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xxxiv
GRIHYA-SOTRAS.
broader one than in the case of the Grihya-stras. We have here, I think, the same phenomenon that may also be observed, for instance, in the domain of the Buddhist Vinaya literature, where the exposition of the life of the community was at first given only in connection with the explanation of the list of sins (Pâtimokkha) which was promulgated every half month at the meetings of the spiritual brethren. It was not till later that a more comprehensive exposition, touching all the sides of the life of the community was attempted? an exposition which, on the one hand, no longer limited itself to the points discussed in the Pâtimokkha, and which, on the other hand, necessarily had much in common with what was laid down in the Pâtimokkha. The relation of the Grihya-sūtras and Dharma-sūtras seems to me to be of a similar nature. The Grihya-stras begin to treat of the events of the daily life of the household, but they do not yet undertake to exhaust the great mass of this subjectmatter ; on the contrary they confine themselves principally to the ritual or sacrificial side of household life, as is natural owing to their connection with the older ritualistic literature. Then the Dharma-sätras take an important step further ; their purpose is to describe the whole of the rights and customs which prevail in private, civic, and public life. They naturally among other things touch upon the ceremonies treated in the Grihya-sútras, but they generally merely mention them and discuss the questions of law and custom which are connected with them, without undertaking to go into the technical ordinances as to the way in which these ceremonies are to be performed 2.
Only in a few cases do portions treated of in the domain of the Dharma-sútras happen to coincide with portions treated of in the Grihya-sutras. Thus especially, apart from a few objects of less importance, the detailed rules for the behaviour of the Snataka and the rules for the interruptions
In the work which has Khandhakå as its general title and which has been transmitted to us in two parts, Mahâvagga and Kullavagga.
Compare, for instance, the explanations concerning the Upanayana in the Dharma-sůtras (A pastamba I, 1; Gautama I) with the corresponding sections of the Grihya-sätras.
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