History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c99.1837.1

v7.c99.1837.1

about Vṛttikāra, Upavarṣa and Bodhāyana, 1186n-1187n; declared by Padmapurāṇa as unmeaning on account of its atheistic teaching, 976, date of P. M. S, acc. to Jacobi and Keith, about 200 A. D. 1157; dates (approximate) of several writers on P M S. in Sanskrit 1197-1200, descriptions of creation and dissolution of the world are not to be literally understood, the universe as a whole has no beginning and no end, descriptions are meant to illustrate power of *daiva* and human effort and to urge men to perform their duties enjoined by Veda 1209-10; dharma is the proper subject of P M. S acc. to Śāstradīpikā and not 'Vedārtha' 1180, Dharmasūtras like those of Gautama and Āp. disclose familiarity with technical terms and principles of P. 1154-55, doctrines of early and principal writers on P are rather startling, they have hardly any place for God or the deities, and their theory about Yajña smacks of a businesslike system 1217, P. M S does not state how much of the Veda has to be studied before one enters upon the understanding of the meaning 1180, earliest extant com is that of Śabara 1187, emphasizes the distinction between an author of a book and its expositor or transmitter 1203n, employs the word Smṛti in the sense of Dharmaśāstra, 1257, examination of views of Bādarāyaṇa cited five times and conclusions therefrom, 1170;