Sacred Laws of Aryas

Author(s): Gorge Buhler
Publisher: Oxford

Page 29

xxviii
ÂPASTAMBA.
karasâdi, Vârshyâyani, Svetaketu, and Hârîta, Some of these persons, like Hârîta and Kanva, are known to have composed Satras on the sacred law, and fragments or modified versions of their works are still in existence. while Kânva, Kautsa, Pushkarasâdi or Paushkarasâdi, as the grammatically correct form of the name is, and Vârshyâyani are quoted in the Nirukta, the Prâtisâkhyas, and the Vârttikas on Panini as authorities on phonetics, etymology, and grammar 2. Kânva, finally, is considered the author of the still existing Kalpa-sútras of the Kanva school connected with the White Yagur-veda. It seems not improbable that most of these teachers were authors of complete sets of Angas. Their position in Vedic literature, however, except as far as Kânva, Hârîta, and Svetaketu are concerned, is difficult to define, and the occurrence of their names throws less light on the antiquity of the Apastambîya school than might be expected. Regarding Hârîta it must, however, be noticed that he is one of the oldest authors of Satras, that he was an adherent of the Maitrậyanîya Sâkha 3, and that he is quoted by Baudhầyana, Âpastamba's predecessor. The bearing of the occurrence of Svetaketu's name will be discussed below.
Of even greater interest than the names of the teachers are the indications which Âpastamba gives, that he knew two of the philosophical schools which still exist in India, viz. the Purvâ or Karma Mîmâmsâ and the Vedanta. As regards the former, he mentions it by its ancient name, Nyâya, which in later times and at present is usually applied to the doctrine of Gautama Akshapada. In two passages' he settles contested points on the authority of those who know the Nyâya, i.e. the Pârvâ Mîmâmsâ, and
• Ép. Dh. I, 6, 19, 3-8; I, IO, 28, I-2; I, 4, 13, Io; 1, 6, 18, 2; I, 6, 19, 12 ; I, 10, 28, 5, 16; I, 10, 29, 12-16.
. Max Müller, loc. cit., p. 142.
* A Dharma-sätra, ascribed to this teacher, has been recovered of late, by Mr. Vâman Shastri Islâmpurkar. Though it is an ancient work, it does not contain Apastamba's quotations, see Grundriss d. Indo-Ar. Phil. und Altertumsk., II, 8, 8.
• Åp. Dh. II, 4, 8, 13; II, 6, 14, 13.
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