The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-04-22
,as AGES OF LITERATURE.
,,rrRATURE OF INDIA.
~ n. EDGREw.)

4. battle-ground Of races and tho
a deep religious meditation ana
~ onee occupied entirely by that
80 race which yet makes up the
nc population especially in the
-. this race has even preserved
.es But about 1000 or 5000
.ro--some claim much earlier--a
.o,exioned race penetrated into
,nsula from the north gradually
81, and forcing its language upon
inhabitants. That language
..ssrved In the early hymns sung
,rvaders when occupying the river
,,,a Indu and in many later monu-
!, i growing literature. Its early
.s,bly was Aria although this is
,a,n But when one OF its dialects,
!, ha the recognized idiom Of the
Classes and the vehicle of literary
..u,on was brought under definite
~, ,diom was called Sanskrit (sam-
nerfect, holy as distinguished from
M. so-ealled Prakrit dialects (pra-
''l snmmou). 1t continued 10 be the
language for many Centuries. until
~ 1, was superseded by popular dia-
put II has never yielded its sway
IA language OF learned intercourse IN
bsing yet used as such.
rstrlt Is OF especial interest to us for
rsasons. In the first place 1t belongs
III large family of languages, ordinar-
.,lled the Aryan or Indo- European,
Il q spoken from India through al
sntirs Persia, Armenia, Europe and
s,,ca heinE thus akin to our own. In
second place, representative by Tar the
,sst phase Of any Aryan dialect, 1t re-
! on the whole, more faithfully than
Of them that early growth OF the
IAN language by composition and in
Al change which has later been grad
obscured and obliterated. not, in
nv a process of decay, as some pre-
Ia call It. but by a process of fusion
tending to conferred strength and sim
ity. Aside from its linguistic interest
transparency of Sanskrit, by revealing
large extent the metaphors hidden
bia the composite forms of the language
lends peculiar picturesqueness to Its
Nc expressions. In the third place
skirt contains an abundant literature
varied historical, philosophical and
hetical interest.
40 Rig-Veda ("Hymn-Veda," Sacred
TX Of Hymns') Is the oldest literary
hument Of Sanskrit and of the Aryan-
liking nations. 1t is a collection of
hut thousand hymns and lyrics com
ed during centuries and handed down
faithful tradition from the time the
ans stood on the threshold of India to
time they we're collected into the
nn material we now possess These
pms, Invoking the gods, extoling he
deeds and contemplating the mys-
% Of existence, though rarely of a
her order, are In part full of life and
rming by their naive and objective
pliclty, but also in part utterly trivia
undressing. They show the invad-
TO have been vigorous semi barbariC
pile, loving life and its enjoyments, bu
imbned with those deeply religious
dencies which later took such pro.
lous Development, leading TO the loft
speculations on the one hand and
lne most degrading superstltlons on the
eF. Their religious conceptions wer,
60 on nature worship. Struck Will
Fder or awe by the mysterious phe.
nena Of nature, they conceived behin(
~ living powers, which, being per
hed.. became their gods.
he beamng OF sun (Surya, akin L
\. AZ To-
H. 90; 12);
morning rays already bring
mighty Surya, heavens god,
every being to behold. 49,,
io' me stars up yonder steal
thieves away, and hide their beam
VIE the suns all-searching eye.
same prosperity us grant, II
u-Wlse and wonder working god,
once thou didst our fathers grant!
US 70 conquer our Toes.
~ smooth and easy our path,
''viinser' grant us vitas strength
ne rosy dawn (Ush- Aurora, wa
'etlonately invoked "
talns, INC inouii
sky. 'us suiiusing all IN
= en uibsyenly daughter, mighty Dawl
ne broad east, us nourIshuert ob,ra
ant. npnent auuno
'a M approaching with ,hv seed
triumphant, 'N' see'
,sr,r M, .ne riches that we do desire.
M ' .s, morn already heavenly dauehte
r'chiy laden like goddess.
1 y more ,s than anything the peal an
|solSs, 'Ag u, stirred the soul OF Il
rons mat was the mighty Ind.
Thos conlpelling zeus Of the Greek
b;ss,sn the scandinavians) crushir
darr ,ns bolts the cloud demon ar
AZ sdhsern, thus compelling tho dow
tu,,h soundant showers, and drinklr
d ios MS deeds out OF the exhila
,sua Juice prepared by the invok
insr, praise the heroic deeds
q sssa,. that once the lightning-arm,
blrs'tu e sh dragon. set the waters flown
der 'He caNerns of the clouds asui
i sl.i aIu bolt. by Tvashtar fashion,
cloud r. s,S dErasOn stretched upon t
rs nis like lowing kline. the to
osss ss'Ains down into the Nigh
ssatsaa Ae bull he sought the sor
iulces lnree pailfuls of it's fie
sssp pOsd the mighty god again /
~ kle~- a.