The Epic Sequence
archaic ākhyāna or ballads. He thought that oldest form of Indianepics thrived on prose and verse and that the latter, containing dialogues, was fixed and memorised. Thus the Samvada Suktas were preserved for the benefit of posterity while the prose portion containing narrative passed into irretrievable oblivion. This view was contested by Max Muller and Levi according to whom the dialogue hymns could have germinated that dramatic genre. Hertel and Von Schroeder were of the opinion that these might have formed the parts of some kind of religious ritual enactments. Winternitz, on the other hand, regarded these dialogue hymns as ancient ballads which might have inspired both the epic and dramatic genres to blossom. 2 If we look at the Brāhmaṇas, we would find that the remnants of the narratives from remote antiquity shed illuminating light on the genesis of the chequered development of the epic poetry through almost a millennium. While the role of the samivada Sūktas of the Rgveda is basically conjectural, the Gathā Nārāśamisis (Songs in praise of men), ākhyānas (narratives), itihāsa (legend), purāṇa (an- cient lore) etc. had definite roles to play in the formation of epic nucleus. Even though the above mentioned materials were part and parcel of religious rituals, these nevertheless consolidated the impact of the diversified expressions of oral tradition on the creative pursuits of latter centuries. With the passage of time, the simple subject matter and brief span of the anecdotes of the Gatha-nārāśamisis developed gradually into bulky ballads and heterogeneous cycles of songs with intricate plots. It should also be noted here that while the Vedic literature was sacerdotal in origin and import and always confined within the priestly class, the proto-epic episodes inspite of their sacerdotal association were never meant to be exclusive. Hence, the sūtas as ancient bards took up the responsibility of popularizing those episodes among the masses. They were the first editors as well as compilers; they were the best assessors of the moods of the people and hence might have boldly and unhesitatingly added such details that might sharpen the tale and captivate the attention of the listeners. At a time when magic had a very prominent role in the life of early men who took recourse to spells and incantations, the bards of oral tradition could not be distinctly separated from priests or magicians 4
