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History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c84: Preface to Volume V

History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c84

Language
English

Preface to Volume V

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The fourth volume of the *History of Dharmaśāstra* was published in October 1953, i. e. more than eight years ago. This last volume was in the Press for more than five years. The delay is due to several causes This volume in two parts contains over 1700 pages. It is thus far more bulky than any of the previous volumes. Nonavailability of sufficient quantity of good printing paper was another cause. The third cause was my age (I am now 82 years old) and frequent bad health. It is gratifying to my friends and myself that at last this undertaking spread over thirty-seven years is completed.

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This volume is divided into ten sections. The first section deals with Vratas and Utsavas (religious vows and festivals); the second with Kāla (time), Muhūrta (auspicious times), and calendar; the third with Śāntis (propitiatory rites for averting the wrath of a deity, a calamity or unlucky event); the fourth and fifth with Purāṇas and Dharmaśāstra and the causes of the disappearance of Buddhism from India; the sixth with Tāntrik doctrines and Dharmaśāstra; the seventh with Mīmāṁsā and Dharmaśāstra; the eighth with Sāṅkhya, Yoga, Tarka and Dharmaśāstra; the ninth with cosmology, Karma and Punarjanma; the tenth with the fundamental conceptions and characteristics of Hindu (Bhāratīya) culture and civilization, and future trends.

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In the Preface to the 2nd volume I have indicated the reasons for numerous and lengthy Sanskrit quotations. In the Preface to the 4th volume I have mentioned the aim I had in view in bringing together the facts in each branch of Dharmaśāstra with detachment and integrity and without bias. The same aim and mental attitude have been kept in view in this volume also. But it may be argued that when an author selects some of the numerous facts he passes a judgement about the importance of facts and his judgement may be biased all the same. I do not dispute this argument, but will only argue that, facts being numerous and there being limitations imposed by the space available, the author has a right to pronounce a judgement as to the importance of the facts he selects.

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As regards volumes two, three and four, I could rely on a tower of strength in the person of Paramahaṁsa Svāmī Kevalānanda Sarasvatī of Wai. But, unfortunately the Svāmī passed away in March 1955 before I began to write this last volume, and I could not get the benefit of his wise counsel in this fifth volume.

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In this last volume I received help from many people, either personally or by correspondence. I have to thank Mr. M. B. Arte, Dr. R. N. Dandekar, and Prof. H. D. Velankar for help in translating important passages from several French and German works. Prof. Gode, Curator of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona, was always ready to render help as to manuscripts and books. He had been a close friend for nearly forty years and his sudden death has meant for me the loss of a learned, sympathetic, and ever-obliging friend. Dr. A. D. Pusalker very carefully read the chapters on Purāṇas and indicated several misprints and some inaccurate statements. Dr. Raghavan very kindly brought to my notice the calendars in use in Southern India and certain works on Vratas; Pandit Śrījīva Nyāyatīrtha sent me in Sanskrit the Naiyāyika view on Kāla; Miss Kunda Sathe (now Mrs. Savkar)

