Pramāṇa · Search · About · API

History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s22: 35. The Parāśara Smṛti

History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s22

Language
English

35. The Parāśara Smṛti

v1.c6.s22.1

This work has been published several times, but the edition of Jivananda (part II. pp. 1-52) and that in the Bombay Sanskrit Series with the voluminous gloss of the great Mādhava are the best known. In the following pages Jivananda's edition has been used.

v1.c6.s22.2

The smṛti of Parāśara must have been an ancient one as Yāj. (I. 4) mentions him among the ancient writers on dharma. But it is doubtful whether we possess the ancient smṛti of Parāśara. The extant smṛti is probably a recast of it as it mentions Yāj. in the first chap. (p. 2). The Garuḍapurāṇa in chap. 107 gives a summary in 39 verses of the Parāśara-smṛti. In doing so it takes parts of the latter and pieces them together. For example, verses 2-4 in the Garuḍapurāṇa (chap. 107) are ‘śrutiḥ smṛtiḥ sadācāro yaḥ kaścid vedakartṛkaḥ । vedāḥ smṛtāḥ brahmaṇādau dharmā Manvādibhiḥ sadā ॥ dānaṁ kaliyuge dharmaḥ kartāraṁ ca kalau tyajet । pāpakṛtyaṁ tu tatraiva śāpaṁ phalati varṣataḥ ॥ ācārāt prāpnuyāt sarvaṁ ṣaṭ karmāṇi dine dine । sandhyā snānaṁ japo homo devātithyādipūjanam ॥’. These are taken *verbatim* or with slight changes from the Pārāśara-smṛti; compare na kaścid vedakartā ca vedasmartā caturmukhaḥ । śrutiḥ smṛtiḥ sadācārā nirṇetavyāś ca sarvadā । tathaiva dharmaṁ smarati Manuḥ kalpāntarāntare । tapaḥ paraṁ . . . dānamekaṁ kalau yuge ॥ . . . tyajet-deśaṁ kṛtayuge . . . kartāraṁ ca kalau yuge । . . . kṛte tū tatkṣaṇāt śāpaḥ . . . kalau saṁvatsareṇa tu ॥ chap. I. verses 20-21, 23, 25, 27 and vide 39 for verse 4 of the Garuḍa-purāṇa. This establishes that the Garuḍa regarded the Parāśara-smṛti authoritative and ancient. There is another problem to be considered. Kauṭilya mentions six times the views of Pārāśara or the Pārāśaras on various aspects of politics and state administration. Therefore it appears that there was a work of Pārāśara on politics, in which it is possible that vyavahāra also was dealt with.

v1.c6.s22.3

The extant Pārāśarasmṛti is divided into twelve chapters and contains according to the last verse but one 592 verses. It deals only with ācāra and prāyaścitta. Mādhava introduced his disquisition on vyavahāra, which forms about a fourth of his extensive gloss, in an indirect way by regarding vyavahāra as a part of the duties of Kṣatriyas on which the Parāśarasmṛti has something to say.³⁴¹

v1.c6.s22.4

³⁴¹ क्षत्रियो हि प्रजा रक्षन् शस्त्रपाणिः प्रचण्डवत् । विजित्य परसैन्यानि क्षितिं धर्मेण पालयेत् ॥ पराशर chap. I. p. 6. (B. S. Series); ‘अत एवाचारकाण्डे व्यवहाराणामन्तर्भावमभिप्रेत्य पराशरः पृथग्व्यवहारकाण्डमकृत्वा क्षितिं धर्मेण पालयेदिति सूचनमात्रं व्यवहाराणां कृतवान् । परा. मा. p. 8.

v1.c6.s22.5

The name Parāśara is an ancient one. In the Tai. Āraṇyaka (I. 1. 3. 37) we have a Vyāsa Pārāśarya. In the Vaṁśa that occurs in the Bṛhadāraṇyaka we have a Pārāśarya. The Nirukta gives an etymology of Pārāśara.³⁴² Pāṇini attributes a bhikṣusūtra to Pārāśarya.³⁴³

v1.c6.s22.6

³⁴² पराशीर्णस्य वसिष्ठस्य जज्ञे । निरुक्त VI. 30.

v1.c6.s22.7

³⁴³ पाराशर्यशिलालिभ्यां भिक्षुनटसूत्रयोः । पा. IV. 3. 110.

