A History of Hindu Political Theories from the Earliest Times to the End of the First Quarter of the Seventeenth Century A.D. c10.110

c10.110

The above conception of Politics as involving the lessons of reason and experience leads Bhīṣma in the latter portion of the chapter from which we have just quoted, to mention a remarkable canon of interpretation of the Sacred Law in general. The knowledge of dharma, he says (Ibid 17), is acquired not by means of the sacred text alone, nor by reason alone. [Cf. p. 113 footnote, supra]. Again, he says (Ibid 21) that the canon is exalted by a verbal interpretation united with reason that is based upon the canon.