Upnishad

SR No.: 007670
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Max Muller
Publisher: Oxford
Publication Year: 1879
Total Pages: 1835
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 35 MB

Page 455

INTRODUCTION.
xiii
of Katha-sûtra on divers questions concerning Srauta offerings, and at the time, when the Kasmirian Devapâla wrote his Commentary on the Kâthaka Grihya-sûtra, which was, according to the Kasmîrian tradition, as explored by Dr. Bühler, before the conquest of Kasmir by the Mahommedans. Devapâla, in the Introduction to his work, refers to thirty-nine Adhyayas treating of the Vaitânika (= Srauta) ceremonies,' by which the Grihya-sûtra was preceded, from which statement it may be inferred that the Kathaka Srauta-sûtras must have been a very voluminous work indeed, as the Grihya-sûtra, which is at least equal if not superior in extent to other works of the same class, forms but one Adhyâya, the fortieth, of the whole Kalpasûtra, which, according to Devapâla, was composed by one author. It does not seem likely that the Vishnu-sûtra was composed by the same man, or that it ever formed part of the Kathaka Kalpa-sûtra, as the Dharma-sûtras of Baudhâyana, Âpastamba, and Hiranyakesin form part of the Kalpasûtras of the respective schools to which they belong. If that were the case, it would agree with the Grihya-sûtra on all those points which are treated in both works, such as e. g. the terms for the performance of the Samskâras or sacraments, the rules for a student and for a Snâtaka, the enumeration and definition of the Krikkhras or 'hard penances,' the forms of marriage, &c. Now though the two works have on those subjects a number of such rules in common as occur in other works also, they disagree for the most part in the choice of expressions, and on a few points lay down exactly opposite rules, such as the Vishnusûtra (XXVIII, 28) giving permission to a student to ascend his spiritual teacher's carriage after him, whereas the other work prescribes, that he shall do so on no account. Moreover, if both works had been destined from the first to supplement one another, they would, instead of having several entire sections in common, exhibit such crossreferences as are found e. g. between the Âpastamba Grihya and Dharma-sûtras1; though the absence of such
1 Bühler, Introduction to Apastamba, Sacred Books, II, pp. xi-xiv.
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