Sacred Laws of Aryas

Author(s): Gorge Buhler
Publisher: Oxford

Page 11

ÂPASTAMBA.
him not only to arrive at this negative result, but also to substitute a sounder theory the truth of which subsequent investigations have further confirmed, and to show that the sacred law of the Hindus has its source in the teaching of the Vedic schools, and that the so-called revealed law codes are, in most cases, but improved metrical editions of older
or rules of ceremonies. These are avowedly composed by human authors, while, according to Indian orthodox theology, both the hymns and Brâhmanas are to be considered as revelation. The Satras generally bear the name of their authors, like the Satras of Asvalâyana, Kâtyâyana, &c., or the name of the family to which the Satras belonged. The great number of these writings is to be accounted for by the fact that there was not one body of Kalpa-sútras bind. ing on all Brahmanic families, but that different old families had each their own Kalpa-sútras. These works are still very frequent in our libraries, yet there is no doubt that many of them have been lost. Satras are quoted which do not exist in Europe, and the loss of some is acknowledged by the Brahmans themselves. There are, however, lists of the old Brahmanic families which were in possession of their own redaction of Vaidik hymns (Sambitâs), of Brâhmanas, and of Sutras. Some of these families followed the Rig-veda, some the Yagarveda, the Sâma-veda, and Atharva-veda; and thus the whole Vaidik literature becomes divided into four great classes of Brâhmanas and Sätras, belonging to one or the other of the four principal Vedas.
Now one of the families following the Yagar-veda was that of the Mânavas (cf. Karanavyûha). There can be no doubt that that family, too, had its own Sätras. Quotations from Mânava-sâtras are to be met with in commentaries on other Satras; and I have found, not long ago, a MS. which contains the text of the Mânava-srauta-sútras, though in a very fragmentary state. But these Sätras, the Srauta-sútras, treat only of a certain branch of ceremonies connected with the great sacrifices. Complete Satra works are divided into three parts : 1. the first (Srauta), treating on the great sacrifices; 2. the second (Grihya), treating on the Samskaras, or the purificatory sacraments; 3. the third (Sâmayâkârika or Dharma-sútras), treating on temporal duties, customs, and punishments. The last two classes of Satras seem to be lost in the Mânava-sätra. This loss is, however, not so great with regard to tracing the sources of the Mânava-dharmasâstra, because whenever we have an opportunity of comparing Satras belonging to different families, but following the same Veda, and treating on the same subjects, the differences appear to be very slight, and only refer to less important niceties of the ceremonial. In the absence, therefore, of the Mânava-sâmayâkârika-sůtras, I have taken another collection of Satras, equally belonging to the Yągar-veda, the Satras of Apastamba. In his family we have not only a Brahmana, but also Âpastamba Srauta, Grihya, and Samayâkârika-sútras. Now it is, of course, the third class of Satras, on temporal duties, which are most likely to contain the sources of the later metrical Codes of Law, written in the classical Sloka. On a comparison of different subjects, such as the duties of a Brahmakârin, a Gribastha, laws of inheritance, duties of a king, forbidden fruit, &c., I find that the Sätras contain generally almost the same words which have been brought into verse by the compiler of the Mânava
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