v1.c6.s22.8

The introductory verses of the smṛti say that sages went to Vyāsa and requested him to instruct them in the dharmas and conduct beneficial to mankind in the Kali age and that the great Vyāsa took them to his father Pārāśara, son of Śakti, in the Badarikāśrama, who then propounded the dharmas of the four *varṇas*. The first chapter recites the smṛtis then known (19 in all) and lays down that in the four ages of Kṛta, Tretā, Dvāpara, and Kali, the dharmas proclaimed by Manu, Gautama, Śaṅkha-Likhita and Parāśara were respectively to be the guiding ones. The following are briefly the contents of the Pārāśara smṛti:—

v1.c6.s22.9

I. Introductory verses; Pārāśara imparts to the sages knowledge of dharma; the dharmas of the four *yugas*; differentiation of the four *yugas* from various points of view; six daily duties, viz. sandhyā, bath, *japa*, *homa*, Vedic study, worship of gods, Vaiśvadeva and honouring guests, eulogy of honouring guests, the proper means of livelihood for Kṣatriya, Vaiśya and Śūdra; II. duties of householder; agriculture; the five unconscious acts of injury to animal life; III. purification from impurity due to birth and death; IV. concerning suicide; punishment for wife deserting her husband though poor, foolish or diseased; definition and rules about Kuṇḍa, Golaka, Parivitti, and Parivitta; remarriage of women; rewards for chaste widows; V. expiation for minor things (such as dog-bite); about a Brāhmaṇa who has consecrated fires dying on a journey or committing suicide; VI. Expiation for killing various beasts and birds, for killing Śūdras, artisans, women, Vaiśyas, Kṣatriyas, sinful Brāhmaṇas; eulogy of Brāhmaṇas; VII. purifications of various articles (such as vessels of wood, metal &c); about a woman in her menses; VIII. Expiations for killing cows and oxen unwittingly in various ways; approaching a pariṣad for expiation, constitution of a pariṣad; praise of learned Brāhmaṇas; IX. proper thickness of sticks for beating cows and bulls; expiations for using thicker sticks and injuries to them; X. other expiations such as cāndrāyaṇa for intercourse with women with whom intercourse is forbidden; the expiation called Sāntapana; XI. expiation for partaking food from Caṇḍālas &c.; rules as to whose food may be taken and whose not; purification of wells &c. when animals fall in them; XII. bath prescribed after evil dreams, vomitting, shaving &c.; expiations for drinking wine and nasty things through ignorance; five kinds of bath; when bath at night allowed; what things should always be kept in the house or seen; definition of the unit of ground called gocarma; expiations for the deadly sins of Brahmahatyā, drinking liquor, theft of gold &c.

v1.c6.s22.10

Parāśara contains several peculiar views. He speaks of only four sons (aurasa, kṣetraja, datta and kṛtrima) though he does not expressly negative a larger number (chap. 4 p. 14). He eulogises the practice of *Satī* (last two verses of chap. 4). The well-known verse of Nārada (Strīpuṁsa-yoga 97) “naṣṭe mṛte &c.” is read at the end as “patir-anyo na vidyate” (p. 15). There are a few verses in the Indravajrā metre (e. g. on pp. 11-12 and 36). The Parāśarasmṛti quotes the views of several writers on dharma. Manu is frequently cited in the words “Manur-abravīd.” In the 7th chapter alone those words occur four times.³⁴⁴ None of them corresponds exactly with any verse of the Manusmṛti. Yet Manu V. 133 may be compared with the first two. Besides these, in the 9th chapter Manu’s view is quoted that on killing an animal the guilty party should restore a similar one to the owner or its price.³⁴⁵ In the 10th he says that according to Manu uncooked food, milk or oil brought from a śūdra’s house and used in cooking in a Brāhmin’s house could be eaten by a Brāhmaṇa. This is similar to Manu IV. 223.³⁴⁶ In the 12th chapter Parāśara cites the view of Manu that a Brāhmaṇa fed on food (cooked) from śūdras would become a vulture for twelve births, a pig for ten and a dog for seven.

v1.c6.s22.11

³⁴⁴ मार्जारमक्षिकामीटमृदङ्कमार्जारददुरैः । मेध्यामेध्यं स्पृशन्त्येव नोच्छिष्टान्मनुरब्रवीत् ॥ There are two more ending with नोच्छिष्टं ... ब्रवीत्. प्रभासादीनि तीर्थानि गङ्गायाः सरितस्तथा । विप्रस्य दक्षिणे कर्णे सांनिध्यं मनुरब्रवीत् ॥ पराशर chap. 7; compare बौ. ध. सू. I. 4. 2. for the last.

