Slezina Tony the Dharma Sastras

7/29/2019 Slezina Tony the Dharma Sastras

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TheDharmaSastras

TheDharmaSastrasaretextsinHinduismthatareconcernedwiththelegalprecedent

orlawthatisinrelationtodharma(Rodrigues,535).DharmaasitrelatestotheDharma

SastrasactsasaguidetowhataHindumustdointheirlifetofulfiltheirdharmicduty.In

relationtoreligioustextsforHindustheDharmaSastrasareconsideredsmrti[alltexts

containingtraditions]notsruti[divinelyheardorfromthegods]anexampleofthesearethe

Vedas(Banerji,1).AstheDharmaSastrasaresmrtiwhichareofhumanauthorshiptheyarenot

asreveredasarethemainsrutitextsoftheHindureligion.

TheexactoriginoftheDharmaSastrasisnotknownbutitisbelievedthattheDharma

SastrascanbetracedbacktoVedictimes.TheDharmaSastraswerebelievedtobewritten

becausetheDharmaSutras[textsthatcontaineddharmiclawandwerethebasisforthe

DharmaSastras]wereantiquatedandanewtextwasneededtoaddresstheincreasingly

complexneedsofsociety.Therefore,theDharmaSastraswereneededtoexplainthemore

complexmattersthatwerearisinginthisnewera(Banerji,4-5).

JustastheDharmaSutrascontainsmanyworks,theDharmaSastrasdoaswell,withthe

mainworksbeingofManu,Yajnvalka,Parasara,Katyayana,andNarada,[thesearealldifferent

DharmaSastrawritershoweverManuwasmostextensiveandallhadsimilarteachings];

however,thesearejustafewoftheworksthatareconsideredDharmaSastras,andthereare

manymoreexamples.ThispaperwillmentionthemaintwoDharmaSastras,whichare

regardedhighlyasimportantsmrtiwritingsandlegalcodicesofancientIndia.Thetwoworks

aretheworksofManuandYajnavalka.WhereManu`sworkscontainsinformationonacara,


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prayascitta,vyavahara,andrajadharma.WheretheYajnavalkaonlycommentsonthreeof

thesewhicharetheacara,prayascitta,and,vyavahara(Banerji30-35)

TheManuSmrtiisanameusedfortheLawsofManu.Itisconsideredthemost

importantoftheDharmaSastras[thecompositionofManuSmrtiaccordingtoB.C.Kanetofall

somewhereinbetweensecondcenturyBCandsecondcenturyAD](Banerji,31).TheLawsof

Manuarecomposedofamanuscriptwhichisdividedintotwelveadhyayas[lessonsor

chapters].AccordingtoPatrickOlivellethesetwelveadhyayasisanoldversionasallofthe

commentariesonitManusworksfollowthatthereisthetwelveadhyayas.However,Olivelle

suggeststhatitisnottheoriginalbreakupoftheadhyayasoftheLawsofManu,andfurther

suggeststhattherewasapossibilityofmoreatonetimebeforethecommentarieswere

written(Olivelle,7).Thisversionisalsoconsideredtocontaintwothousandsixhundredninety

fourverses.However,itisnotknownwhocomposedthework;thereareseveraldifferent

opinionsconcerningauthorship,suchasthosewhobelievethatManuwasamythicalbeing;

othersbelievethatitarosefromaschoolpropoundedbyasagenamedManu(Banerji,31).In

P.V.KanesHistoryoftheDharmasastras,hestatesthatmythsaysManuispossiblythefather

ofthehumanraceandasemi-divinesagethatreceivedthelawsandregulationsfromGod

(Kane,307vol.1).Thiscausesconfusionastowhowastheactualauthorofthework.However,

theworkitselfsaysBrahmaformulatedthissastra,andtaughtittoManu.(Banerji,31)This

DharmaSastrahassomecontradictingstatementssuchasallowingbrahminstotakeasudra

wifeinoneadhyayaandforbiddingitinanotheradhyaya.Thisbringsforthanassumptionthat

thisDharmaSastrawaspossiblybroughtthroughthreedifferentstagesofitsdevelopmentin

itswriting.While,thisisthoughtbecauseofthecontradictionsmayindicatetheworkscould


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havebeenwrittenbymorethanonehand.Somescholarsdisagreethatthisisthecase.Itis

saidthattheLawsofManuistothemostcommentedonofallthesmrtiliteraturecomposed

(Banerji,30-34).ItisalsoconsideredtobethemostauthoritativeworkofalltheDharma

SastrasandiscommentedintheYajnavalkabysayingthatsmrtiwhichrunscountertoManu

isnotcommended(Banerji,33)andwhateverManusaidismedicine.(Banerji,33)Showing

thatthisDharmaSastraisthemostinfluentialwork,itisevenstatedinotherversionsofthe

DharmaSastrasasotherauthorsoftheDharmaSastrasrecognizeitasthemost.

