A History of Sanskrit Literature c30.s1.9

c30.s1.9

The *Vaiṣṇava Dharmaçāstra*⁵ is even more strikingly interpolated, for Vaiṣṇavas have turned it into the shape of a dialogue between Viṣṇu and the earth. In fact, however, it goes back to a Dharmasūtra of the Kāṭhaka school of the *Black Yajurveda*, just as the Hārīta, which as it stands is in prose with much verse intermingled, represents the Maitrāyaṇīya school. The writing up of the Vaiṣṇava shows knowledge of Greek terms of astronomy and astrology, and cannot be placed before the third century A. D. The *Vaikhānasa Dharmaçāstra*⁶ in three chapters deals with the duties of the castes and of the different stages of the life of the Brahmin, but predominantly with the period of life when asceticism should be practised. It has the appearance of a late work drawn up in the Sūtra style, but it may contain some matter which was given in the older text known to Baudhāyana.⁷ Grave doubt exists as to the antiquity of the alleged Dharmasūtras of Paiṭhīnasi, attached to the *Atharvaveda*, of Çāṅkhalikhita¹ attached to the *White Yajurveda*, of Uçanas, Kāçyapa, Bṛhaspati, and others. We may reasonably suspect that the works passing under these names were later imitations of the older style of Sūtras; in the case of Çāṅkhalikhita it certainly seems that the sages Çaṅkha and Likhita owe their existence to a misunderstanding of the old idea of the fate or law written by the gods on men’s foreheads.