History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s24.3

v1.c6.s24.3

We saw above how Bṛhaspati closely follows the extant Manusmṛti, how he pointedly refers to the text of Manu (notes 282-286) and therefore might by analogy be styled a vārtikakāra of Manu. In many places Bṛhaspati explains and illustrates the laconic treatment of Manu. Manu (8. 153) speaks of four varities of interest (Cakra, Kāla, Kārita, and Kāyika), but does not explain these terms. Bṛhaspati explains them clearly.³⁷³ Manu (8. 49) enumerates five modes of recovering a debt (dharma, vyavahāra, chala, ācarita, bala) but leaves them unexplained; Bṛhaspati devotes several verses to the explanation of these terms (vide Kullūka on Manu 8. 49). Bṛhaspati gives elaborate rules regarding partnership. Bṛhaspati enumerates nine ordeals (of fire, water, poison, balance, kośa, taptamāṣa, taṇḍulas, dharmādharma, phāla); while Manu barely alludes to two. Manu devotes only three verses to saṁvidvyatikrama (8. 219-221), but Bṛhaspati must have devoted at least a score of verses to this topic, as Aparārka alone quotes 17 verses of Bṛhaspati on this title.