History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c90.14.1

v7.c90.14.1

From the above discussion it appears that, though we are not in a position to make definite statements about the contents of the Purāṇa or Purāṇas referred to in the Atharva, Śat. Br, Tai. Ār. and the Upaniṣads, by the time of Āp. and Gautama, Purāṇas approaching in contents to some extent at least some of the extant Purāṇas had come into existence. The Arthaśāstra of Kauṭilya states that ¹³³¹ 'trayī' means the three Vedas, viz. Sāmaveda, Ṛgveda, Yajurveda and that the Atharvaveda and Itihāsaveda are (also) vedas'. It follows that in Kauṭilya's time Itihāsa was a definite work like the three vedas. In another place Kauṭilya provides 'a minister proficient in Arthaśāstras and bent on the good of the king should, by means of itivṛtta (history or historical occurrences) and Purāṇas, admonish (and bring to the right path) a king led astray by other guides.' In laying down a time-table for the king's daily routine of work, ¹³³² Kauṭilya provides that in the latter part of the day the king should listen to Itihāsa and defines the latter as comprehending Purāṇa, *itivṛtta*, ākhyāyikā (narrations), udāharaṇa (heroic examples), Dharmaśāstra and Arthaśāstra (science of government and statecraft). It appears that Kauṭilya meant by 'Itihāsa' a Mahābhārata more or less very like the extant one, which describes ¹³³³ itself as the best of itihāsas, as a Dharmaśāstra, Arthaśāstra, Kāmaśāstra and as Kārṣṇaveda.