The Positive Background of Hindu Sociology c5.s4.32

c5.s4.32

One might easily challenge Keith as to whether *Artha* and *Kāma* were really ignored in the Vedic complex. He, therefore, anticipates that challenge by making his position perfectly clear. The Vedic antiquity of the economic and sexological elements in Hindu culture is established by him when he says by way of self-criticism that the "older system" (Vedic) no doubt combined these subjects as parts of *Dharma* in wider sense; the *Dharma-śāstras* deal with royal duties, capitals and countries, officials, taxes and military preparations as they do with justice, and the epic (XII, 58, 1) in a list of authorities of the science of kings (*rāja-śāstras*) includes Brihaspati, Viśālākṣa, Uśanas, Manu, son of Prachetas, and Gauraśiras who pass also for authorities on *Dharma*." Further, we are told that "the *Brihadāraṇyaka Upaniṣat* (VI, 3) incidentally shows that a wide knowledge of the arcana of love was prevalent in Brāhmaṇical circles, the holy Śvetaketu becoming a recognized authority later on the topic." "Gradually there must have sprung up," says he, "schools who studied *Artha* and *Kāma* in themselves and this is attested to us by the *Smritis* and the epics."