Dharma Shastra: Hindu - Hinduism Dictionary on Dharma Shastra

By Himalayan Academy

Dharma Shastra: (Sanskrit) "Religious law book."

A term referring to all or any of numerous codes of Hindu civil and social law composed by various authors. The best known and most respected are those by Manu and Yajnavalkya, thought to have been composed as early as 600 bce.

The Dharma Shastras, along with the Artha Shastras, are the codes of Hindu law, parallel to the Muslim Sharia, the Jewish Talmud, each of which provides guidelines for kings, ministers, judicial systems and law enforcement agencies. These spiritualparliamentary codes differ from British and American law, which separate religion from politics. (Contemporary British law is influenced by Anglican Christian thought, just as American democracy was, and is, profoundly affected by the philosophy of its non-Christian, Deistic founders.)

The Dharma Shastras also speak of much more, including creation, initiation, the stages of life, daily rites, duties of husband and wife, caste, Vedic study, penances and transmigration. The Dharma Shastras are part of the Smriti literature, included in the Kalpa Vedanga, and are widely available today in many languages.

See: Deism, Manu Dharma Shastras.

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For more articles related to Dharma Shastra , see: Hinduism, Dharma Shastra , Body Mind and Soul.

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Courtesy to Himalayan Academy: An educational and publishing institution of Saiva Siddhanta Church founded by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami in 1957. The Academy's objective is to share the teachings of Sanatana Dharma through travel-study programs, The Master Course, books and other publications- particularly the monthly newspaper Hinduism Today and Dancing with Siva, Hinduism's Contemporary Catechism- as a public service to Hindus worldwide. Please visit www.himalayanacademy.com for more information.