Gonda J. Vedic Literature (Saṃhitās and Brāhmaṇas)

Gonda Jan (ed.). — Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, 1975. — 463 p. — (A History of Indian Literature; Vol. I, Fasc. 1). — ISBN 3-447-01603-5.Editor's Introduction
Introduction to the Veda in general and the R̥gveda in particular
General introductory definitions. Composition of the R̥gveda.
The text of the R̥gveda
Chronology; environment and culture
Development of 'schools'; appendices and ancillary literature
Commentaries
Survival of the Veda
Study of the Veda
Poetry, poet, poem
Inspiration and poetry
The poet
Sociology and performance
Ritual application
Contents of the Rigveda
Introduction
Invitations and invocations
Āprī hymns
Praise
Prayers
Myths
Legends
History
Riddles
Speculative hymns
Magic
Ecstatic practices
Erotic poetry
Morals and maxims
Lyrics; emotions
So-called ballads
Nature
Animals
Labor songs
Irony; humour
Dānastutis
The structure of the R̥gvedic poems
Stanzas and metres
Structure of the sūktas
Introductory and final stanzas
Grouping of stanzas
'Composite' hymns
Similariries and repetitions
Monologues, dialogues, the ākhyāna theory
The style of the Vedic hymns
The R̥gveda from the stylistic point of view
Formulas, parallelism and its corollaries, variation
Epithets
Brevity
Ambiguity
Imagery
Similes
Other stylistic features
The Atharvaveda
Names and position
Genesis and recensions of Atharvaveda-Saṃhitā
The magical sūktas
Ritual and speculative sūktas
Style and structure
Ancillary and exegetical literature
The liturgical Saṃhitās
The Sāmaveda
The Yajurveda
The Brāhmaṇas
General introduction
The texts
Chronology
The brāhmaṇas as historical sources
Interpretation and argumentation
Disputations
Myths, legends and narrative episodes
Style and structure
The Āraṇyakas
Glossary
Abbreviations
Index