Indian Antiquary Vol 15

SR No.: 032507
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 446
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 20 MB

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[SEPTEMBER, 1886.
He who cooks his mess of vegetables at the eighth watch of the day, and he who is not in debt, and is not & sojourner,-he, O Water Goblin, is happy. That, while every day created things are hastening to the hall of death, others should say, "I wish to remain,"-what is more wonderful than this P In this cauldron (of the world) full of illusion, time cooks created things, with the sun for, fire, night and day for fuel, and months and seasons for the stirring
ladle,-this is the news. The Scriptures are at variance and Holy Writ is at variance; many are the holy men, but their advice is at variance; the essence of virtue is placed in the inner recesses (of the heart), and that, along which the great and good have gone before, that is the path.'
On hearing these replies the Grdha was mightily pleased, and, giving him all the riches he had carried off from his former victims, let him go on his journey.
G. A. GBIERBON.
BOOK NOTICES. TA ORDINANCES OF MANU.-Translated from the greater part of the Introduction to this edition.
Sanskrit with an introduction, by the late ARTHUR COKE BUKNELL, Ph.D., C.I.E., completed and
That part of the book, as the Second Edition tells edited by EDWARD W. HOPKINS, Ph.D., of us, is somewhat fragmentary, having been left Colombia College N. Y. London: Trubner and Co. 1884. 8vo., pp. xlvii. and 399.
incomplete by Burnell at his death. Dr. Hopkins It was known some years ago that the late
has refrained from making any additions or Dr. Burnell held peculiar views as to the date
alterations, though signs are not wanting, in the of the book which we have been accustomed to footnotes and elsewhere, that he does not share call the laws of Manu. The matter cannot be all Burnell's views, or give the same weight as regarded as finally settled yet; but Burnell cer. Burnell does to all the arguments by which they tainly had the courage of his opinion; and the are supported. But, although we cannot quite evidence on which he founded it, if not conclu- easily follow all the steps of the argument as sive, is well deserving of consideration.
stated in the Introduction, the general drift of it No one, of course, now believes as Sir William is plain enough. In fact, Burnell's views on the Jones did when he brought out his translation date of Manu had been published and exposed to nearly a hundred years ago, that the code, if it may criticism some years before he died. be so called, is as old as 1200 B.O. The theory Burnell starts with the statement, which generally accepted in late years is, that the book no one will be disposed to contradict, that the contains the customs and rules of the Manavas, a dharma-iderne are developed from the grihya-, sect of Brahmans who followed the Black Yajur. edmaydcharika-, and dharma-sútras. Different veda ; that it is mainly & versification of the schools followed different recensions of the Vêda; Grihya and Samayúchárika Sutras of that sect; those schools had different sátras also. Now and that it was compiled about 500 B.O.
the sdtra period is the latest period of early The grounds for fizing Manu so far back are Sanskrit literature, and cannot, in fact, be earlier briefly stated as follows :-The gods mentioned than 600-200 B.C. The earliest mention of in Manu are chiefly the Vedic deities; the ac- dharma-sútras specially is in the Mahabhashva. count given of the four castes and their origin is Consequently Manu cannot be earlier than similar to that given in the Purusha-Sakta; there 200-100 B.C. is no allusion to the practice of Sati, or to the Burnell's next argument is from the style of worship of Vishņu and Siva ; nor is there any Manu. The form of the sloka in Manu is that mention of the Råmdyana or the Mahabharata. which we find in the epic poems; the language
Barnell, on the other hand, would put Manu I in general is simple and modern, and the comquite a thousand years later. He holds it to be pounds are according to the forms used in conclusively proved that the book was not com- modern Sansksit; in fact, the text of Manu piled earlier than 500 A.D.; and he thinks he has closely resembles the style of the other versified good grounds for believing that the compilation stras; and Burnell says he was himself able to was made by a Brahman from Northern India, at-prove" by Thibetan documents" that the versithe court of king Pulakêgin I., who reigned about fication of the Abvaldyana-Gríhya-Satra was done 500 A.D., and who was the founder of the West- in 700 A.D. ern Chalukya dynasty. This particular dynasty is The next argument is from the matter of the fixed upon, because it is known from inscriptions book. The first, seventh and twelfth chapters to have had the name Manavya as well as ChAlukya, all contain matter quite foreign to the original. the former name being supposed to imply that sdtras. The dialogue in the first chapter is the Purohitas of the kings of the Chalukya quite in the style of the Purkņas. The philodynasty were priests of the M&nava g8tra. sophical system followed in the account of the
Burnell's reasons for this opinion take ap the creation, eto, in the first chapter, is that modifi.