The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-04-14
THE STORY OF THE vEDAs.
A Work Dealing With the Poetry OF
the Ancient Aryans of India.

A Work Dealing With the Poetry OF
the Ancient Aryans of India.
The latest addition 20 1.-THE Story OF the
Nations series Is book of some four
hundred pages. entitled "vedic India" by
Zenaide A. Ragozin. who is already known
10 American readers as the author OF
earlier volumes in the same collection al
lotted respectively 10 Chaldea. 10 Assyria
and 90 Media, Babylon and Persia. The
task which she has here undertaken Is
peculiarly difficult. because our knowl-
edge of the first Aryan invaders OF In
Ola Is deriyable almost exclusively from
the Rig-Neda, undoubtedly the oldest con-
siderable document emanating from any
section OF the Aryan race. The publish
ers are G.. +. Putnam's Sons. New York.
The following synopsis from the New
York Sun will be found OF interest:
THE term Rig-Veda, or. to use the full
title. Rig-Veda-Samhita. Is applied TO the
collection q the most ancient Sanscrit
hymns and sacred texts. Los in number
Ia the Rig-Ieda these hymns and texts are
free from all addition In the wsyof explain
alton and commentary. This is undoubt-
eddy. as we have said. the oldest book be-
longing TO the Aryan family of nations
In contents though not In tangible shape
for writing did not come into use for
centuries after even the latest of the Rig
hymns had assumed the poetical garb
in which they have come down to US. 1t
Il estimated that even this poetical garb
cannot have been woven later than 1000
Is. c.. while Il probably took form much
earlier; indeed. the oldest tnetrical por-
lions OF the collections are attributed to
Loo b. c., while the words and concep-
lions even then developed mark a stage
OF considerable advance In social evolu-
ton.
Whence came the Aryan invaders OF
Tpdt ha
ond chapter that. until the last few years.
IL was the almost universally accepted
theory that some part OF Central Asia
near,H not on, the high but fertile table,
land OF the Pamir region was the origin
al cradle home OF the primevai Aryans
from which successive colonies went forth
10 India. to Persia. 10 Southern and
Northern Europe The question as to the
starting point OF the Aryan hives. how
ever. has been OF late reopened and dis
cussed by ethnologists. craniologists and
philologists with varying results. The
matter Ia Of no practical importance to
the readers OF this volume. because what
ever may have been the original home OF
all the Aryan emigrants. there is no rea-
son TO doubt that the section of the race
which ultimately bifurcated and sent
forth one branch into India. and the other
into Persia, must have sojourned for a
long period on or near the tableland OF
Central Asia. In the Rig-Neda are de-
picted the experience and the character
OF the first Aryan detachment which, sew
cred from the Iranian branch, pursued a
southeasteriy direction, emerged from the
passes OF the Hindu Kush or Suleiman
ranges upon a land of many rivers and
broad valleys. temperate In climate and
fruitful OF soil. the land known 20 US as
the Punjab, or country OF the FIVE rivers,
but more widely and correctly designated
In early times as that OF the seven rivers
a name which n takes on account OF the
Indus. the Sindh OF Indian antiquity, and
also. of the Sarasvati. which may be de-
scribcd as the eastern limit OF the first
Aryan dominion In India. The life and
pursuits OF the invading people were
mapped out for them I'm such a country
Agriculture and cattle breeding. the corn
field and tho pasture. the barn and the
dairy. together with such auxiliary crafts
as make primitive farming seif-sufRcing.
20 wit. pottery, carpentering. hiie-tan-
ming. spinning. and weaviug-theSe were
the departments OF work which claimed
nearly tho whole attention OF the Arvan
settlers. The conditions were almost IDEAL
for the development Of a nation. because
the soil. although Il made generous re-
turns 70 labor. would not. like tropical
zones and isles. support the human race
ia laleness while. bal-ny as the climate
was during a part OF the year Il was
never enervstiaE. and. In winter. snow
was yearly visitaHt. Then there were
Wild animals. especially wolves ana hears.
10 ne kept at hay. ana there was annie
stimulus - the maintenance of manly
ana warilks qualities ia the position Of
enc Aryan settlers IN land which they
we're holding fn defiance % n brave and
numerous native population that seems
20 have Kept UP resistance for centuries.
ana 20 have reccfe5 only step by step.
Not fer several hundred years q ffer their
descent into ths peninsula iff the Aryan
invaders. pushing SLOWLY eastward, cross
the watershed and enter the valley OF the
Gauges.
The natives whom the coloals.S grad
ually dispossessNi were FOR a long tine.
designated Iudlscriminsteiy under the
general Gl3-kTyan term OF Dasyu. They
belonged 80 a black. or. least. very dark
race. and everything about them. from
taeir color nnd Tat noses - their bar
hsrous custom % eating raw er scarcely
cooked meat. ard their Sharaanis{fc EOb.
tn worship. was Intensely rerulsfve 20
tic handsome. Fentier~ hammered. and, q
= certain exttnt. reisEiously refined AMI
logty-rstuaea Aryans Prom The Dasyu. a
term which VAS used 81 much ths sane
Nay as the Jews employed the
vrord fentnes. Or the G~seks the
word BsreArians thc Aryans siren
uoaslv kept away. AID weve especial.
~ snsent on avotdiex the moral contarni-
nation o. association with them n mat
tc~s - religion and worship There a.
indeed reason % believe that 4 was this
splr3t 81 faSti8fosts sxcigSsFeness that i'm
uelifi their - collect art arrange In che
BODY ne HYMNS Nna Sacred sonEs which
fhev had brought vita theTa. and which
prnNan3y had uas yes assumed the Finished
fesrsie form under wh}ch they have de-
scenaea 70 us. Tails work 90 collection
an8 arrangement was accomplished BY a
number - pGets and priests the 50
eallcs Rish's % Inala-s eldest ara most
sacrrf lfterature. who arese az more Or
less loux Intervals and 81 atTsrsat -
riass. ranging over certainly the wAols
q, 80 years