TheYajnavalkaSmrti[thesecondmostimportantDharmaSastra]whichwascomposed

byYajnavalkahimselfisalsoveryimportantversionoftheDharmaSastra.Itisbelievedtohave

beenwrittenbetweenfirstcenturyBCEandthirdcenturyCE.Thisversionisimportantbecause

itbringsordertothreeofthesubjectsthataretouchedintheLawsofManu.Thethreetopics

thatYajnavalkabringsordertoisacara,vyavahara,andprayascitta.Yajnavalkalaystheseout

inanordersothattheyaretobeeasilyunderstood.ThemostfamousportionofthisDharma

Sastraisitssectiononthevyavahanawhichconcernsitselfwithsecularlaw.Asubsectioninthe

vyavahanahasactuallygivenrisetotwodifferentschoolsoflaw,theMitaksarawhichislawin

allofIndiaexceptBengal,andtheDayabhagawhichisthelawinBengal.Therehavebeena

fewchangesmadetotheYajnavalka,betweeneighthundredandelevenhundredCEandother

thenthesefewchangesthetextisbelievedtobeintactsincesevenhundredCE(Banerji,34-35)

IwillnowtouchonthesubjectsthataretalkedaboutintheDharmaSastras,these

topicsbeingacara,vyavahara,prayascitta,andrajadharma.Acara[customarylaws]inthe

DharmaSastrasisconcernedwiththepracticeofdharmaintheeverydaylifeofaHinduand

thewaysinwhichtheymustliveinordertobeadharmicHindu(Davis,814).Thismeaningthat


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acarawasconcernedwithensuringthatyoucouldhaveagooddharmiclife.Toensurethata

personhasagooddharmiclifetheymustfollowthesamskaras[lifecycleritesthatHindus

participatein(Rodrigues,562)].Thisismostlyforbrahminswhoaretoleadalifedevotedtothe

dharma.Thesesamskarasaretheretohelpthesebrahminsremovetheirtaintandsinthatthey

inheritfromtheirparents.Intheacaraconcerningsamskarastherearecertainritualsthatare

onlyreservedforthetwice-borncastesbrahmin,ksatriya,andvaisyas.Withinthetwice-born

casts,onlythemalesareallowedtohaveVedicmantrassaid,however,inthecaseofmarriage

Vedicmantrasareutteredforthefemalesoftwice-bornfamilies.Sudrasareonlyallowedto

performsamskarasnotreservedforthetwice-born.Howeveritisnowthoughtthatmostofthe

samskarasarenowconsideredobsolete.Marriageitisnotseenasmuchasasamskarabut

moreofacontract(banerji,77-81).AnexampleofacaraisitsprovisionsintheLawsofManu

regardingbridesprice,selectionofabride,andtypesofmarriage,justtonameafewthatare

concernedwiththeacara.

Vyavahara [civilandcriminallaw] isconcernedwithdisputesoflawinthesensethat

western society thinksof law. Itcontainsbothciviland criminal law thatwein thewestern

world(Banerji,157).AccordingtotheLawsofManuthereareeighteendifferentdisputes.To

nameafewthereis: rnadanawhich isnon-repaymentof debt, strisamgrahana whichis the

molestationandunlawfulsexualunionofwomen,andsamahvayawhichisanimal-betting.This

isshowingthatvyavaharaconcernsitselfwiththeactuallawsoftheHindusocietywhichispart

of theirdharmic responsibility. For aperson to followdharma theymust follow these laws

because if you break these laws you are not fulfilling yourdharmic duty and therefore not

fulfillingyourresponsibilitiestodharma.WhenyoulookatHindulawsitisshownthatasimilar


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codecoverssimilartopicsasourownlawssuchasjudicialproceedings,evidence,possession

and ownership, and crime and punishment (Banerji, 157-167). The Laws of Manu shows

examplesofwhat todowithcriminalcodesuchastheft and thieves inchaptereightwhich

includesotherscrimessuchasviolenceandthecodealsoincludeshowthejusticesystemisto

functionandarangeofdifferentcriminalcharges(Olivelle,167-189).