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kindly sent me from Paris information from French scholars on Babylonian, Assyrian and Greek astronomy. I am highly obliged to Dr. B. S. Joshi for sending me microfilms of certain papers (not available in India) from Cambridge and Chicago. Prof Durgamohan Bhattacharya kindly sent me a copy of the *Kāla-siddhānta-darśinī*. I am under deep obligations to Svāmī Kuvalayānanda of Lonavla for reading my chapter on Yoga and suggesting valuable changes and amendments. Prof. Zala gave me details about the Vratas observed in Saurāstra. Prof. G. H. Bhatt (Baroda) and Mr. S. L. Katre (Curator, Scindia Institute, Ujjain) very kindly showed me the manuscript-wealth of their Institutes and helped me with the contents of several relevant mss. on Vratas and Kāla. Shri Padeśāstrī of Baroda discussed with me, personally and by correspondence, several points about Ancient Hindu Astronomy. MM. Dr. Umesh Mishra brought to my notice his edition of the *Vijñānadīpikā* of Padmapāda and Dr. H. G. Narahari wrote to me about the *Prārabdha-dhvānta-vidhvaṁsana* of Acyutarāya and sent me off-prints of his papers thereon. Mr. Shankarrao Joshi of the Bhārata Itihāsa Saṁśodhaka Maṇḍala of Poona helped me by bringing to my notice hand-written calendars more than two hundred years old. To all these I offer my best thanks. I am highly obliged to Mr. S. N. Savadi b. a. (hons.) of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute for help in the correction of the proofs of this volume. I have to thank Mr. P. M. Purandare, Advocate (O. S.), Bombay High Court, Tarkatīrtha Raghunāthaśāstrī Kokje of Lonavla, and Dr. Bhabatosh Bhattacharya for reading the printed sheets and making suggestions and pointing out misprints. Mr. N. G. Chapekar, in spite of his being now over 91 years of age, read some chapters when they were only typewritten, and discussed them personally with me for some hours. To him I owe a deep debt of gratitude for having taken so much trouble at such a very advanced age. I am highly obliged to Dr. A. Ghosh, Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India, and to the Librarian Mr. L. G. Parab and the staff of the Archaeological Library for rendering all help to me while I had been collecting material for this volume

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I cannot find words adequate enough to express my sense of deep gratitude to Dr. Radhakrishnan, now President of India, who has favoured me with many kindnesses during the last fourteen years. As for this volume of the *History of Dharmaśāstra*, in the midst of numerous engagements and heavy work, he found time to look into its last two chapters, made vital suggestions for their improvement, and finally contributed a learned Foreword.

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I am aware that, in spite of so much help rendered by so many friends and well-wishers, this large volume might contain many mistakes, for which I alone am responsible. In the process of printing, some diacritical marks have either been elided or placed in wrong places, for which I seek the indulgence of all scholars and readers.

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Lastly, I thank the Manager of the Aryabhushan Press of Poona for carrying out with energy and zeal the work of printing this very large volume bristling with thousands of quotations, in the face of great difficulties caused by shortage of paper, the Poona floods, and other unforeseen happenings

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Bombay, July 1962

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P. V. KANE.

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of some important works and authors. referred to in vol. V.

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*N. B.* Some dates, particularly of ancient works, are more or less conjectural.

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4000 B. C.–1000 B. C.—The period of the Vedic Saṁhitās, Brāhmaṇas and Upaniṣads ; some hymns of the Ṛgveda, of the Atharvaveda and verses in the Taittirīya Saṁhitā and Brāhmaṇas may possibly go back to a period earlier than 4000 B. C. and some of the Upaniṣads (even from among those that are regarded by most scholars as the earliest ones) may be later than 1000 B. C.. Some scholars have criticized me for assigning the Vedic Saṁhitās to such an early date as 4000 B. C. Bloomfield, in 'Religion of the Veda' (New York, 1908) was willing (on p. 20) to regard 2000 B. C. for the beginnings of Vedic literary productions and to assign a much earlier date for institutions and religious concepts which the Veda derived and he denies that there is any better proof for any later date such as 1500, 1200 or 1000 B. C. rather than for one of the earlier viz. 2000 B. C. Winternitz (in 'Some problems of Indian Literature' which are his Calcutta Readership Lectures, p. 20) remarks 'it is more probable that this unknown time of the Vedic Literature was nearer 2500 B. C. or 2000 B. C. than to 1500 or 1200 B. C.' Both Bloomfield and Winternitz frankly confess that they know nothing at all about the date of the early Vedic Literature. Some Western scholars are rather too cocksure or dogmatic than the facts warrant.

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They mostly rely on comparisons with other extant Indo-Aryan literatures and conjectures, which is *not* proof.

