Page:A Descriptive Catalogue of the Oriental Manuscripts.djvu/166

 VEDAS

I. — Rig Veda.

Palm leaves — Nandindgari Character.

The Rik or Rich is usually considered as the first of the four Vedas, and is so named from its consisting chiefly of hymns or laudatory prayers; (from Rich, to laud or praise.) The collection of the hymns of this Veda is called its Samhita, and the Samhita is subdivided into eight Ashtakas, or ten Mandalas, or sixty-four Adhyayas and contains rather more than 1000 Suktas or Hymns, or 10,000 Richas or Stanzas. This Manuscript contains the Samhita incomplete, or complete Ashtakas, 1st, 2nd and 5th; the first four, and 7th and 8th Adhyayas of the fourth Ashtaka; first six Adhydyas of the 6th Ashtaka, and the first four Adhyayas of the eighth Ashtaka. The Nandinagari Character differs very little from the Devanagari.

II.— The Rig Veda.

Palm leaves— Nandinagari Character.

This contains four Sections of the third Book, or Ashtaka.