History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s22.21

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*.