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800 B. C.–500 B. C.—The Nırukta of Yāska.

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800 B. C.–400 B. C.—The principal Śrauta sūtras (such as those of Āśvalāyana, Āpastamba, Baudhāyana, Kātyāyana and Satyāṣāḍha) and some of the Gṛhyasūtras (such as those of Āśvalāyana and Āpastamba) and Vedāṅga Jyotısa.

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500 B. C.–300 B. C.—The Dharmasūtras of Gautama, Āpastamba, Baudhāyana and Vasiṣṭha and the Gṛhyasūtras of Pāraskara and a few others.

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500 B. C.–300 B. C.—Pāṇini.

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500 B. C.–200 B. C.—The Bhagavad-gītā.

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400 B. C.–200 B. C.—The Pūrvmīmāṁsā-sūtra of Jaimini.

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300 B. C.–200 B C.—The Vārtikas of Vararuci Kātyāyana on Pāṇini's Grammar.

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300 B. C.–100 A. D.—The Arthaśāstra of Kautilya (rather nearer the former date than the latter).

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200 B. C.–100 A. D.—The Manusmṛti.

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150 B. C.–100 A. D.—The Mahābhāṣya of Patañjali (rather nearer the former date than the latter).

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100 B. C.–100 A. D.—Upavarṣa, author of a commentary on Pūrvamīmāṁsā and Vedāntasūtra.

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100 B. C.–300 A. D—Patañjali, author of Yogasūtra.

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100 A. D.–300 A D.—Yājñavalkya-smṛti and the Viṣṇu dharmasūtra.

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100 A. D.–400 A. D.—Nāradasmṛti.

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200 A. D.–400 A. D.—Śabara, author of bhāṣya on P. M. S. (nearer the former date than the latter).

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250 A. D.–325 A. D.—Sāṅkhyakārikā of Īśvarakṛṣṇa.

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300 A. D.–500 A D.—Bṛhaspatismṛti on Vyavahāra and other topics (not yet found); extracts on Vyavahāra are translated in S. B. E. Vol. 33 and extracts from Bṛhaspatismṛti on many topics were collected by Prof. Rangaswami Aiyangar and published in a volume in G. O. S.

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300 A. D.–600 A. D.—some of the extant Purāṇas such as Vāyu, Brahmāṇḍa, Viṣṇu, Matsya, Mārkaṇḍeya.

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400 A. D.–500 A. D.—Māṭharavṛtti on Sāṅkhyakārikā.

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400 A. D.–500 A. D.—The Yogasūtrabhāṣya of Vyāsa.

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476 A. D.—Āryabhaṭa, author of Āryabhaṭīyam, was born.

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500 A. D.–575 A. D.—Varāhamihira, author of Bṛhatsaṁhitā, Bṛhajjātaka, Pañcasiddhāntikā and other works.

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550 A. D.–700 A. D.—Yuktidīpikā, com. on Sāṅkhyakārikā.

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600 A. D.–650 A. D.—Bāṇa, author of the Kādambarī and Harṣacarita.

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650 A. D.–660 A. D.—Kāśikā of Vāmana and Jayāditya, com. on Pāṇini's grammar (was composed)

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650 A. D.–700 A. D.—Kumārilabhaṭṭa, author of Ślokavārtika, Tantravārtika, Ṭupṭīkā.

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600 A. D.–900 A. D.—Most of the metrical smṛtis such as those of Parāśara, Śaṅkha and Devala and some of the Purāṇas like Viṣṇudharmottara, Agni, Garuḍa.

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680 A. D.–725 A. D.—Maṇḍana (vide p. 1198 of vol. V).

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700 A. D.–750 A. D.—Gauḍapāda, author of a commentary on Sāṅkhyakārikā and *paramaguru* (guru's guru) of Śaṅkarācārya.

