DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.52452#0018
XIV
NARADA.
treated in that work as it now stands. He quotes the open-
ing verse of the original gigantic work of Manu, and it is a
remarkable coincidence that this verse agrees with Manu I,
5, 6, i. e. with the actual exordium of the Code of Manu, as
vv. 1-4 serve as an introduction only, and may be a subse-
quent addition. Forensic law is alleged to have formed the
subject of the ninth chapter of the original composition of
Manu. In the Code of Manu, law and judicature are dis-
cussed in the eighth and ninth chapters. The twenty-four
chapters, divided into one thousand and eighty, i. e. 45 x 24
sections, of the original Code, seem to represent double
the twelve chapters of the Code of Manu. On the other
hand, Sumati, the son of Bhrzgu, who is alleged to have
reduced the original Code of Manu to its present size, and
to have produced the law-book now current among man-
kind, may be identified with Bhzv’gu, the supposed author
of the actual Manu-smrzti; and the number of 4,000 Hokas,
which is assigned to his composition, may be taken to be a
rough statement of the actual extent of the Manu-smzCti,
which in reality runs up to 2,685 Hokas only.
A consideration of these facts leaves but little doubt that
the compiler of the Narada-smzvti, whoever he was, must
have been acquainted with a work closely akin to the now
extant Manu-smrz’ti. This is so much the more probable
because several of his references to the authoritative
enunciations of Manu may be actually traced to the Manu-
smrz’ti1, and because a number of verses either occurring in
the MSS. of the Narada-smrzti, or attributed to him by
the digest-writers, recur in the Code of Manu.
However, though acquainted with the Code of Manu, the
_. . so-called Narada was far from offering a
Discrepancies . ...
between Manu mere slavish reproduction of its doctrines
and Naiada. own worp. On contrary, the
Narada-smzTti must be considered as an independent, and
therefore specially valuable, exposition of the whole system
of civil and criminal law, as taught in the law schools of the
period. It is in fact the only Smzvti, completely preserved
1 See e. g. Appendix 26 (p. 227) and Manu VIII, 320 ; Appendix 34 (p. 228)
and Manu VIII, 334; Appendix 36, 37 (p. 228) and Manu VIII, 124, 125.
NARADA.
treated in that work as it now stands. He quotes the open-
ing verse of the original gigantic work of Manu, and it is a
remarkable coincidence that this verse agrees with Manu I,
5, 6, i. e. with the actual exordium of the Code of Manu, as
vv. 1-4 serve as an introduction only, and may be a subse-
quent addition. Forensic law is alleged to have formed the
subject of the ninth chapter of the original composition of
Manu. In the Code of Manu, law and judicature are dis-
cussed in the eighth and ninth chapters. The twenty-four
chapters, divided into one thousand and eighty, i. e. 45 x 24
sections, of the original Code, seem to represent double
the twelve chapters of the Code of Manu. On the other
hand, Sumati, the son of Bhrzgu, who is alleged to have
reduced the original Code of Manu to its present size, and
to have produced the law-book now current among man-
kind, may be identified with Bhzv’gu, the supposed author
of the actual Manu-smrzti; and the number of 4,000 Hokas,
which is assigned to his composition, may be taken to be a
rough statement of the actual extent of the Manu-smzCti,
which in reality runs up to 2,685 Hokas only.
A consideration of these facts leaves but little doubt that
the compiler of the Narada-smzvti, whoever he was, must
have been acquainted with a work closely akin to the now
extant Manu-smrz’ti. This is so much the more probable
because several of his references to the authoritative
enunciations of Manu may be actually traced to the Manu-
smrz’ti1, and because a number of verses either occurring in
the MSS. of the Narada-smrzti, or attributed to him by
the digest-writers, recur in the Code of Manu.
However, though acquainted with the Code of Manu, the
_. . so-called Narada was far from offering a
Discrepancies . ...
between Manu mere slavish reproduction of its doctrines
and Naiada. own worp. On contrary, the
Narada-smzTti must be considered as an independent, and
therefore specially valuable, exposition of the whole system
of civil and criminal law, as taught in the law schools of the
period. It is in fact the only Smzvti, completely preserved
1 See e. g. Appendix 26 (p. 227) and Manu VIII, 320 ; Appendix 34 (p. 228)
and Manu VIII, 334; Appendix 36, 37 (p. 228) and Manu VIII, 124, 125.