History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s9.10

v1.c6.s9.10

In the words ‘Śrāmaṇakenāgnimādhāya’ (Vas. 9. 10), the sūtra of Vikhanas seems to be referred to. Gautama (Dh. S. 3. 26) contains the same words. Vasiṣṭha's 22nd chap. is the same as Gautama's 19th and Baudhāyana's tenth in the 3rd *praśna* and seems to have been borrowed from Gautama. Vasiṣṭha refers to the views of others in the words ‘eke’ or ‘anye’ (Vas. 1. 12, 13, 25; 4. 10; 17. 66; 20. 2). Dr. Jolly (S. B. E. vol. VII, p. xviii) thinks that Vas. 28. 10-15 and 18-22 are borrowed from the Viṣṇudharmasūtra chap. LVI and LXXXVII [or its original the Kāṭhakadharmasūtra. Dr. Jolly is not right with regard to both the places. Bühler has already pointed out his mistake as to the second passage (S. B. E. vol. XIV p. XXII). The verses in Vas. 28. 10-15 occur in several smṛtis (vide Śaṅkhasmṛti, 10th chap. in Jivananda's ed. part II. pp. 356-357 for the same verses). Besides Vas. 28. 11 occurs in Baud. Dh. S. IV. 3. 7. Hence it is hardly proper for any scholar to make the dogmatic assertion that one particular smṛti must have borrowed from any other. The rather very corrupt passage in Vasiṣṭha (16. 21-23¹⁰⁸) very closely resembles a passage of Śaṅkha, which is cited by Viśvarūpa on Yāj. I. 305 and by the Kṛtya-kalpataru (I. O. Cat. Ms. No. 852, folio 8a).