History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s46.1

v1.c6.s46.1

This seems to have been a very ancient commentator. Medhātithi⁵²³ in his bhāṣya on Manu 8. 3 says 'other explanations have been well brought out by Bhartṛyajña and they should be understood from his work'. Trikāṇḍa-Maṇḍana (who flourished before 1100 A. D.) in his Āpastambasūtradhvanitārtha-kārikā⁵²⁴ (I. 41) refers to the views of Bhartṛyajña that one who had committed to memory the text of the Veda had the privilege (the *adhikāra*) of consecrating the sacred fires, though he may be innocent of the meaning of the Vedic texts. From Ananta's bhāṣya it appears that Bhartṛyajña composed a bhāṣya on the Kātyāyanaśrautasūtra which had been lost (*utsanna*) in the former's day. From Gadādhara's comments on the Pāraskara gṛhyasūtra it appears that Bhartṛyajña commented on Pāraskara.⁵²⁵ The Gṛhastharatnākara of Caṇḍeśvara quotes Bhartṛyajña's explanation of the word *saṁvibhāga* occurring in Gautamadhārmasūtra (10. 39 'svāmī riktha-kraya-saṁvibhāga-parigrahādhigameṣu)'.⁵²⁶ The Nityācārapradīpa (B. I. series) after quoting Gautamadharmasūtra (11. 29 varṇāśramāḥ svadharmaniṣṭhāḥ &c. ) cites the comment of Bhartṛyajña⁵²⁷ on the word *tac-cheṣeṇa* occurring in that sūtra. Therefore it appears probable that Bhartṛyajña like Asahāya was an ancient commentator of the Gautamadharmasūtra. The Gṛhastharatnākara, after quoting from Vasiṣṭha (17. 1) and Viṣṇu the well-known verse of the Aitareyabrāhmaṇa (ṛṇam-asmin saṁ-nayati) cites the explanation of Bhartṛyajña as to the word 'jātasya' occurring therein.⁵²⁸