History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s29: 42. Caturviṁśatimata
History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s29
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42. Caturviṁśatimata
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There are two Mss. of this work in the Deccan College Collection (No 244 of A. 1881-1882 and 111 of 1895-1902). It contains 525 verses. The work is so called because it embodies the essence of the teachings of 24 sages, Manu, Yājñavalkya, Atri, Viṣṇu, Vasiṣṭha, Vyāsa, Uśanas, Āpastamba, Vatsa, Hārīta, Guru (Bṛhaspati), Nārada, Parāśara, Gārgya, Gautama, Yama, Baudhāyana, Dakṣa, Śaṅkha, Aṅgiras, Sātātapa, Sāṅkhya (Sāṅkhyāyana ? ), Saṁvarta. The subjects treated of are :--The usages of the varṇas and āśramas, śauca, *ācamana*, cleansing the teeth, bath, prāṇāyāma, repeating the Gāyatrī, study of the Vedas, marriage, agnihotra, five great daily yājñas, means of livelihood, forest hermits, saṁnyāsins, duties of Kṣatriyas and the other two varṇas, prāyaścittas for the deadly sins and other lesser misdeeds, means of livelihood, śrāddha, aśauca (on birth and death).
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The work often quotes the views of Uśanas, Manu, Pārāśarya, Aṅgiras, Yama, Hārīta. It quotes Manu III. 5 (asapiṇḍā ca yā etc.) and Manu 12. 95 (yā vedabāhyāḥ smṛtayaḥ). Two other verses which it contains are indicated as interpolated in several editions of Manu.⁴¹⁹ It says that the teachings of Arhat, Cārvāka and Buddhas delude people.⁴²⁰ Its position is that whatever is not found in the Veda or the Purāṇas, the Rāmāyaṇa, or Mahābhārata or in the śāstras of Manu and others is as good as non-existent.⁴²¹
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⁴¹⁹ वृद्धौ च मातापितरौ साध्वी भार्या शिशुः सुतः । अप्यकार्यशतं कृत्वा भर्तव्या मनुरब्रवीत् ॥ (after मनु. XI. 10); पुराणं मानवो धर्मः साङ्गो वेदश्चिकित्सितम् । आज्ञासिद्धानि चत्वारि न हन्तव्यानि हेतुभिः ॥ (after मनु XII. 110.). This occurs in यशस्तिलक, 4th आश्वास p. 117 and the first half of it occurs in the तन्त्रवार्तिक.
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⁴²⁰ अर्हच्चार्वाकवाक्यानि बौद्धादिपठितानि च। विप्रलम्भकवाक्यानि तानि सर्वाणि वर्जयेत् ॥ This occurs in the स्मृतिच० f. p. 5. (Gharpure) and परा. मा. vol. I, part I, p. 10.
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⁴²¹ यन्नास्ति वेदे न च यत्पुराणे रामायणे भारतसंगरे वा । मन्वादिशास्त्रेषु च यन्न वोक्तं तन्नास्ति नास्तीति न तेन कार्यम् ॥
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The Caturviṁśatimata is frequently quoted by the Mit., Aparārka and later works, but not by Viśvarūpa and Medhātithi. It was probably compiled about the time when the latter two writers flourished. Aparārka (p. 1121) quotes a prose passage from the work on the prāyaścitta for a dvijāti procreating children on a Śūdra wife. This passage could not be traced in the two mss. referred to above.
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The portions of the work on saṁskāra and śrāddha together with the commentary of Bhaṭṭoji, son of Lakṣmīdhara, have been published in the Benares Sanskrit Series (Nos. 137 and 139). The commentary is a very learned one and refers to a host of writers. This commentary is in some mss. ascribed to Rāmacandra (vide I. O. cat. No. 1554, p. 475).
Linked texts (1)
- Mānava Dharmaśāstra — Manu & Bhṛgu, Sanskrit