The History of Indian Literature c8.408

c8.408

The *Kátíya Gṛihya-Sútra*,¹⁵⁵ in three *káṇḍas*, is attributed to Páraskara, from whom a school of the White Yajus also (according to the Charaṇavyúha) derived its name. The word Páraskara is used as a *saṃjná*, or proper name—but, according to the *gaṇa*, to denote a district—in the Sútra of Páṇini; but I am unable to trace it in Vedic literature. To this Gṛihya-Sútra there are still extant a Paddhati by Vásudeva, a commentary by Jayaráma, and above all a most excellent commentary by Rámakṛishṇa under the title of *Saṃskára-gaṇapati*, which ranks above all similar works from its abundant quotations and its very detailed and exhaustive handling of the various subjects. In the introduction, which deals with the Veda in general and the Yajurveda in particular, Rámakṛishṇa declares that the Káṇva school is the best of those belonging to the Yajus.—Under the name of Páraskara there exists also a Smṛiti-Śástra, which is in all probability based upon this Gṛihya-Sútra. Among the remaining Smṛiti-Śástras, too, there are a considerable number whose names are connected with those of teachers of the White Yajus; for instance, Yájnavalkya, whose posteriority to Manu quite corresponds to the posteriority of the White Yajus to the Black Yajus—and no doubt also to that of the Kátíya-Sútra to the Mánava-Sútra;—further, Kátyáyana (whose work, however, as we saw, connects itself with the Sámaveda), Kaṇva, Gautama, Śáṇḍilya, Jábáli, and Paráśara. The last two names appear among the schools of the White Yajus specified in the Charaṇavyúha, and we also find members of their families named in the Vaṅśas of the Śatapatha-Bráhmaṇa, where the family of the Paráśaras is particularly often represented.∗