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* that men speak untruth, that they are exposed to error, and that no divine precept is given.' These objections, how- ever, are entirely out of order, because nobody would ever think that Manu and Par&^ra, who have been perfect from their very birth, could have spoken untruth, and could have erred. So much for the first two objections. And who ever denied that these sages were perfect from their very birth, aa Mantras, Arthav&das, Itih&sas, and Pur4nas, prove distinctly not only the existence of Par&Sara &nd others, but also their perfection ? Nay, even if we had not the testimony of the Mantras, how could the perfection of Parasara and others be denied, which is involved in their very existence ? A dif- ference of opinion is quite impossible. And has it not been proved in the chapter on the gods ^ in the Uttara-mim&nsll, that the Mantras do not require ' If this refers to the Sankarshanakanda^ which is ascribed to Jaimini, and forms an appendix to the Karmamtmansa-s^tras (of. Prasth&nabheda), we oaght to read Piirva-mim&nsa instead of Uttara-mimanB&. CHARACTER OF THE SMRTTI. 91 any farther proof for what they say? It is true that in the chapter on the Arthav&das it has been admitted that what the Arthavlldas contain is not always to be believed. But this is only on account of some impossible things which are occasionally mentioned therein. Therefore an Arthav&da like this, * Whatever Manu says is medicine/ although it only serves to recommend another rule, must yet be considered as true in itself. With regard to j§&kya, nothing similar can be brought forward ; and thus it is well said elsewhere, * May a man scorn all the erroneous doctrines of Arhat, Cb&rvllka, and Buddha.' As regards Par^ara in particular, it ia wrong to say that his fame is not equally founded on the Veda, for it is said in the l^ruti, * Thus spoke Vyftsa, the son of Parafiara.' If, therefore, the famous Veda-Vy&sa is praised as the son of Parfl- Sara, how much more famous must not ParMara, his father, have been! In the genealogical Br&h- mana of the Y^jasanSyi-^akhd^ the son also and the grandson of Par&6ara are mentioned in the suc- cession of pupils and teachers who handed down the Veda^, * Ghritakau6ika received from P&rdAary4yana, P&rd^ry&yana from ParMarya, P&rMarya from J&- tukarnya, &c.' Therefore Par&^ara stands quite on a level with Manu ;. and the same applies to all the other Rishis, like Vasishtha and Y&jnavalkya, who are authors of Smritis, and are mentioned in the Sruti. Thus we read, * The Rishis did not see Indra clearly, but Vasishtha saw him clearly/^ ' Brihadaranjaka, 5. 6. 3. Taittirija-Sanhita, 3. 5. 2. 92 CHARACTEB OF THE 8MRITI. * Atri gave his children to Aurva, who longed for a son.' ^ * Yfijnavalkya had two wives/ ^ Therefore one must not think of attacking the Smritis of Manu and others by any means. ' ^^ The third reason also which was brought forward against the authority of the Smriti, viz. that the ^ s^iM^rt^ "TT^N ^ TBBTpt 'TOT f^njOt^ni: iiwr: n^fi<q^ s^ ^^^^ ^rf^^ m iraV^ Tf^i ifwx *^ The Rishis did not see Indra clearly, but Yasishtha saw him clearly. Indra said, * I shall tell you a Br&hmana, so that all men ^at are born will haye thee for Purohita ; but do not tell of me to the other Rishis.' Thus he told him these parts of the hymns ; and oyer since, men were bom having Yasishtha for their Purohita. Therefore a Yasishtha is to be chosen as Brahman.** Cf. T&ndya Br&hmana, xv. 5., where it is said of the Bharafas that they will always have k Yasishfha as Purohita. The Com* mentator there observes, that Bharata may either mean the kings of that name, or men in general. 1 TflSttiriya-Sanhita, 7. 1. 8. fW^: firfwV iiid^i*ii ¥ TPf ^(a.<M^M^Ti4(i-> ^ii^i WKT^ ^snsi^: w^: ■ ** Atri gave his children to the son of Urva, who longed for a son. Then he felt lonely, and saw that he was without power, weak, and decrepit. He saw this Chaturatra ; he took it ami sacrificed with it. Four sons were born to him from it,— a good Hotri, a good Udgfttri, a good Adhvaryu, and a good Brahman." * datapatha-brahmaiaa, xvii. 4. 