History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s18.8

v1.c6.s18.8

(VIII. 139, 279, IX. 239, etc). That the introductory words in the Nârada-smṛti are not spurious or a later addition follows from the remark of Medhātithi that, according to the Nāradasmṛti, Prajāpati composed a work in 100000 ślokas which was abridged by Manu and others.²⁶⁹ No one should take very seriously these varying accounts even in the Mahābhārata and in the Nāradasmṛti, as they are intended to glorify some particular text or texts. According to the Bhaviṣya-purāṇa as quoted in Hemādri, the Saṁskāra-mayūkha and other works, there were four versions of the Svāyambhuva śāstra composed by Bhṛgu, Nārada, Bṛhaspati and Aṅgiras.²⁷⁰ So early a writer as Viśvarūpa cites verses from Manusmṛti as those of Svayaṁbhū (vide com. on Yāj. II. 73, 74, 83, 85, where Manu 8. 68, 70-71, 380 and 105-6 are respectively quoted as Svayambhū's), while quotations from Bhṛgu cited by Viśvarūpa (on Yāj. I. 187 and 252) are not found in the Manusmṛti. In the same way most of the verses quoted from Bhṛgu by Aparārka are not found in the Manusmṛti. One verse which Aparārka quotes from Bhṛgu (on Yāj. II. 96) speaks of the view contained therein as that of Manu.²⁷¹