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INTRODUCTION.
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to two and not to one-must have been enlarged versions of the latter? As it thus appears that there existed recensions posterior to our Manu-smriti, the existence of untraceable or partly traceable quotations from Manu's Dharmasastra in Asvaghosha's Vagrasuki? and from Manu in Varahamihira's Brihat-samhitas possesses no great significance. With respect to Varahamihira's reference, it must be noted that, according to Albîrûni's Indica, two astrological Samhitas, called after Manu, existed in the eleventh century A.D., the smaller of which was an abridgment made by a perfectly well-known human author 4. Hence Varahamihira may have taken his verses on the character of women from the latter. In both quotations the Slokas, not found in our Smriti, have a very modern look. The case is, however, different with the quotations from Manu, which, as has been shown above, occur in the Mahâbhârata. We have been compelled to admit that the existing text of our Smriti is younger than the epic. If, therefore, the law-book referred to in the latter is not the ancient Dharma-sätra, we must also concede the existence of a secondary recension which preceded Bhrigu's Samhita. The solution of this question is, owing to the
In order to enable the reader to form his own judgment on this point, I add a list of the quotations which I have noted. Those from Brihat Manu occur, 1. Col. Dig. II, 3, 26 ; 2. Col. Dig.V, 48 = GÌ. Dây. XI, 6, 34, 3. Datt. Mom. II, 8; 4. May. IV, 5, 53 ;-those from Vriddha Manu, I. Col. Dig. III, 1, 69; 2. Col. Dig. III, 1, 83 = May. XI, 5 = Viv. Kint. p. 99; 3. Col. Dig. III, 1, 86 = Viv. Kint. p. 89; 4. Col. Dig. III, 1, 90 = May. XI, 5 = Viv. Kint. p. 100; 5. Col. Dig. III, 1, 93 = Viv. Kint. p. 103; 6. Col. Dig. V, 161 - Viv. Kint. p. 272 = Varad. p. 21 = Gi. Dây. IX, 17 (where attrib. to Brihat M.); 7. Col. Dig. V, 408 =Smri. K'and. XI, 1,15=Sar. Vil. 504 - Varad. pp. 33, 40 = Viram. III, 1, 2= 61. Dây. XI, 1, 7 and Viv. Kint. p. 289 (where attrib. to Brihat M.); 8. Mit. II, 5, 6 = Viv. Kint. p. 289 and Varad. p. 37 (where attrib. to Brihat M.)= Sar. Vil. 591 (where attrib. to M.); 9. Viv. K'int. pp. 126-7; ro. Viv. K'int. p. 180; 11. Varad. p. 50; 12. Varad. p. 28, where in reality Manu IX, 206 seems to be
quoted.
* Weber, Indische Streifen, vol. I, pp. 190, 192, 198. • Kern, Brihat-samhita, chapter 74, vv. 7-15, and Preface, p. 43.
* Albîrûni, Indica, chapter xiv; see also Kern, loc. cit. p. 42, where the probability of the existence of a Mânavi Samhità has been shown. Albirunt says that the title of the two works was Mânasa (Mânavi?), and that the shorter one had been composed by one PNKL, a native of Southern India. I owe these notes to the kindness of Professor Sachau, the learned editor and translator of Albirunt's important work.
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