“She shines upon us, like a young wife, rousing every living being to
   go to his work.  The fire had to be kindled by men; she brought light by
   striking down darkness.

“She rose up, spreading far and wide, and moving towards every one.  She grew in brightness, wearing her brilliant garment.  The mother of the cows (of the morning clouds), the leader of the days, she shone gold-colored, lovely to behold.

   “She, the fortunate, who brings the eye of the god, who leads the white
   and lovely steed (of the sun), the Dawn was seen, revealed by her rays;
   with brilliant treasures she follows every one.

   “Thou, who art a blessing where thou art near, drive far away the
   unfriendly; make the pastures wide, give us safety!  Remove the haters,
   bring treasures!  Raise wealth to the worshipper, thou mighty Dawn.

   “Shine for us with thy best rays, thou bright Dawn, thou who
   lengthenest our life, thou the love of all, who givest us food, who
   givest us wealth in cows, horses, and chariots.

   “Thou, daughter of the sky, thou high-born Dawn, whom the Vasishthas
   magnify with songs, give us riches high and wide:  all ye gods, protect
   us always with your blessings!”

“This hymn, addressed to the Dawn, is a fair specimen of the original simple poetry of the Veda.  It has no reference to any special sacrifice, it contains no technical expressions, it can hardly be called a hymn, in our sense of the word.  It is simply a poem expressing, without any effort, without any display of far-fetched thought or brilliant imagery, the feelings of a man who has watched the approach of the Dawn with mingled delight and awe, and who was moved to give utterance to what he felt in measured language."[44]

“But there is a charm in these primitive strains discoverable in no other class of poetry.  Every word retains something of its radical meaning, every epithet tells, every thought, in spite of the most intricate and abrupt expressions, is, if we once disentangle it, true, correct, and complete."[45]

The Vedic literature is divided by Muller into four periods, namely, those of the Chhandas, Mantra, Brahmana, and Sutras.  The Chhandas period contains the oldest hymns of the oldest, or Rig-Veda.  To that of the Mantras belong the later hymns of the same Veda.  But the most modern of these are older than the Brahmanas.  The Brahmanas contain theology; the older Mantras are liturgic.  Mueller says that the Brahmanas, though so very ancient, are full of pedantry, shallow and insipid grandiloquence and priestly conceit.  Next to these, in the order of time, are the Upanishads.  These are philosophical, and almost the only part of the Vedas which are read at the present time.  They are believed to contain the highest authority for the different philosophical systems, of which we shall speak hereafter.  Their