History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s10.13

v1.c6.s10.13

Many of the verses found in Vi. are quoted by Aparārka as Viṣṇu's, e. g. Vi. 84. 4 on Yāj. 1. 2; 68. 46-47 on Yāj. 1, 106; 67. 33 on Yāj. 1. 107; 5. 183 on Yāj. 2. 60; 10. 9-11 on Yāj. 2. 102. But there are numerous verses quoted as Viṣṇu's by Aparārka which are not found in the sūtra, e. g. on Yāj. I. 21, 53, 89, 100. Aparārka quotes almost whole chapters of Viṣṇu, e. g. Vi. 68 on Yāj. I. 106 and 90 on Yāj. I. 208, 70 on Yāj. 1. 114. It is to be noted that Vi. 70. 17 (a verse) is quoted by Aparārka as a prose sūtra (on 1. 114) with slight verbal changes. All these facts make one feel naturally sceptical about the authenticity of most of the verses in the extant Viṣṇudharmasūtra. They probably formed no part of the sūtra at the time when the Mitākṣarā was composed. At all events it cannot be gainsaid that the verses are a very late part of the sūtra.