Manu and Kautilya, the ancient Indian philosophers had devised highly valuable political and administrative ideas and policies.
In the era that began with the philosophical movements which are expressed in the mystical texts known as Upanisads and ended in the government of the emperor Asoka, whose rule extended over all but southernmost India, the dimensions of Indian social thought were established. During these influential centuries, approximately from the seventh to the middle of the third century B.C., new approaches of economic production, the incorporation of indigenous peoples into the Aryan community, and other social changes rendered the old agencies of integration and new social relationships demanding new justifications. People were faced with challenges of life that needed to re-evaluate basic values and institutions.
Numerous ideas about the nature and destiny of human life began to challenge outmoded religious notions.
Dharamshastra:
Although, the theoretical text of Arthasastra initiated inductive reasoning and a greater realism into political thought, the Dharma Sastras are basically deductive in nature. The shastras in Sanskrit Hindu literature are the texts of spiritual and legal duty. Shastra factually means "rule, command, code of laws, science," and these works focus on many different subjects, including the three principal goals for human beings: dharma (law), artha (wealth, profit, business, or property), and kama (passion, desire, pleasure). The Dharmashastra is related to dharma. It is a concept that integrates the nature of the world, eternal or cosmic law, and social law, applied to rituals and life-cycle rites, procedures for resolving disputes, and penalties for defilements of these rules.
Dharmasastra
is a genus of Sanskrit texts, and refers to the treatises (shastras) of Hinduism on Dharma.
The Dharmashastras are the ancient law books of Hindus, which advocate moral laws and principles for devout duty and righteous conduct for the followers of the faith.
They also shaped the guidelines for their social and religious code of conduct Hindus in the past where Hindu monarchs enforced the laws as part of their religious duty.
However, looking to the heterogeneity and complex nature of Indian society from the earlier times, it is difficult to state how seriously these laws were imposed by the ruling classes among all sections of society.
However, the Dharmashastras highlighted upon the social and religious conditions of ancient India, family life, gender and caste based distinctions, and principles of ancient jurisprudence.
It can be find in them rudiments of many principles and practices of social and religious aspects of modern Hindu civilization.
Origin of Dharma Sutras: A Sutra is a style of writing treatise by utilizing the fewest possible words to ensure brevity and easy memorization. The Dharma Sutras along with Srauta Sutras and Grihya Sutras comprises the Kalpa, one among the six Vedangas, the auxiliary of the Vedas.
- The Srauta Sutras deal with the great Vedic sacrifices of Havis (oblation) and Soma and other religious matters.
- The Grihya Sutra deal with domestic ritual. They contain minute rules for the performance of various ceremonies (samskaras) marking every important epoch of an individual's life from conception to cremation.
Manu's Samriti covers following topics (K. S. Padhy, 2011):
- Social responsibilities, obligations, duties of various caste and individuals in different stages of life.
- The way a perfect and righteous king of rules and punishes the criminals and transgressors of law in his kingdom.
- Social relations between man and woman of different caste and of husband and wife in privacy of the house.
- Birth, death and taxes.
- Cosmogony, karma and rebirths.
- Ritual practices.
- Error and restoration.
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Reviewed by শ্রী শ্রী সত্যনারায়ণ নমঃ
on
August 09, 2020
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