Dhammapada

SR No.: 007674
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Max Muller
Publisher: Oxford
Publication Year: 1881
Total Pages: 2540
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 45 MB

Page 1749

INTRODUCTION,
XXXV
persons. But the fact that the commentator, though an orthodox Hindu, had misgivings as to the genuineness of portions of the work, is not without significance. It seems also that even the first two Prasnas are not quite free from interpolations. Thus the Kandikâs on the Tarpanal are certainly much enlarged by additions, the verse at I, 5, 11, 36, a repetition of I, 5, 9, 5, and some prose quotations which are introduced by the words athậpy udâharanti, now they quote also,' standing usually before verses only, are at least suspicious. That the genuineness of many single passages should be doubtful, is no more than might be expected, not only on account of the separation of the Dharma-sútra from the other parts of the Kalpa, but also because the work, as we shall see further on, remained for a long time without the protection of a commentary. The practical conclusion to be drawn from this state of things is that the greatest caution must be observed in using the Baudhayana Dharma-sútra for historical purposes, and that it will be advisable to draw no inferences regarding Baudhầyana's relation to other teachers and schools from the last two Prasnas, and not to trust too much to historical inferences drawn from single passages of the first two.
The position which Baudhầyana occupies among the teachers of the Taittirîya-veda has already been discussed in the Introduction to Åpastamba. It has been shown that according to the Brâhmanical tradition preserved by Mahadeva, the commentator of the Hiranyakesi-sätras, he composed the first Satra for the followers of his Såkhå. Internal and external evidence has also been adduced, proving that he certainly was more ancient than Apastamba and Hiranyakesin. It is now possible to bring forward some further facts bearing on these points. First, in the section on the Tarpana, the libations of water offered to various deities, Rishis, and the manes, II, 5, 9, 14, Kanva Baudhayana receives his share immediately after the Rishis of the Veda and before Åpastamba, the Satrakära, and
1 Baudhayana Dharma-sätra II, 5, 8-9.
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