The Chronology of the Gopatha Brāhmaṇa: A Critical Study
Chandan Mondal
M.A in Sanskrit, WB SET Qualified
The University of Burdwan
Abstract:
The Gopatha Brāhmaṇa occupies a distinctive position within the Vedic corpus as the sole Brāhmaṇa text associated with the Atharvaveda. Despite its importance, the question of its chronology remains a subject of scholarly debate due to its composite structure, heterogeneous content, and relatively late recognition in Vedic studies. This paper examines the chronology of the Gopatha Brāhmaṇa through a critical analysis of internal linguistic features, doctrinal developments, ritual descriptions, and intertextual references to other Vedic and post-Vedic literature. By comparing its language and concepts with those of earlier Brāhmaṇas, Upaniṣads, and Śrauta and Gṛhya traditions, the study argues that the text reflects multiple layers of composition rather than a single period of authorship. The presence of speculative tendencies, symbolic interpretations of sacrifice, and references to philosophical ideas suggest a transitional phase between the late Brāhmaṇa period and the early Upaniṣadic age. On the basis of textual and comparative evidence, the paper proposes that the core portions of the Gopatha Brāhmaṇa may be dated to approximately the 8th–6th centuries BCE, with subsequent interpolations extending into a later period. The study thus contributes to a clearer understanding of the historical placement of the Gopatha Brāhmaṇa and its role in the evolution of Vedic ritual and thought.
Keywords: Chronology, Philosophical, Transitional, Mythological, Astronomical.
DOI link – https://doi.org/10.69758/GIMRJ/2601I01VXIVP0003
Download