कल्पान्तरे विश्वासटिप्पन्यः

Pracetas

Pracetas fiuds a place among the sages enumerated by Perāsara (though not in Yājñavalkya), in the list of 36 Smrti kāras by Paithināsi in Smṛticandrikā p. 1). In both Mit. and Aparārka there are passages in prose and verse ascribed to Pracetas on daily duties, srāddha, āśauca, prāyascitta. The Mit. (on Yāj. III. 27 ) quotes & verse from Pracetas saying that workmen, artisans, physicians, male and female slaves, kings, royal officers have not to observe periods of impurity 811 (on death). This verse is cited as a smrti by Medhātithi on Manu V. 60 without ascribing it to Pracetas. So Medhātithi looked upon Pracetas as equally authoritative with Manu, Viśṇu and others.

POONA

81 कारवः शिल्पिनो वैद्या दासीदासा तथैव च । राजानो राजभृत्याश्च सद्यःशीचाः

प्रकीर्तिताः ।।

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It appears from the quotations in the Mit., Aparārka and Smrticandrikā that they had before them a large work of Pracetas containing sūtras and verses and that Pracetas did not deal with Vyavahāra. An example of a long prose passage is cited below.613

The Mit. on Yāj. (III. 20, 263, 264 and 265 ), Haradatta on Gautama (22.18 ) and Aparārka (on pp. 910, 1125, 1171 ) quote several verses of Br̥hat-Pracetas on āśauca and prāyas citta and the Mit. on Yāj. III. 265 and Aparārka (on pp.888,) 897 and 1098 ) quote several verses of Vĩddha-Pracetas on the same topics.

A few prose quotations from Pracetas are noted in the Smrticandrikā and by Haradatta (on Gautama 23. 1).