PRAY QUITE APART SO THAT NEITHER MIGHT DISTURB THE OTHER EACH DEALT WITH HEAVEN SO TO SPEAK SOLARLY ON HIS OWN BEHALF WE HEAR OF NO PLACES SET APART AS TEMPLES IN VAILLY TIMES EWEDA CONSISTS OF TWO PARTS CALLED MANTRA OR SANHI AND BRAHMANA THE FIRST IS COMPOSED OF HYMNS THE SECOND IS A STATEMENT OF RITUAL AND IS GENERALLY IMPROSS THE EXISTING BRAHMANAS ARE SEVERAL CENTURIES LATER THAN THE GREAT BODY OF THE HINS AND WERE PROBABLY COMPOSED WHEN THE HINGUS HAD CROSSED THE INDUS AND WERE ADVANCING ALONG THE CANGETIC VALLEY THE OLDEST MAY BE ABOUT THE DATE OF EIGHT HUNDRED OR SEVEN HUNDRED B C THE BRAMINAS ARE VERY POOR BOTH IN THOUGHT AND EXPRESSION THEY HAVE HARDLY THEIR MATCH IN ANY LITERATURE FOR PEDANTRY AND DOWNRIGHT ABSURDITY POETICAL FEELING AND EVEN RELIGIOUS FEELING SEEM GONE ALL AS DEAD AND DRY AS DUST
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