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 465

xxiii
indivisible objects 'a book,' pustakam; Manu (IX, 219) has the same Sloka, but for pustakam he reads prakakshate. Now pustaka is a modern word1, and Varâhamihira, who lived in the sixth century A. D., appears to be the first author, with a known date, by whom it is used. It occurs again, Vishnu-sûtra XXIII, 56 (prokshanena ka pustakam), and here also Manu (V,122) has a different reading (punahpâkena mrinmayam). The only difference between Vishnu-sûtra XXII, 93 and Manu V, 110 consists in the use of singular forms (te, srinu) in the former work, and of plural forms (vah, srinuta) in the latter. Now there are a great many other Smritis besides the Manu-smriti, such as e. g. the Yâgñavalkya and Parâsara Smritis, in which the fiction is kept up, that the laws contained in them are promulgated to an assembly of Rishis; but there are very few Smritis of the least notoriety or importance besides the Vishnu-sûtra, in which they are proclaimed to a single person. Other instances in which Manu's readings appear preferable to Vishnu's may be found, LI, 60 (pretya keha kå nishkritim) = Manu V, 38 (pretya ganmani ganmani); LI, 64 (iti kathañkana) = M. V, 41 (ity abravînmanu); LI, 76 (tasya) = M. V, 53 (tayoh); LIV, 27 (brâhmanyât)= M. XI, 193 (brahmanâ); LVII, 11 (purastâd anukoditâm) = M. IV, 248; Vâsishtha XIV, 16; Âpastamba I, 6, 19, 14 (purastâd aprakoditâm); LXVII, 45 (sâyamprâtas tvatithaye)= M. III, 99 (samprâptâya tvatithaye), &c. But these instances do not prove much, as all the passages in question may have been tampered with by the Vishnuitic editor, and as in some other cases the version of Vishnu seems preferable. Thus 'practised by the virtuous' (sâdhubhiska nishevitam, LXXI, 90) is a very common epithet of 'âkâra,' and reads better than Manu's nibaddham sveshu karmasu (IV, 155); and krikkhrâtikrikkhram (LIV,30) seems preferable to Baudhâyana's and Manu's krikkhrâtikrikkhrau (XI, 209). What is more important, the Vishnu-sûtra does not only contain a number of verses in the ancient Trishtubh metre, whereas Manu has none, but it shows those identical three Trishtubhs of Vâsishtha and Yâska, which Dr. Bühler
1 See Max Müller, Hist. Anc. Sansk. Lit., p. 512.
INTRODUCTION.
Digitized by
Google