z:\ ambedkar\vol 04\vol4 04.indd MK SJ YS 23 9 2013/YS 8 11 2013 144
144 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
- I do not recognize if I am like this; I go on perplexed and bound in mind. When the first born sons of sacrifice (or truth) come to me, then I enjoy a share of that word.”
“What was the forest, what the tree, out of which they fashioned heaven and earth, which continue to exist undecaying, whilst days, and many dawns have passed away?
“Which of these two (Heaven and Earth) is the first? Which is the last? How were they produced? Who, o sages, knows?”
“How many fires are there? How many suns ? how many dawns ? How many waters ? I do not, fathers, say this to you in jest; I really ask you, sages, in order that I may know”. 5. “There ray (or cord), obliquely extended, was it below, or was it above? There were generative sources, and there were great powers, svadha (a self-supporting principle) below, and effort above. 6. Who knows, who hath here declared, whence this creation was produced, whence (it came) ? The gods were subsequent to the creation of this universe; who then knows whence it sprang. 7. When this creation sprang, whether any one formed it or not, he who, in the highest heavens, is the overseer of this universe,— he indeed knows or he does not know.”
There are other points with regard to this dogma of infallibility which are noteworthy.
IV
The first point is, is this dogma original or is this a new contention raised at sometime later in the history of India. The general view is that it is the original doctrine. A reference to the Dharma Sutras which are the earliest law books which deal with this subject go to show that this is not a correct view. The Gautama Dharma Sutra lays down the following rule on the question of the infallibility of the vedas.
“The Veda is the source of the sacred law”. I.1.
“And the tradition and practice of those who know the (Veda)”— I.2.
“If (authorities) of equal force are conflicting (either may be followed at) pleasure”. I.4.
The Vashishta Dharma Sutra propounds the following view:
“The Sacred law has been settled by the revealed texts and by the tradition of the sages” I.4. “On the failure of (rules given in) these (two sources) the practice of Shistas has authority.” I.5.
“He whose heart is free from desire (is called) a shista”. I.6. The views of Baudhayana are given below: