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ANUGÍTA.
the Anugita and the rules of Åpastamba upon one impor. tant point which they both deal with shows the priority of the former work. I allude to the rules and regulations touching the four Asramas or orders contained in the Anugita and in the Dharma-sútra of Åpastamba. One circumstance strikes us at once on comparing the two works on this point. Apastamba goes into a very great deal of minute details more than the Anugita, although the latter work does not deal with the topic in any very summary mode. Taking all the differences between the two works together, and the fact that the Anugità sets about the discussion of the topic in a manner which seems intended to be--not, indeed, absolutely exhaustive, but still very full, I am very strongly inclined to attribute the differences to an actual development and progress of doctrine. I will endeavour to illustrate this view by means of a few detailed instances. And let us first take the order of householders to which the Anugitá gives precedence over the others. One of the injunctions laid down by the Anugita is that the householder should always be devoted to his wife. Against this simple precept, we have a very minute series of rules prescribed by Apastamba, which it is not necessary to refer to specifically, but which may be seen in several of the Sutras contained in the first Khanda of the first Patala of the second Prasna. Compare again the excessive minuteness of the rules regarding the Bali-offering or the reception of guests, as given by Apastamba, with the simple statement of the Anugitá that the five great sacrifices should be performed. There again, I think, we are to see in this difference of treatment the result of a pretty long course of ceremonial progress. Proceeding to the rules regarding the Brahmakärin or student, an analogous phenomenon meets us there. Taking first the subject of food, we have a considerable number of detailed injunctions in Apastamba, compared with the simple rule of the Anugita, that the student should, with the leave of his preceptor, eat his food without decrying it. Again with regard to alms, whereas the Anugită simply
Cl. Pp. 358, 360 iofra with Apastambe, pp. 9 *9., 103 109., 114 xq.
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