5. ' CHARACTER OF THE SM](aTI. 93^ precepts given there are not based upon passages of the Sruti, does not hold good, because passages are net with which are the source of all the laws given in the Smriti. Thus we read, * These five great sacrifices are every day commenced and every day performed: the Devayajna (to the gods), the Pi- tfiyajna (to the fathers, the manes), the Bhfitayajna (to all beings), the Manushyayajna (to men), the Brahmayajna (to Brahman, the divine Self).' ^ And although there is no distinct precept in the Yeda for ablutions, &c., yet all this is implied. Thus the Bhatt&chd,ryd,s say, *It is right to respect the Smritis, because they are delivered by Vedic au- thors, because their origin is well established, and because they derive their authority fix)m the Veda, if but rightly understood.' The Munis see the druti, and they deliver the Smriti; therefore the^ authority of both is proved on earth by full evidence. A man who despises these two, and adopts fallacioua doctrines, is to be avoided by good men as a heretic and Yeda-blasphemer. " But one might object that if these precepts can be learnt from the druti, the Smriti would be un- necessary, because that only which cannot be learnt from other sources forms a fit object for a new work. Here then we say that these precepts, though they can be learnt from the Veda, are nevertheless pu( together in the Smritis for the purpose of making the order of their performance more easy, by leaving out the Arthav&das, and by taking from some l^&kh&s of the Yeda particular facts omitted - in others. Now it might again be objected that this 1 Taittirija-ftranjaka, ii. 10. 94 SUTRAS KXCLUBED FROM THE I^BUTI. is done in the Kalpa-aiUras, and that therefore there was no necessity for the Smritis. But this is wrong, because there are two different kinds of duties to be performed, called Srauta (based on l§ruti) and Smdrta (based on Smriti). The Srauta ceremonies consist in sacrifices like the Dar^a-piirnam&sa, &c*, which can only be performed after the sacred fire has been placed in the house, and they are clearly based upon the Veda, as we read it. The Smdrta sacraments and traditional customs, on the contrary, consist in ablutions, rinsing the mouth, &c., and they are to be considered as based upon a l§&kh& of the Veda which is hidden, but the existence of which must be inferred. Although, therefore, those precepts which regard the placing of the sacred fire, &c., are put together in the Ealpa-siitras, yet as other duties, such as ablutions, rinsing, &c., are not included in them, the Smritis have still their legiti- mate object." This discussion has been given here at full length because it is a genuine specimen of Indian ortho- dox dialectics. Whatever may be thought of this style of argument, we see at all events how great an importance has always been attached by the Brah- mans to the distinction between jSruti and Smriti. It may also have been observed in this extract, that it is not quite in accordance with the language of Sftyana to speak of Siitra works as Smritis in the plural. He applies this term to metrical codes only, like Manu, Y&jnavalkya, and Parfi6ara, but not to SAtras or Ved&ngas.^ This, however, does not affect > Knm&rila remarks that^ although the six Yed&ogas are not called by the name of Smfiti, thej are Smriti in the same sense SdXRAS EXCLUDED FROM THE SBUTI. 95 our present question, because even S&yana, though he does not call the S&tras by the name of Smritis, places them notwithstanding in the same category with the codes of law, and separates them from the l^ruti, upon which they are founded, but with which they are not to be confounded. The Ealpa-siitras are called by him 4rauta, t. e. based on revelation, but not druti (revelation), because although they treat of the same subjects as the 6ruti, they are themselves extracts only from the sacred writings. They are arranged by authors whose names are given, while, according to Indian notions. Mantras and Br^Lhmanas were only seen by the Rishis, but neither composed nor arranged by them.^ That Siitras, even where they contain Ved&nga- doctrines, are distinctly excluded from the l^ruti, may be seen from the following passage. In the Tantra- v&rttika (1. 3.), Eumd^rila says, ^^ There is a great as the Dbanna-ff&trUy i. 3. 9. ^(?