The Vedās were written on palm-leaves and birch-barks. The
earliest manuscripts are dated very roughly around 800 CE and the
first person to do so was Vishukra as quoted in Al-hind of
Al-Baruni (born in 973 CE) [translation of Al-hind by Edward
Sachau entitled 'Alberuni's India', Pub. in 1888 CE; reprinted in
2002]. The earliest printed text of the Rigveda mantra Samhita
with the Bhāshya of Sāyaņa was brought out during (1848-1874) by
Friedrich Max Muller (1823-1900). Dr. A Weber published the text
of Vājasaneyi Samhitā of Shukla YajurVeda in 1852 and the
Taittirīya Samhitā of Krişhņa Yajur Veda in 1871; Dr. L. Von
Schroeder published the text of Maitrāyaņi Samhitā in (1881-86)
and Kaţhaka Samhitā in (1900-11). Professor Stevenson published
the text of the Rāņāyanīya Sāmaveda Samhitā with English
trnaslation in 1842; Eugene Burnouf (1801-52) produced the German
translation of "Kauthumīya Sāmaveda Samhitā in 1848. Roth and
Whitney (1827-94) published the Atharva Veda Samhitā. The critical edition of the Rigveda Samhitā with Sāyaņa's
commentary was brought out by the Vaidic Samshodhan Mandala in
(1933-1951). Pandit Damodar Satvalekar (1867-1968) has brought out
the texts of all the Veda Samhitās with good introductions in
Sanskrit Hindi and Marathi beginning in 1918.
[The above information was obtained
from the booklet "An Introduction to the Vedās" by K.S.
Srinivasacharya published by the Alliance Company.] |