History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c90.165

v7.c90.165

1408a अधीते सोत्तरं यश्च विष्णुधर्ममिमं शुभम् । विष्णुधर्मोत्तर I.143 16, संसारक्षयहेत्वर्थे भावोपकरणेषु च । सोत्तरा वैष्णवा धर्मा सारमेतत्प्रकीर्तितम् ॥ विष्णुधर्मोत्तर I 74 35. These verses are not clear enough for holding that the present विष्णुधर्मोत्तर is only the latter part of another work called विष्णुधर्म That verse uses the word इम which refers to the first section of the present विष्णुधर्मोत्तर and refers only to one who studies the first section and also the following sections The word इम cannot be proved to refer to विष्णुधर्मशास्त्र, which is nowhere expressly mentioned as a पुराण in the विष्णुधर्मोत्तर To take इम as referring to विष्णुधर्म, a separate work, would be equal to assuming what has to be proved. Alberuni mentions Viṣṇudharma as a short form of विष्णुधर्मोत्तर and nothing more. Similarly, in the 2nd passage it is expressly stated that in the first section the essence of Vaiṣṇava duties is given along with the following two sections The Matsya (53 16) speaks of the Viṣṇupurāṇa as one in which Parāśara proclaimed all the dharmas with reference to Vārāhakalpa, वाराहकल्पवृत्तान्तमधिकृत्य पराशर । यत्राह धर्मानखिलांस्तदुक्तं वैष्णवं विदुः ॥ मत्स्य 53 16 The word धर्मान् is used in the मत्स्य with reference to four Purāṇas, Vāyu, Viṣṇu, Nāradīya and Skanda, out of 18. The Viṣṇu is full of the characteristic qualities of Vaiṣṇavas e. g vide III 7. 20-33, III 8 9-19 &c.