History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c63.t2.568.3

v4.c63.t2.568.3

Those practices alone are dharma that are observed by śiṣṭas only as obligatory on them and not other practices that are common to all beings. The Tantravārtika then refers to the Dharmasūtra¹⁶⁴² of Gaut. (I. 3) and Āp. Dh. S. (II. 6. 13. 7–8) which say that ancient (or great) men in several instances were guilty of transgressions of dharma and of committing desperate acts, that on account of their spiritual merit they did not incur sin, but if a man of later days were to follow them in the same acts he would sink into hell. It then gives twelve instances of lapses from good conduct (attributed even to *avatārs*) that were transgressions and either explains them away or says that they were due to wrath, hatred or other passions, were not intended by the authors (of those acts) themselves to be dharma and are not to be looked upon as śiṣṭācāra by modern men. The instances are: (1) Prajāpati who is said to have approached Uṣas, his daughter (Śat. Br. I. 7. 4. 1 or Ait. Br. 13. 9); (2) Indra, who is described as the paramour of Ahalyā (in the Subrahmaṇyā litany); (3) Nahuṣa, who occupied the position of Indra, made approaches to Śacī, the wife of Indra (Udyoga, chap. 13 ff) and was transformed into an *ajagara* (Boa Constrictor); (4) Vasiṣṭha, who when his 100 sons were devoured by a demon, was so struck with grief that he threw himself bound into the Vipāśā river(Nirukta IX. 26, Ādiparva chap. 177. 1–6 = cr. ed. 167. 1–6, Vanaparva 130. 8–9, Anuśāsana 3. 12–13);