Apastamba

Apastamba (fl. ca. 5th century BCE), was an Indian priest/scholar associated with Krishna (Black) Yajur Veda (the others being Baudhayana, Vaikhanasa, Satyasadha, Bharadhvaja and Agnivesa).

The Kalpasutra of Apastamba

His Kalpasutra is an important part of the Hindu canon. The text is associated with the Taittiriya Shakha (branch) of Krishna Yaujurveda. It is divided into thirty Prashnas (chapters). The first 24 Prashnas are about the performance of the Srauta sacrifices (Srautasutra). The 25th Prashna consists Paribhasha,Pravarakhanda and Hautruka. The 26th Prashna deals with the mantras for the Grihya rites. The 25th and 26th Prashnas are together known as Mantrapatha. The 27th Prashna is on the Grihya rites (Grhyasutra). The 28th and 29th Prashnas deal with the Dharma (Dharmasutra). The 28th Prashna consists 32 Khandas while the 29th Prashna consists 29 Khandas. The thirtieth Prashna is about geometry of altar construction (Sulbasutra). One of the most notable facts found in this Sulbasutra is an approximation of the square root of 2. It must be noted that like all the other Sulbasutras, it is not known how much of the mathematical development therein is original and how much is merely a transcription of existing knowledge.

Commentaries

Kapardi (quoted by Sudarshanasuri) probably wrote the earliest commentary on the Grihyasutra, which is no longer extant. The major commentaries presently available on the Grihyasutra and the Dharmasutra are and respectively of Haradatta (c.12th century CE). The of Sudarshanasuri is another important commentary on the Grihyasutra. Sudarshanasuri also wrote a bhashya (commentary) on the Mantrapatha. Major commentators on are Kapardi, Karavinda and Sundararaja.

Notes

External links

• (discussion of his Sulbasutra)
• Introduction to Apastamba (Hindu scriptures website)