Dr. Thompson's dating of the Rigveda

[Vishal Agarwal]

--- Vishal Agarwal <vishalagarwal at HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:
[...]
 > At present, we have about 200 Vedic texts (from Samhitas to
 > Kalpasutraparisistas) extant. [...] therefore can safely assume that
there
 > were literally more than a 1000 texts that existed once.
 > If we assume that Dr. Thompson is correct, then we will have to
 > agree that 'Vedic Aryans' composed and compiled more than 1000 texts in
13
 > centuries.

Dr. Madhuresan wrote:
  Let us work with the extant texts, I do not see a big problem
  in composing them all over India over a period of
  13 centuries. Didn't mahakavis have power to compose 1000s
  of songs overnite? Just the volume of texts may not necessarily lead to
this
  conclusion.

Vishal writes: The volume of texts certainly does not ensure that the
Rigveda was extant before 1000 B.C.E but definitely  greatly reduces the
possibility of the same. The crux of my argument was not merely the
existence of a large number of texts, but also that of  a long tradition of
development presumed by the texts themselves. In any case, What do you think
is the probability that all texts from Rigveda to Apastamba Srauta Sutra
(ascribed to 600 B.C.E by many of Dr. Thomson's category) could be composed
in a 4 century period. If the Mathematical probability is very small, how
can we make such an assertion with such boldness. And according to many,
several sutras like those of Vadhula, Baudhayana are even older.

Consider the richness of Brahmanic citations in Apastamba Srauta Sutras
(refer to the relevant article at the website "Electronic Journal of Vedic
and Tantric Studies" ). We clearly see that the Sutra is a very eclectic
document. Have you ever studied the Viniyogas of Veda Mantras in the
Brahmanas. Do you not think that at times they are highly artificial and
that sometimes appear much removed in time from the Mantras?

We are therefore talking of at least 3 stages:
1. Compilation/Composition of Basic texts
2. Vast theological treatises on these (Brahmanas)
3. Compilation of eclectic treatises (Sutras).

What makes you think that all this was achieved in 3 centuries? How do you
say so? What is the probability? The rhetorical retort on the Mahakavis is
therefore worthless here and does not amount to much.

Regards,

Vishal


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