v1.c6.s22.12

³⁴⁵ प्रमापणे प्राणभृतां दद्यात्तत्प्रतिरूपकम् । तस्यानुरूपं मूल्यं वा दद्यादित्यब्रवीन्मनुः ॥ पराशर 9th chap.

v1.c6.s22.13

³⁴⁶ शुष्कान्नं गोरसं स्नेहं शूद्रवेश्मन आगतम् । पक्वं विप्रगृहे पूतं भोज्यं तन्मनुरब्रवीत् ॥ पराशर 10th chap.; नाद्याच्छूद्रस्य पक्वान्नं विद्वानश्राद्धिनो द्विजः । आददीताममेवास्मादवृत्तावेकरात्रिकम् ॥ मनु. IV. 223.

v1.c6.s22.14

There is nothing corresponding to this in Manu. In the 9th Manu is spoken of as one who knows all śāstras.³⁴⁷ The first verse of the 6th chapter says that Manu deals at length with expiation for killing animals.³⁴⁸ This is probably a reference to Manu XI. 131-141. Numerous verses in the Parāśara-smṛti are word for word the same as those of the Manusmṛti. For example, Manu I. 85-86 occur in the first chapter of Parāśara, Manu V. 160 (about a widow remaining chaste) occurs with slight variations in the 4th; Manu XII. 114-115 (about *pariṣad*) occur in the 8th chap. (p. 29); Manu XI. 212 (about the definition of Sāntapana) is the same as Parāśara (10th chap. p. 40). Several verses are common to Baudhāyana and Parāśara, e. g. Baud. Dh. S. I. 1. 8, 11, 14 occur in the eighth chapter of Parāśara (pp. 29, 30). The verse "na nārikelair na ca śaṇabālair" occurring in Parāśara (9th chap. p. 35) is quoted as Vasiṣṭha's by Haradatta on Gautama (22. 18). Parāśara is mentioned by name several times (chap. III. 2, p. 8, chap. VI. 1. p. 18 and p. 23, chap. VII. 1. p. 24, chap. X. 12. p. 38). Uśanas is cited on p. 49 (chap. 12), Prajāpati (in IV. 3. p. 13), Śaṅkha (chap. 4 p. 15). Veda, Vedāṅgas, dharmaśāstras and smṛtis are spoken of on p. 23 (6th chap.). In the 11th chap. Parāśara refers to several Vedic *mantras*, most of which occur in the Ṛgveda, but two of them, "tejosi śukram" and "devasya tvā" are not found in the Ṛgveda, but in the Vāj. S. (22. 1 and 1. 24 respectively). Parāśara appears to have been a practical man. He exhorts his readers to save their bodies first in invasions, journeys, diseases, calamities and then care for dharma. He recommends the non-observance of rules of purity in times of difficulty and adherence to the strict rules of dharma when one is at ease.³⁴⁹

v1.c6.s22.15

³⁴⁷ मनुना चैवमर्केण सर्वशास्त्राणि जानता। पराशर 9th.

v1.c6.s22.16

³⁴⁸ अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि प्राणिहत्यासु निष्कृतिम् । पराशरेण पूर्वोक्तां मन्वर्थेपि च विस्तृताम् ॥

v1.c6.s22.17

³⁴⁹ देशभङ्गे प्रवासे वा व्याधिषु व्यसनेष्वपि । रक्षेदेव स्वदेहादि पश्चाद्धर्मं समाचरेत् ॥; आपत्काले तु संप्राप्ते शौचाचारं न चिन्तयेत् । स्वयं समुद्धरेत् पश्चात् स्वस्थो धर्मं समाचरेत् ॥ 7th chap., last three verses.

v1.c6.s22.18

The Mit., Aparārka, Smṛticandrikā, Hemādri and other later works quote Parāśara very frequently. Most of these are found in the extant Parāśarasmṛti. For example, vide pp. 1169, 1177, 1180, 1191 &c. of Aparārka, all of which are traced in Parāśara pp. 42, 43, 42 and 16 respectively. Viśvarūpa quotes Parāśara several times and these quotations can be verified ; e. g. on Yāj. III. 16 the verse "anātham" ascribed to Parāśara is found in Parāśara chap. III p. 10; on Yāj. III. 257 ten verses are cited by Viśvarūpa from Parāśara which occur in Parāśara with considerable variations (chap. VII. pp. 20-21); on Yāj. III. 262 the verse "gavām bandhana" is cited from Parāśara, which is the first verse of the 8th chapter. Therefore it is quite clear that in the first half of the 9th century the Parāśarasmṛti that we have now was considered to be authoritative and the work of an ancient sage. It seems to have known a work of Manu, as seen above. Therefore it must be assignad to some period between the first and the 5th century of our era. In the same direction points the fact that the Garuḍapurāṇa (chap. 107) seems to have known the introductory verses of Parāśara and as shown above (p. 191) combines passages of Parāśara in a summary of its teachings.³⁵⁰ The Viṣṇu-dharmottara which is frequently quoted by Aparārka and other later works cites verses that are borrowed from Parāśara. For example, chap. 75. 1 of the former is the same as a verse of Parāśara.³⁵¹