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⁷⁰⁰ A. D.–750 A. D—Umbeka; vide vol. V p. 1198

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⁷¹⁰ A. D.–770 A. D.—Śālikanātha (vide vol. V p. 1198)

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788 A. D.–820 A. D.—Śaṅkarācārya, author of Bhāṣyas on the Gītā, principal Upaniṣads and V. S.

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780 A. D.–870 A. D.—Utpala, the encyclopedic commentator on Varāhamihira's works.

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790 A. D.–850 A. D—Viśvarūpa, the commentator of Yājñavalkyasmṛti, author of Vārtika on the Bhāṣyas of Śaṅkarācārya on Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣad and the Taittirīyopaniṣad and of the Naiṣkarmyasiddhi ; the same as Sureśvara (after he became a Sannyāsin).

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820 A. D.–900 A. D.—Vācaspati, author of bhāṣya on Yogasūtra, author of Nyāyakaṇikā, Tattvasamīkṣā, Bhāmatī (in all 7 works).

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825 A. D –900 A D.—Medhātithi, author of bhāṣya on the Manusmṛti.

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900 A D.–1100 A D.—Pārthasārathimiśra, author of Śāstradīpikā, Tantraratna, Nyāyaratnākara.

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1005 A. D.–1055 A. D.—Dhāreśvara Bhoja, author of numerous works such as the Rājamārtaṇḍa (on astrology), Yuktikalpataru, Rājamārtaṇḍa (a commentary on Yogasūtra).

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1050 A. D.–1150 A. D.—Bhavanātha or Bhavadeva, author of Nayaviveka.

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1080 A. D –1100 A D —Vijñāneśvara, author of Mitākṣarā, commentary on Yāj.

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1100 A. D.–1130 A. D.—Lakṣmīdhara, author of a very extensive digest on Dharmaśāstra called Kalpataru or Kṛtyakalpataru.

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1100 A. D.–1130 A. D —Aparārka, a Śilāhāra king, author of an extensive commentary on Yāj

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1100 A. D.–1150 A. D.—Jīmūtavāhana, author of Dāyabhāga, Kālaviveka and Vyavahāramātṛkā.

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1127 A. D –1138 A D.—Mānasollāsa or Abhilaṣitārthacintāmaṇi of Someśvaradeva.

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1114 A. D.–1183 A. D.—Bhāskarācārya, author of Siddhāntaśiromaṇi (born in 1114 A. D.).

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1150 A. D. – 1160 A. D.—Rājataraṅgiṇī of Kalhaṇa (composed between these dates).

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1150 A. D.–1180 A. D.—Aniruddhabhaṭṭa, author of Hāralatā and Pitṛdayitā and *guru* of Ballālasena, king of Bengal.

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1158 A. D.–1183 A. D.—Ballālasena (king of Bengal who composed five works of which two are available and printed viz. Adbhutasāgara (begun in 1168 A. D.) and the Dānasāgara composed in 1169 A. D.

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1150 A. D.–1300 A. D.—Haradatta, commentator of Dharmasūtras of Gautama and Āpastamba and of some Gṛhyasūtras.

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1150 A. D.–1300 A. D.—Kullūka, commentator of Manusmṛti.

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1200 A. D.–1225 A. D.—Smṛticandrikā of Devaṇṇabhaṭṭa.

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1260 A. D.–1270 A. D.—Caturvargacintāmaṇi of Hemādri (composed between these dates).

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1275 A. D.–1310 A. D.—Śrīdatta, author of Pitṛbhakti, Samayapradīpa and other works.

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1300 A. D.–1370 A. D.—Caṇḍeśvara, author of Gṛhastharatnākara, Kṛtyaratnākara, Vyavahāraratnākara and other works.

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1300 A. D.–1386 A. D.—Mādhavācārya, author of Jaiminīyanyāyamālāvistāra, Parāśaramādhavīya and other works.

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1300 A. D.–1386 A. D.—Sāyaṇa, author of bhāṣyas of Vedic Saṁhitās and Brāhmaṇas.

