24. Paithīnasi

Volume I: Part I pp. 284–286

Paithīnasi is identified as an ancient *sūtrakāra*, whose foundational teachings are notably preserved through Viśvarūpa's direct quotations of his *sūtras*. Scholarly inquiry, particularly by Dr. Jolly, further suggests that Paithīnasi's work may be associated with the Atharvaveda tradition, indicating a specific Vedic lineage. His contributions to *Dharmaśāstra* are significant, delving into various critical aspects of Hindu law and custom. Paithīnasi's discussions encompass the intricate practice of *satī*, alongside comprehensive rules governing inheritance. Moreover, his writings offer unique perspectives on the concept of untouchability, specifically highlighting its absence under certain defined circumstances. Further elaboration on these subjects can also be found in Section 46.

— Synopsis by P.V. Kane, from History of Dharmaśāstra

24. Paithīnasi

24. Paithinasi

Though not enumerated in Yājñavalkya, Paiṭhīnasi seems to have been a comparatively ancient sūtrakāra on Dharma. On Yāj. III. 262 Viśvarūpa quotes a sūtra of Paiṭhīnasi on the prāyaścitta for killing a cow. Dr. Jolly (R. und S. p. 12) following Dr. Caland ('Ahnencult &c.' pp. 99, 109) thinks that Paiṭhīnasi belongs to the Atharvaveda as the prose quotations on śrāddha agree with the ritual of the Atharvanṣ The Mit. (on Yāj. I. 53) quotes a sūtra of Paiṭhīnasi to the effect that a person should marry a girl who is beyond the third degree on the mother's side and beyond the fifth on the father's side.¹ On Yāj. III. 17 the Mit. quotes two sūtras relating to impurity on death.² The Smṛticandrikā, Aparārka, Haradatta and other writers quote numerous sūtras of Paiṭhīnasi. The Smṛticandrikā has a prose quotation on the duties of womeṇ³ In another place the Smṛticandrikā (II. p. 263) cites a sūtra on partitioṇ⁴ Aparārka (p. 112) quotes two verses of Paiṭhīnasi recommending the practice of satī to women of all castes except Brāhmaṇa womeṇ Aparārka (p. 239) quotes a sūtra saying that the food of astrologers, bell-makers and grāmakūṭas is poisoṇ⁵ Aparārka quotes (on p. 744) a sūtra of Śaṅkha-Likhita and Paithīnasi about inheritance to a deceased sonless maṇ⁶ Aparārka quotes another important prose passage⁷ “the wealth of (a heirless) śrotriya goes to the pariṣad and not to the king, the king should not appropriate the wealth of temples and guilds, deposits and the wealth of minors and women”. Then the sūtra quotes a verse on the same topic, which seems to refer to Manu 9. 194 in the word ‘of sixfold origin’ (ṣaḍāgama). Another sūtra quoted by Aparārka (p. 754) says ‘when an appointed daughter dies, her husband does not take her wealth; if she be issueless, her mother or mother-in-law should receive it’. Aparārka quotes a verse of Paithīnasi (p. 921) ‘at the time of marriage, famines, sacrifices, fairs and pilgrimages there is no impurity due to birth or death’.