v1.c6.s22.19

³⁵⁰ पराशरोऽब्रवीद् व्यासं धर्मं वर्णाश्रमादिकम् । कल्पे कल्पे क्षयोत्पत्त्या क्षीयन्ते तु प्रजादयः ॥ गरुडपुराण 107. 1. (Venkateśvar Press ed.).

v1.c6.s22.20

³⁵¹ अनाथं ब्राह्मणं प्रेतं ये वहन्ति द्विजातयः । पदे पदे यज्ञफलमानुपूर्वालभन्ति ते ॥ पराशर chap. 3. p. 12.

v1.c6.s22.21

There is an extensive work called Bṛhat-Parāśara-saṁhitā (published by Jivananda, part II. pp. 53-309). It is divided into 12 chapters and the last verse says that it contains 3300 verses and that Suvrata proclaimed the śāstra imparted by Parāśara. The introductory verses contain the same story as that in the Parāśara-smṛti and many of the verses in the first chapter of the two works (such as those about the 19 writers on dharma &c.) are almost the same in both. The total of verses in the printed work comes to about 3000 and not 3300. It appears that the work is a recast of the Parāśarasmṛti made by Suvrata. The subjects of the twelve chapters are:—I. Introductory, the proper sphere of Āryas; summary of contents; II. Disquisition on the 6 daily *karmas*, sandhyā, bath, *japa*, worship of gods, Vaiśvadeva and honouring guests; Gāyatrī; the dharmas of the *Varṇas*; III. duties and manners of a householder; agriculture, honour to cows; IV. forms of marriage; duties of wives; Jātakarma and other rites; gifts; proper persons to receive gifts; V. concerning śrāddhas; VI. impurity on birth and death; prāyaścittas for various acts; VII. cāndrāyaṇa and other penances; VIII. gifts; IX. rites for propitiating Gaṇeśa and the planets, Rudra &c; X Rājādharma; dharmas of forest hermit and *yati*; XI. the different varieties of Brahmacārin, householder, forest hermit and yati; XII. prāṇayāma and other aṅgas of *yoga*.

v1.c6.s22.22

This Bṛhat-Parāśara contains a considerable number of verses mostly in the Indravajrā metre and a few in tha Vasantatilakā (e. g. p. 134).

v1.c6.s22.23

The Bṛhat-Parāśara appears to be a late work. It is a recast of the Parāśara-smṛti. It contains the Vināyakaśānti as elaborated by Yājñavalkya, since it speaks of only one Vināyaka (9th chap. p. 247) and not of four as in M. Gr. S. On p. 249 it quotes Yāj. I. 285 (about the names of Vināyaka) with the readings found in the Mit. It speaks of the rāśis (p. 244). It is not quoted by Viśvarūpa, the Mit. or Aparārka. It is mentioned in Bhaṭṭoji's comment on the Caturviṁśatimata (p. 138) and by Nandapaṇḍita in the Dattakamīmāṁsā, which quotes a verse (Bṛhat-Parāśara p. 153).³⁵²

v1.c6.s22.24

³⁵² अपुत्रस्य पितृव्यस्य तत्पुत्रो भ्रातृजो भवेत् । स एव तस्य कुर्वीत श्राद्धं पिण्डोदकक्रियाम् ॥ दत्तकमीमांसा p. 36.

v1.c6.s22.25

A Vṛddha-Parāśara is quoted by Aparārka (on Yāj. II. 318) immediately after Parāśara and as holding a different view. Mādhava also quotes a Vṛddha-Parāśara (Parāśara-Mādhavīya vol. I, part 1, p. 230). This seems to be a different work from the Parāśara-smṛti and the Bṛhat-Parāśara. Hemādri (Carturvarga. vol. III, part 2, p. 48) and Bhaṭṭoji in his gloss on Caturviṁśatimata (p. 138) quote a Jyotiḥ-Parāśara.

Linked texts (10)