Indian Antiquary Vol 47

SR No.: 032539
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 386
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 15 MB

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ JULY, 1918
[842 ] The transition from the scholastic treatment of a discipline' to its presentation in literary works, which we can follow in equal measure in two separate subjects, was caused probably by the growth of these sciences, which rendered their separate treatment and specialisation inevitable. Simultaneously a change in the form of its presentation must have set in. While those text-books which were the products of schools, such as the srauta-, dharma-, gphyasútras, the two Mimâms sûtras, exhibit the sútra style, the works of individual authors such as Y iska's Nirukta, Patañjali's Mahâbhânya, Vútsy yana's Kámasútra (in spite of its designation as sûtra) are of a different type. By the side of dogmatic exposition discussion comes more and more into prominence. The sûtra style changes into the bhâsya style. The Kauțiliya has also its place in these stages of development: alongside of sections in which the author attempts the shortness of the sâtras, there are others where the author indulges in a certain amount of breadth and prolixity after the manner of the Bh&ęyas. In point of fact the author of an old Tika8 on Kamandaki's Nitisara (pp. 136 and 138) designates the Kauțiliya as Kautalyabhasya 9 and an anonymous &rye of unknown origin added at the end of the Kauţiliya says:
[843) drstvå vipratipattim bahudha sastresu bha yakârânám
svayam eva Vixnuguptaś cakâra sûtram ca bhasyam ca | If then our Kauţiliya is the Bhanya and we know nothing about another work, a Sútra, of Kautilya, nor can we even imagine what that Sätra should be liko, to which the Kauțiliya could stand in the relation of a Bhà Rya, it appears to me that the above statement that Visugupta himself is the author of a Sûtra and a Bhagya must be interpreted to mean that the Kauţiliya is at once Sûtra and Bhâsya. It would not be, for that matter, the only instance of a Bhanya that was not a commentary to any Sútra: another example is the Prasastapâdabhâşya, which is an entirely independent treatise on the Vaišesika system and in no sense a commentary on the Sôtra of Kanada. The designation Bhagya for those kinds of works did not, however, come into vogue, as we see that Vitsyâyana on the contrary gives the title Kámasútra to his work.10
Generally speaking it must be emphasised that the free exposition of the sciences in the form of literary works does not import a complete breakdown of the primeval institution of the Vedic school. People may have adhered to the old mothod in Vedio disciplines and others similar to these, and given that method a scholastic turn, conformable to the particular subject in hand, in the case of others. The first might have been the case with the two
# For the age of the Upadhyâyanirapekşi Tika, from which the editor have given in the Bibl. Ind. extracts with their own additions (see bhumika, p.1), the fact that the author calls Vatsya yana asmadguru appears to be decisive (p. 136 where he quotes & passage from the Kamasutra, p. 3 of the edition). This statement could not very well have been smuggled into the text by the editors. On the other hand the quotations from Kullakabhatia to Manu, VIII. 155-157 on Pp. 211 ff., from Sahityadarpana (III. 146 1.) on p. 278, from Mudrarhk88, p. 223 (cited according to a printed edition of the drama) #re undoubtedly additions by the respective editors: arthaprakásártham.
9 The spelliog Kauralya is rendered certain through the derivation of the name from kutala (kutakih kumbhidhanyahkufaidnti); com, to Kamandaki I. 2 and Hemacandra Abhidhanae. III. 517 com. Does perhape the form Kautilya rest on a popular etymologie ! Kautilya denotes 'falsity, cunning,' and, in the tradition, that is just the prominent characteristic of Canakya, cf. the stories about him in the Paribistaparva, VIII. 194 ff., particularly 362-376, as also the Mudråraksasa.
10 The case is quite different with the use of the designation sitra with the Jainas and Buddhists. They were influenced by the religious literature of the Brahmans. The name anga for the oldest portions of the Jaina canon shows that most clearly; for it the reding as had evidently served as model.