History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s15.6

v1.c6.s15.6

The Vaikhānasa-dharmapraśna appears by its style and its contents to be a work of comparatively later date than the dharmasūtras of Gautama and Baudhāyana. It is probably a recast of older materials. It contains the names of more mixed castes than the dharmasūtras and than even some of the later smṛtis. The present work seems to have been either written or retouched by a devotee of Viṣṇu. Faith in and devotion to Viṣṇu or Nārāyaṇa loom very large here (I. 5. 5 nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇaḥ, I. 7. 6 and 9; II. 4-5 bhaktyā Viṣṇuṁ dhyāyan, III. 7. 3 Nārāyaṇaparaṁ brahmeti śrutaḥ, III. 9. 3 Viṣṇorālayapārśve ). It speaks of the eight *aṅgas* of Yoga ( I. 10. 9 ), of the Āyurveda with its eight *aṅgas* and of some treatise on evil spirits ( bhūtatantra III. 12. 7). It refers to the views of some in the word ‘eke’ ( I. 7. 4. and II. 9. 10 ). It speaks of the Śrāmaṇaka fire ( in I. 6. 2 and I. 7. 3-4 ). It does not allow *saṁnyāsa* to Kṣatriyas ( I. 1. 11 ). Vikhanas is cited as an authority ( II. 5. 9 and III. 15. 14 ).