Fragments of Paithīnasi Dharmasūtra were edited by Prof. T. R. Chintamani ( 1939 ) and published in Annals of Oriental Research ( University of Madras ). The Mīṭ. on Yāj. I. 53 quotes a prose passage of P. limiting sapiṇḍa relationship to five degrees on the father’s side and to three on the mother’s side. On Yāj. I. 254 the Mīṭ. quotes a verse about the sapiṇḍī-karaṇa of a childless woman by her husband along with her mother-in-law. Mīṭ. quotes prose passages as well as verses from Paithīnasi. Vide Mīṭ. on Yāj I. 256, III. 28-29 for quotations in verse and for quotations in prose on Yāj. III. 17, 19, 30, 265. Kalpataru in several Kāṇḍas quotes P. mostly in prose and sometimes in verse; P. is quoted in Śrāddhakāṇḍa 17 times, 29 times in Brahmacārī, 6 times in Vyavahāra, 32 times in Gṛhastha. Haradatta on Gaut. 14. 17 quotes a verse of P. stating that the days of mourning to be observed by a son being far away are ten from the day he hears of the death of his parentṣ P. in Vyavahāra-kalpataru p. 627 provides 'women⁸ are the presiding deities of the house, no rules of śauca (purification) or vrata or fasting are obligatory for them ; they reach the highest worlds by merely look- ing after their husbands'. This is not to be understood literally but what it conveys is the great worth of 'pati- śuśrūṣā'; compare Manu V. 155 and Yāj. I. 87. Kalpa° on Vyava° p. 742 quotes a verse as occurring in both Śańkha- likhita and Paithīnasi. Viśvarūpa (on Yāj. III. 262 p. 147) provides (in prose) a prāyaścitta for a goghna (one who causes a cow's death). Paithinasi appears to have held the same view that is ascribed to Aupajāńghanī in Bauḍ Dh. S. II. 2. 39–41 (these verses being also quoted by Āp. Dh. II. 6. 13. 6 and also in Vaṣ 17. 9 without name in both). Vide H. of Dh. Vol. II. p. 602 on 1417. Kalpataru on Vyava- hāra p. 603 has: पैठीनासिः । तस्माद्भेक्षेद्वार्या सर्वतः । मा स्म सङ्करो भवत्विति । आह अग्रमता रक्षत तनुमेने मा वः क्षेणे परबीजान्याप्सुः । भार्यो रक्षत कौमारी बिभ्यतः पररेरसः । One expects बाप्नुः instead of अव्याप्सुः (as मा precedes). The editor quotes only विवादरत्नाकर on p. 603 probably to clinch his thesis that Cāṇḍeśvara merely borrows matters from Lakṣmīdhara and does not refer to Bauḍ, Āp. or Vaṣ, whom I had quoted years before in Vol. II (of H. of Dh.).

त्रीन्नतीत्य मातुतः पञ्चातीत्य च पितृत इति च पैठीनसिना &c. ↩
नित्यानि विनिवर्तेरन् वैनवानवर्ज शालाग्रौ चेके। सूतके सावित्र्या जाब्लि प्रक्षिप्य प्रदक्षिण कृत्वा सूय्र्य श्रामसकुय्र्यान् । ↩
स्त्रियो गुहदेवतास्तासां न शोचं न व्रतं नोपवासः। पतिशुश्रूषयैव स्त्रियो गच्छन्ति परमां गतिम् ॥ स्मृति० व० II. p. 252. ↩
पैतृके विभज्यमाने दायाये भ्रातृणां समो विभागः । . ↩
सांवत्सरि ऋत्विक्श्रामकूटानं विषम् । The word ग्रामकूट (a village officer) is well known from inscriptionṣ The word ‘grāmakūṭa’ occurs in Kauṭilīya IV. 4. 9 meaning (‘the headman of a village’); vide also H. of Dh. Vol. III. pp. 982–3 for references to some inscriptions in which the word ‘grāmakūṭa’ occurṣ ↩
अपुत्रस्य त्वमृतस्य श्रातुगामि धनं तदभावे मातापितरौ लभेतो पत्नी वा ज्येष्ठा । ↩
‘ परिषद्गामि वा श्रोत्रियद्रव्यं न राजगामि । न हार्यं राजा देवतागणसंस्थितं न निक्षेपनिधिप्रक्रियासमादतं न बालस्त्रीधनानि । एवं हाहै । न हार्यं स्त्रीधनं राजा तथा बालधनानि च । नार्यः षडागमं वित्तं बालानां पैतृकं धनमू ॥’ This whole passage is ascribed to शङ्ख in द्वि. र. p. 598. ↩
स्त्रियो गृहेदेवताः । तासां न शौचं न व्रतं नोपवासः । पतिशुश्रूषा गच्छन्ति परमां गतिम् ॥ पैठी० in व्यव० कल्प० p. 627 ; compare अनुशासनपर्व 46. 15 (Ch. eḍ) प्रिय एताः स्त्रियो नाम सत्कार्यो भूतिमित्छता । द्वादिवता निगृहीता व श्री र्भीभवति भारत ॥ (q. by कल्पतरु on व्यवहार p. 610) ; यन्न कुचन जतिन पिता पुत्रेण नन्दति । तेन चाणूततां याति पिण्णूनां पिण्डेन वै ॥ शङ्ख-लिखित-पैठीनसि in व्यव० कल्प० p. 742 and स्मृतिच० व्यव० (p. 252, Gharpure’s eḍ) . ↩

23. Devala 25. Budha