ic ▁and ▁H itt ite ▁sor c ery ▁st anz as , ▁and ▁may ▁likely ▁be ▁the ▁oldest ▁section . ▁Books ▁ 8 ▁to ▁ 1 2 ▁are ▁spec ulations ▁of ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁topics , ▁while ▁Books ▁ 1 3 ▁to ▁ 1 8 ▁tend ▁to ▁be ▁about ▁life ▁cycle ▁r ites ▁of ▁passage ▁rit uals . ▁ ▁The ▁S ra ut as ut ra ▁texts ▁ ▁and ▁the ▁ ▁are ▁attached ▁to ▁the ▁Ath ar v av eda ▁Sh a un aka ▁edition , ▁as ▁are ▁a ▁supp lement ▁of ▁Ath ar van ▁P ray asc it th as , ▁two ▁Pr at ish ak hy as , ▁and ▁a ▁collection ▁of ▁Paris is th as . ▁For ▁the ▁P ai pp al ada ▁edition ▁of ▁Ath ar v av eda , ▁corresponding ▁texts ▁were ▁Ag ast ya ▁and ▁Pa ith in asi ▁S ut ras ▁but ▁these ▁are ▁lost ▁or ▁yet ▁to ▁be ▁discovered . ▁ ▁D ating ▁and ▁historical ▁context ▁The ▁ancient ▁Indian ▁tradition ▁initially ▁recognized ▁only ▁three ▁V ed as . ▁The ▁R ig ved a , ▁the ▁verse ▁ 3 . 1 2 . 9 . 1 ▁of ▁Ta itt iri ya ▁Bra h mana , ▁the ▁verse ▁ 5 . 3 2 - 3 3 ▁of ▁A itare ya ▁Bra h mana ▁and ▁other ▁V edic ▁era ▁texts ▁mention ▁only ▁three ▁V ed as . ▁The ▁accept ance ▁of ▁the ▁Ath ar van as ▁h ym ns ▁and ▁traditional ▁folk ▁practices ▁was ▁slow , ▁and ▁it