Dates of written Rgveda

[Michael Witzel]

PK Manansala:

>Which goes back to the fact that we don't know the history of the oral
>transmission (before written records).
>
>We don't know if the brahmins used special mnemonic systems at all
>during this period.
>

Problem is, it is not "we" but  PKM who does not know: Read Aitareya and
Kausitaki Aranyaka -- RgVedic texts which speak about (Rg)Veda
transmission. net, tuuSniim bhavatu !

For him and all others who have their doubts, I suggest to study the
intricacies of, for example,
RV accentuation: use of udaatta in verb forms, vocatives, deliberative
questions, and especially the cases NOT covered by Panini such as certain
forms of verbal accent studied by J. Klein (HOS- Op.Min. 3: Inside the
texts); or even, as was mentioned, to consider Thieme's study of use of
accent by Panini in the meta language used by  his grammar,

then wonder a little how much of this could have been  transmitted by
writing, which had no accents (before the Alexandrian Greeks, horrible of
course to think of them in this context!!),

and THEN come back, instead of voicing speculations/opinions based on
NOTHING, no Indian evidence at all.

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Michael Witzel                          Elect. Journ. of Vedic Studies
Harvard University                  www1.shore.net/~india/ejvs
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Michael Witzel
Department of Sanskrit & Indian Studies, Harvard University
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home page:     www.fas.harvard.edu/~witzel/mwpage.htm

Elect. Journ. of Vedic Studies:         www1.shore.net/~india/ejvs