History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c5.6

v1.c5.6

It is difficult to say when composed - Nirukta (III. 4-5) exhibits controversies about inheritance and quotes a verse (śloka) from some work on dharma - Bühler's view about such verses -- Gautama and Baudhāyana speak of dharmaśāstra - Baudhāyana and Āpastamba mention numerous sages on *dharma* - Vārtika of Kātyāyana and Jaimini speak of dharmaśāstra - Patañjali on dharmasūtrakāras - dharmaśāstra works existed prior to Yāska or at least before 600 B. C. and in 2nd century B. C. dharmasūtras had become authoritative - method of dealing with the whole dharmaśāstra literature followed in this book, first dharmasūtras, then early metrical smṛtis like those of Manu and Yājñavalkya, later versified smṛtis, then commentaries and digests, such as the Mitākṣarā - chronology of early writers very difficult to settle - Max Müller's view that works in continuous śloka metre followed sūtra works not acceptable.