THE SACRED LIBRARY
About Apastamba Dharmasutra
It belongs to the tradition associated with Apastamba and uses the compact form of sutra instruction. The opening announces duties established through the agreement of those who know dharma, and then identifies the Vedas as the authority behind their learning. This makes the community of qualified teachers part of the explanation.
The work's instructions assume a stratified social order. Status determines eligibility for initiation and study, so the educational relationship it describes is not offered on equal terms to everyone. These restrictions belong to the social vision of the text.
