Paingi-Sruti

In footnote 49 on page 39, and elsewhere, Mesquita calls a Sruti text of Madhva with the label Paingi unknown, following Appayyadiksita. In fact:

1. In the Kasika commentary⁸ (pp. 192-193) on Panini's Astadhyayi 4.3.105, we find the statement kalpesu paingi kalpah, showing that this was an important recension with its own Kalpa-sutra. Patanjali's Mahabhasya on 4.2.66 also refers to the same, and indicates that said Kalpa-sutra was actually available to him: evamapi paingikalpah atrapi prapnoti.

2. A manuscript of a Paingayani Brahmana is reported by Oppert⁹ (p. 22, no. 390) to have been in the possession of one Venkatarama Srauti of Mullandram. Also see pages 454, 557, and 582, where Oppert notes other manuscripts. Therefore, in all, Oppert reports a total of four manuscripts, although there do not seem to be more recent reports of them (a matter unfortunately not helped by the fact that Oppert's catalog does not give any accurate contact information on his informants).

3. Paingi Grhya (further evidence of a robust recension) is quoted by these¹⁰ (pp. 187, et seq.) traditional commentators--Haradatta on Apastambha Grhya 8.21.9, Maskari on Gautama Dharmasutra 14.6.17; the Paingi Dharmasutra is quoted in the Smrticandrika (Asaucakhanda).

4. Paingi is counted as one of the Sakhas of the Rg Veda by the Prapancahrdaya,¹¹ a pre-Ramanuja text, in its second chapter (Veda Prakarana).

5. Teachers of the Paingi clan are quoted in numerous pre-Madhva texts, e.g., Sankhayana Brahmana 16.9; Patanjali's Samavediya Nidanasutra 4.7; Brhadaranyaka Upanisad 6.3.10 (Madhuka Paingya is mentioned).

6. The Paingayani Brahmana is twice quoted in the Apastambha Srauta-sutra (at 5.14.18 and 5.29.4).¹²

7. There are literally dozens of citations from Paingi, Paingayani, and Paingala Brahmanas which have been collected by Satya Shrava, pp. 45-48,¹³ and by Ghosh.¹⁴ For brevity, we do not list them all here.

8. A Paingi-Sruti (having an Upanisadic flavor) is quoted by Sudarshana Suri (a disciple of Ramanuja) in his Srutapradipika, as well as in the Srutaprakasika in the catuhsutri portions. These are the same as that quoted by Sankaracarya in his own commentary¹⁵ on the Brahma Sutras, but SS quotes a few more words. Thus, early authors from the other two Vedantic streams also cite this source.