Prayascitta[penanceorwashingawayonessins]isconcernedwiththepenanceofa

sinner.Itisthewashingoffoftheirsinwheretheymakeamendsfortheircrimesagainst

dharma.Prayascittaismeanttobeusedtoavertthesinnersfallintohellandallowsforthe

sinnertobeacceptableforsocialinteractioninthathecanpartakeinsocialactivitieswithinthe

society.However,prayascittaonlymakesthesinneracceptableforsocialinteractionwithin

societyiftheydidnotintentionallysin.Ifthepersonintentionallycommitsasinfuldeedthey

canavertfromfallingintohellbutcannotgainbacktheirrightforsocialinteractionwithin

regularsociety(Banerji,90-92).TheprayascittaisthewaythataHinduispunishedfortheir

wrongdoing.Justassomeoneinwesternsocietyisgivenajailsentenceforacrimetopay

penanceforhis/herwrongdoing;prayascittatoaHinduisinasensetherejailsentenceto

makeamendsfortheirwrongdoingasthejailsentenceistothewesterner.Examplesofthis

wouldbepunishmentsforpeoplewhobreachHindulawsuchaspunishmentsforthievesthat

isfoundinchaptereightofManuscodeoflaw(Olivelle,184)

InregardstothelastsectionofLawsofManu;thesectionrajadharmaconcernsitself

withthekinglydharma.ItisconcernedwithhowaKingmustliveanditcontainsinformationon

whereakingmustliveandhowhemustprotecthimself.Italsoincludesinformationonhowhe


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istoreceivecouncilfromhisministers;whotohaveasambassadors,politicalexpedients,and

othertopicsthatareneededforakingtodotheirduty(Banerji,92-100).

ThesefourtopicsarewhatmakeupmostoftheDharmaSastras.Theseareguidesfor

theHindustofollowintheirlife.Especiallybrahminsastheyareexpectedtoleadadharmic

life.Withthesecodestheyareabletosustainasocietythatisprosperousandcohesive.

TheDharmaSastrasdiscussesissuesfromhowtolivedharmicallytowhatwillhappenif

thecodesofyourdharmaarenotfollowed.ItteachestheHindusabouthowtheymustlivein

theireverydaylifeandshowswhatareexpectedofthemintheirlife.ItisseenthattheDharma

SastrasarealsoconnectedtootheraspectsoftheHinduslifesuchastheArthasastrasasthey

arerelatedinwhattheyteachregardingoneslifeduties(Banerji,6-7).Wealsoseethatthe

DharmaSastrasarerelatedtotheepics,inthattheepicsareseenasthesourcesofdharma

(Banerji,7).TheMahabharatacontainsmanymattersthatareintheDharmaSastrassoone

couldthinkthatitisapossibilitythattheepicsareawayofteachingtheHindusonhowtolive

therelifeinaneasilyunderstandablewaythroughthenarrative.TheDharmaSastrasarebooks

thathelpwitheverydaylifeforeveryHinduandareneededtoensurethattheredharmicduties

arefulfilled.ThesetextsareneededforHindusculturebecausetheymakeupwhataHinduis

andwhataHindudoes,showingthemhowintheirlivestheycanattaintheirultimatedharmic

goaleventuallythroughlivingalifeofdharmaandattainingmoksa[liberationfromtheworldly

state].

ReferencesandFurtherReadings


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Rodrigues,Hillary(2006)HinduismtheeBookanOnlineintroduction.JournalofBuddhistEthics

onlineBooks.

Olivelle,Patrick(2005)ManusCodeofLawACriticalEditionandTranslationoftheManava-

Dharmasastra.NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress.

Banerji,S.C.(1999)ABriefHistoryofDharmasastra.NewDelhi:AbhinavPublications.

Kane,Pandurang(1968)HistoryofDharmasatrasvol.1,4.Poona:BhandarkarOrientalResearchInstitute.

Davis,DonaldR.(2004)JournalofIndianPhilosophy.32:5-6:p.813-830

RelatedTopics:

DharmaSutras LawsofManu YajnavalkaSmrti Mahabharata Acara Prayascitta Vyabahara Rajadharma ArthaSastras

Relatedwebsites:

http://hinduism.iskcon.com/tradition/1112.htm http://www.hinduwebsite.com/sacredscripts/hinduism/dharma/dharma_index.asp http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/manu.htm http://www.dlshq.org/saints/yajnavalkya.htm

Articlewrittenby:TonySlezina(April2010)whoissolelyresponsibleforitscontents.

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Slezina Tony the Dharma Sastras