Table Of ContentSRI VENKATESWARA UNIVERSITY
ORIENTAL
JOURNAL
Volume XXXVIII 1995 Parts 1&2
:
ISSN 0081 • $80t
SRI VENKATESWARA UNIVERSITY
ORIENTAL JOURNAL
Volume XXXVIII: 1995
ORIENTAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE
SRI VENKATESWARA UNIVERSITY
TIRUPATI - 517502
Srí VeEkateswara University .Orieiital Jouriial
Vol 38, Pts. 1 k 2, 1994 Edited and published by
Dr. M. Srimannaxayana Murti, Professor k Director, Oriental
Research Institute, Sri Venkateswaxa University, Tirupati, 1997.
ISSN 0081 - 3907
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CONTNTS
Compaxative Mythology "1
Samiian ChandiB Chakiabsti
Padá and what it sigiiifies in Pánini 21
V. Swaminaiian
A Not on Professor R.D. Ranade^s Contribntion to
the Study of History of Upanisadic PMlosophy 45
G.C. Nayak
Brahnáns and Kshatriyas in the Vedic Age 55
M. Srimamiarajana Miiri
A Study of Ornaments in the Vedic Literatue 75
NsLTasíagba, Cbaran Panda
Metaphors in the Rgveda - with speciál reference
to Nadi Sktas 85
S.K. Lal
The Sadvidyá Section of the Chandogyopanisad -
A Study from the Advaita and the Dvaita
Stand Points 105
S, Revathy
Criticism of the Study of Vatsaraja -
A Novel Approach 115
C.R. Snbhadra
TELUGU
mú
v. Reddy
REVIEWS
139
S.S. Janák (ed.): Sivá and Temple Bitnal
Horst Brinkliaus (ed): M. Winteraíte, Kleine Schsen
CG, Kashikar: A Smveyofthe Siálayajurveda Pariástas
Bommakanti SrinivasacLarya; Gopmasmdeéab (Skt)
m
N.R. Waradpande: NewLight tbe dáte ofthe Rgveda
N,R, Waradpande: Tle Rgvedic Sóma
John J. Stanley: ThePrecessioii
C.R. Saima: Tie BMáyamk Tdugii md Tmil -
A Compaiatm Study
C. Rajendran: A I>aii;^!iJÉiiralApproacb toSmskxit Poetia
K Vijayalakshmi k ít^M. Shpm Siindax: Migáymveda-
Indián Animal Siáeiice, Pt, I & II
K-M. ShyamSundai: Treahmnt forPoisons in Traditional
M&iidne
,
RameshM*Nanal&A.V.Balasubramanian(ed): Rtucaryá(Hindi)
K.M, ShyamSundat: OpitialmoJogyin Haditiond Mecine
Rainesli M, Naná k A.V. Báasnbramanian (ed); Rtucaryá-
Adaptatíon lo tbeSeamns
K.M. S!iyam'Stóiar l'A.¥. B^alaáikamanian: Prakutií-
An Ayarredíc Gmde to Seaitli
Apama Chattopadhyay: Stn^in tbeEathasmtssgara
Aparaa€hattopadliyay: Studiesin tbe CareJmambita
SAMim CHANDM CHAKRABARTI
COMPARATÍVE MYTHOLOGY'
Much debat as regards íhe origin and nature of
myths remains inconclusive, even great scklars are aí
logger heads with one another, the origin and nature of
myths still remain to some exíent obscure. I shaJl try
here to present abrief conšpectus foUowing the findings,
Oltheexperts. Theword myíiiologjmeans 'the system-
atic and historicalstudyofmyths'. Thewordis howéver
also ušed to denote the body oí myths belonging to a
people. With the advent ofmodem science, mythology
was usually regarded as apurdy fictitious, superstitious
product ofprimitivemind. This attitude towards myths
is no more consideredfully acceptable and séolars háve
devoted serious attention to the study of myths. pod-
ern research has applied comparative methods to var-
ious branches of learning and thereby broadened the
horizons of our knowledge, deepened our understand-
mg of things and heightened the quality of research.
* Keynote addresslead at the Seimnar ón Comparative Mythol-
ogyorganized bythe DepartmentofSanskrit, Bombay University,
1991.
,
2 SJ.U. Orkntd Joumd, foi. IITVEI
^ ,
Comparative Mstory^ comparative religioE and paríicu-
larlycomparativepMloiogy set thetrendoícomparative
mytliology ín íhe early 19tli century.
When the myths of a paríicular people are sttidied
in isolatioEj it woul appear that they are bundles of
absurdity^ having no logic« Comparative Mythology* by
accumulation of vast range oí materiál from different
partsoftheworld, hasbroughtit toournoticethaíeven
myths ofwidely different regioas and cultures divulge a
great extent ofsiirilarity. It gives rise to the conviction
íhat behind apparent absurdiíies, myths may contain
something íhat merits serious stiidy^ for otherwise we
caEEot explain the recurrence ofideas, A comparative
studyhelpsíeunderstandingmythsevenofaparticular
idea contain something íhat merits serious study, for
otherwise we caanoí explain the recurrence ofideas. A
comparativestudyhelpsinundersíandingmyílisevenof
aparticularregion. ClaudeLévi-Strausshas shownhow
inorderto solvetheproblém,'**wehave^ tomakeajump
from South America to North America^ becaiise it will
be aNorth Americanmythwhichwili giveus thecketo
theSouthAmericanone."^Itisthecomparativemeíhod
ofstudy thaí has enabled us to aítaín certain degree of
certaintyin classifying the myths and in undersíanding
theirnatureandfunction. Inthe "onewori''^ ofíoday,a
broad basedstudy ofthe subjects has to be midertaken
on a comparative basis.
' A comparative study of myths brings to our notice
the points of similarity and points of dissimilarity as
welL A systematic study musí start wiíh the points
oí resemblance. lí is to be seen wMch otitweighs the
other, Ishtarj ofAssyro-Babylonianmyth,riding aíior^
presents afigueverysimilarto ourDurga; but Durgáis
Compaxative Mythology 3
'
a mothergoddess whereas IsMar is a harlot ofgods, who
triedto sedtice Gilgamesli. It is necessary to ensure that
the conclusions drawE from the points of resemblance
are not iniralidated by those of diíference. If the com-
parati?e study reveals that a myth was pevaleni' amoirg
differcEt peoples.of diíFerent regionsj we háve to exam-
me the probability of borrowiiig, Borxowings would be
probable if direct or indirecí contact of these peoples
in the ancieiit period cotild be established by historical
evidence. Migration of some myths and notions very
probably coiiid,-aiid did, také pláce with migration of
races and contact of peoples in the ancient age.
o
But in the cases. where any snch contact iníiu-
ence is preclnded or at least cannot be established, how
are we to explain the points of resemblance? Besides,
comparison itself divnlges also innumerable diíferences,
which cannot be explained by mechanical borrowing.
It is to be seen whether comparative mythology lends
support to the theory of dijffusion or to that of evolu-
tion. Gonda points out that "in engaging in compara-
tive studies ofmyths^ rites, divinefigures we arelikely to
o
detect at least mention points ofresemblance sooner
than discover and evalnate differences, even if the latter
are of greater relevance that the former".^
The points of differences may be dne to regional pe-
cuHarities, characteristic feattires of a cnltnre, sociál,
historical and geograpMcal reasons. The points of re-
semblance may indicate a common heritage, where pos-
sible, or paraliel development of myths in independent
traditions. They can alsoindicatethe universality ofhu-
man thought and experience under similar conditions,
fór humanity is one- It is universal man that is express-
ing itself in myths in špite of diversity of details.
