History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c93.120

v7.c93.120

The P. M. S. itself is of enormous extent and it has been overlaid with commentaries and with numerous commentaries on commentaries. Even before Śabara there was a commentator described as Vṛttikāra,¹⁹³⁵ who is mentioned in several places by Śabara (sometimes with great respect) viz. on II. 1. 32 and 33, II. 2. 26, II. 3. 16, III. 1. 6 ('atra bhagavān Vṛttikāraḥ'), VIII. 1. 1. ('vṛttikāraiḥ' in the plural), X. 4. 23. On P. M. S. I. 1. 3-5, II. 1, 33, VII. 2. 6 Śabara differs from Vṛttikāra. The earliest extant commentary on the P. M. S. is the bhāṣya of Śabara. Śabara quotes many verses concerning PMS matters and a few also on other topics. Verses quoted on PMS matters are found on II. 1. 32 (one on p. 434 and another on p. 435), II. 1. 33 (p 436, two verses),¹⁹³⁶ II. 2 1 (p. 462, two verses on adṛṣṭārtha), on IV. 3. 3 (one verse on p. 1247), IV. 4. 21 (p. 1279 a verse on piṇḍapitṛyajña), IV. 4. 24 (p. 1280 an Āryā verse on the girdle of sacrificial post), IV 4. 28 (p. 1281 about 'svaru'), V. 2 23 (p 1319, same verse on XII. 2. 30 p. 2251), VII. 1. 12 (p 1534 definition of *atideśa*), X. 4. 20 (p. 1924 one verse), XI. 1. 1 (p 2096 on *tantra* and *prasaṅga*), XII. 3. 20 (p. 2262 on bhāṣika-svara). All these verses are apparently quoted by Śabara from some work or commentary on the PMS or on Pūrvamīmāṁsā, one or two probably from some Śrautasūtra and one or two may be his own composition.