karasâdi, Vârshyâyani, Svetaketu, and Hârita[1]. Some of these persons, like Hârîta and Kanva, are known to have composed Sûtras on the sacred law, and fragments or modified versions of their works are still in existence, while Kânva, Kautsa, Pushkarasâdi or Paushkarasâdi, as the grammatically correct form of the name is, and Vârshyâyani are quoted in the Nirukta, the PrâtLsâkhyas, and the Vârttikas on Pânini as authorities on phonetics, etymology, and grammar[2]. Kânva, finally, is considered the author of the still existing Kalpa-sutras of the K£#va school connected with the White Ya^ur-veda. It seems not improbable that most of these teachers were authors of complete sets of Aṅgas. Their position in Vedic literature, however, except as far as Kânva, Hârita, and Svetaketu are concerned, is difficult to define, and the occurrence of their names throws less light on the antiquity of the Âpastambiya school than might be expected. Regarding Hârîta it must, however, be noticed that he is one of the oldest authors of Sûtras, that he was an adherent of the Maitrâyanîya Sâkhâ[3], and that he is quoted by Baudhâyana, Âpastamba's predecessor. The bearing of the occurrence of Svetaketu's name will be discussed below.
Of even greater interest than the names of the teachers are the indications which Âpastamba gives, that he knew two of the philosophical schools which still exist in India, viz. the Pûrvâ or Karma Mîmâms and the Vedânta. As regards the former, he mentions it by its ancient name,
Nyâya, which in later times and at present is usually applied to the doctrine of Gautama Akshapiâda. In two passages[4] he settles contested points on the authority of those who know the Nyâya, i.e. the Pûrvâ Mîmâmsâ, and
- ↑ Âp. Dh. I, 6, 19, 3–8; I, 10, 28, 1–2; I, 4, 13, 10; I, 6, 18, 2; I, 6, 19, 12; I, 10, 28, 5, 16; I, 10, 29, 12–16.
- ↑ Max Müller, loc. cit., p. 142.
- ↑ A Dharma-sûtra, ascribed to this teacher, has been recovered of late, by Mr. Vâman Shâstrî Islâmpurkar. Though it is an ancient work, it does not contain Âpastamba's quotations, see Grundriss d. Indo-Ar. Phil, und Altertumsk., II, 8, 8.
- ↑ Âp. Dh. II, 4,8, 13; II, 6, 14, 13.
