History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c24.s1.315

v2.c24.s1.315

Par. M. (I. 1. p. 154) quotes a verse of Nārada to the effect⁸⁴² 'what is learnt from reliance on books and is not learnt from a teacher does not shine in an assembly'. Vṛddha-Gautama⁸⁴³ condemns to hell those who sell the Veda, who condemn the Veda and those who write it down. Aparārka (p. 1114 on Yāj. III. 267-268) quotes verses from the Caturviṁśatimata which prescribe various prāyaścittas for selling the Vedas, the aṅgas (of the Veda), the smṛtis, itihāsa and purāṇa, the secret pañcarātra (system), gāthās, nītiśāstras &c. The prejudice against using books for learning was carried so far that among the six obstacles in the path of the acquirer of knowledge, reliance on books is mentioned as one.⁸⁴⁴ Aparārka (p. 390) quotes a long passage from the Bhaviṣyottarapurāṇa about the rewards of gifts of books of the epics and purāṇas to a brāhmaṇa or to a maṭha for the use of the public. A grant of the Valabhī king Guhasena I dated 559 A. D. refers to a collection of books on the true dharma.⁸⁴⁵ In the Kādambarī (para 88) the queen Vilāsavatī is described as surrounded by ascetic women who held books in their hands and read itihāsa.⁸⁴⁶ Vide under dāna and maṭha-pratiṣṭhā.