The Cambridge History of India, Vol. I: Ancient India v1.c20.6

v1.c20.6

The period of the Sūtras, Epics, and Law-books thus overlaps that of Buddhist India on the one hand, and reaches well into the period of the extant Purāṇas on the other. The earliest known Purāṇa precedes the later law-books probably by centuries, as the Sūtras precede the earliest works of Buddhism. Nevertheless it is not only new matter which is offered by the literature, whether legal or epic, but virtually a new phase, a fresh point of view, the life of India as it shows itself under the dominion of the Brāhmans, who have been the real masters of Indian thought for more than three millenniums. It is in fact the continuation under new conditions of the history depicted above, before Jain and Buddhist had arisen.