प्रकरण दुसरें. ७५ 500 A. D., tains the following words:–“ It has been declared in the महाभारत, the compilation embracing 100,000 verses, by the highest Sage, Vyás, the Vyâs of the Vedas, the son of पराशर. " This quotation at the same time proves that the epic at that date included the very long 12th and 13th, + as well as the extensive supplementary book, the हरिवंश, without any one of which, it would have been impossible to speak even approximately of 100,000 verses. There are also several land-grants, dlated between 400 and and found in various parts of India, which quote the महाभारत as an authority teaching the rewards of pious donors and the punishments of impious despoilers. This shows that in the middle of the fifth century it already possessed the same character as at present, that of a Smriti or धर्मशास्त्र. It is only reasonable to suppose that it had acquired this character at least a century earlier, or by about 350 A. D. Further research in the writings of the Northern Buddhists and their dated Chinese translations will probably enable us to put this date back by some centuries. We are already justified in considering it likely that the great epic had become a didactic compedium before the beginning of our Era. " (P. 287. Second Edition. ) या दोघांही शोधकांच्या मतें, इ. पू० १०० च्या सुमारासच महा- भारतास सद्यः स्वरूप प्राप्त झालेले असावें. वायुपुराणांत या काळीं भवि- व्याचा भाग होता, हैं महाभारतांतील उल्लेखांवरून स्पष्ट होतें; व हीच गोष्ट दुसऱ्याही एका उल्लेखावरून कळून येते. मागधवंशाच्या राजांचें वर्णन सांगतेवेळी लेखकाने म्हटले आहे की :- आचचक्षे यथावृत्तं यथादृष्टं यथाश्रुतम् ॥ २६३ ॥ हैं भविष्य लिहिणाऱ्यांनीं कांहीं गोष्टी स्वतः पाहिल्या होत्या, कांहीं नुसत्या
