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The Terminology of the Vedas and European Scholars 27
even in the
Sanhitas;
but it was at the time of the
Darshanas
that the
religion was placed on a really philosophical basis."
Nothing shows so great a disrespect towards the history of
another nation as the above. One is indeed wonder struck at the
way in which European scholars mistrust Indian chronology, and
force their hypothetical guess work and conjecture before the world -
as a sound historical statement of facts. Who, that has impartially
studied the
Darshana
literature, does not know that the
darshanas
existed centuries before even the first word of Buddhism was
uttered in India? Jaimini, Vyasa and Patanjali had gone by,
Gautama, Kanada and Kapila were buried in the folds of oblivion
when Buddhism sprang up in the darkness of
ignorance.
Even the
great Shankara, who waged a manly war against Buddhism or
Jainism, preached nearly 2,200 years ago. Now this Shankara is a
commentator on Vyasa Sutras, and was preceded by Gaudapada
and other Acharyas in his work. Generations upon generations
had passed away after the time of Vyasa when Shankara was born.
Further, there is no event so certain in Indian History as
Mahabharata, which took place about 4,900 years ago. The
darshanas,
therefore, existed at least 4,900 years ago. There is a
strong objection against the admission of these facts by European
scholars, and that objection is the Bible. For, if these dates be true,
what will become of the account of creation as given in the Bible?
It seems, besides, that European scholars, on the whole, are unfit
to comprehend that there could be any disinterested literature in
the past. It is easier for them to comprehend that political or
religious revolution or controversies should give rise to new
literature through necessity. Hence the explanation of Mr. Pincott,
"The old Brahmans were superstitious, dogmatic believers in the
revelation of the Vedas. When Buddhism spread like wild fire,
they thought of shielding their religion by mighty arguments and
hence produced the
darshana
literature." This assumption so
charmingly connects heterogeneous events together that although
historically false, it is worth being believed in for the sake of its
ingenious explanatory power.
To return to the subject. Yaska lays down a canon for the
interpretation of Vedic terms. It is that the Vedic terms are
yaugika.
Mahabhashya repeats the same. We have seen how this law is set
aside and ignored by the European scholars in the interpretations