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1360 A. D.–1390 A. D.—Madanapārijāta and Mahārṇavaprakāśa compiled under king Madanapāla and his son.

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1360 A. D.–1448 A. D.—These are the dates of the birth and death of Vidyāpati, author of Gaṅgāvākyāvalī and other works, patronized by several kings of Mithilā.

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1375 A. D.–1450 A. D.—Śūlapāṇi, author of Dīpakalikā, Tithiviveka, Ekādaśīviveka and several works on topics of Dharmaśāstra called Vivekas.

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1425 A. D.–1450 A. D.—King Madanasiṃha, completed a large digest called Madanaratna.

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1375 A D.–1500 A. D—Digest composed by Pṛthvīcandra, son of Nāgamalla, called Dharmatattvasudhānidhi.

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1400 A. D.–1450 A. D.—Nyāyasudhā of Someśvara, a commentary on Tantravārtika.

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1425 A. D.–1460 A D.—Rudradhara, author of Varṣakṛtya, Śuddhıvıveka and other works.

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1425 A. D.–1490 A. D.—Vācaspati, author of Kṛtyacintāmaṇi and numerous works called Cintāmaṇi and some works called Nirṇaya (e. g Tithinirṇaya).

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1440 A. D.–1500 A. D—Vardhamāna, author of Daṇḍaviveka, Gaṅgākṛtyaviveka and other works.

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1513 A. D.–1580 A. D.—Nārāyaṇabhaṭṭa, author of Tristhalīsetu, Prayogaratna etc.

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1520 A. D.–1575 A. D.—Raghunandana, author of many works called Tattvas, such as Tithitattva, Ekādaśītattva etc

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1554 A. D.–1626 A. D.—Appayyādīkṣita, author of Vidhirasāyana and numerous works on different śāstras and topics (vide p. 1199 above).

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1560 A. D.–1620 A. D.—Śaṅkarabhaṭṭa, son of Nārāyaṇabhaṭṭa and author of Dvaitanirṇaya, Mīmāṁsābālaprakāśa and other works.

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1590 A. D—1630 A D.—Nandapaṇḍita, author of Dvaitanirṇaya, Vaijayantī (commentary on Viṣṇudharmasūtra).

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1600 A. D.–1665 A. D.—Khaṇḍadeva, author of Bhāṭṭakaustubha and Bhāṭṭadīpikā.

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1610 A. D.–1640 A. D.—Time of literary activity of Kamalākarabhaṭṭa, author of Nirṇayasindhu, Śūdrakamalākara and many other works.

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1610 A. D.–1640 A. D.—Mitramiśra, author of a huge digest called Vīramitrodaya on tīrtha, pūjā, samaya and many other topics of Dharmaśāstra.

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1615 A. D.–1645 A. D.—Time of literary activity of Nīlakaṇṭha, son of Śaṅkarabhaṭṭa, and author of a digest on topics of Ācāra, Saṁskāra, Vyavahāra etc.

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1620 A. D.–1690 A. D.—Viśveśvara, alias Gāgābhaṭṭa, author of Bhāṭṭacintāmaṇi and other works.

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1645 A. D.–1675 A. D.—Probable period of the literary activity of Anantadeva, author of a large digest called Smṛtikaustubha.

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1700 A. D.–1740 A. D.—Smṛtimuktāphala of Vaidyanātha.

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1670 A. D.–1750 A. D.—Nāgeśa or Nāgojībhaṭṭa, an encyclopædic writer on Grammar, Poetics, Dharmaśāstra, Yoga and other Śāstras (about 47 works).

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1790 A. D.—date of the composition of the Dharmasindhu by Kāśīnātha Upādhyāya.

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1730 A. D.–1820 A. D.—Bālambhaṭṭa, author of a commentary called Bālambhaṭṭī on the Mitākṣarā.

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