Manu Smriti: Encyclopedia - Manu Smriti

Manu Smriti

Shruti

• Vedas
  • Rig Veda
  • Sama Veda
  • Yajur Veda
  • Atharva Veda
• Brahmanas
• Aranyakas
• Upanishads

Smriti

• Itihāsas
  • Mahābhārata
    • Bhagavad Gītā
  • Ramayana
  • Puranas (List)
• Tantras
• Sutras (List)
• Stotras
• Ashtavakra Gita
• Gita Govinda
• Hatha Yoga Pradipika

The Manu Smriti (Sanskrit मनुस्मृति), translated "Laws of Manu" or "Institutions of Manu", is regarded as a foundational work of Hindu law and ancient Indian society, compiled and written quite late, c.200 CE in India. It is one of the eighteen Smritis of the Dharma Sastra (or "laws of righteous conduct"); Smriti means "what is remembered" and is applied in general to a Hindu text other than the Vedas, including traditional Indian epics, the Puranas, and science and grammar treatises. Unlike the Vedas which are considered of divine origin, the Smritis are considered to be of human origin. They contain laws, rules and codes of conduct to be applied by individuals, communities and nations. Some of these laws codify the Hindu caste system and discuss the "stages of life for a twice-born man". The book is ascribed to Manu, said to be the forefather of all human race. For those more familiar with texts of other faiths: Manu is cognate with Germanic Mannus; and may also be treated as an equivalent figure of Adam or even Hammurabi and thus, Manu may be accorded the same extent of reverence. Just as Adam and Hammurabi are un-likely to be infalliable, so is Manu.

ManuSmriti is widely quoted, especially by the British Colonial rulers of India as the "law-book" of the Hindus. Some Hindus allege that the colonial rulers, like Robert Clive (admittedly a bully and scoundrel) and Lord Macaulay (who saw the need to subvert and exploit other civilized societies for Her Majesty), would have found it a useful tool. It is equally possible that the British, like the other European nations, would have found existing social structures in Asia, simply beyond their comprehension. Since Hinduism does not permit a priestly order (there are no ordained priests, no hierarchy of priests, no Popes, no Ayatollahs), the British must have found governance of a conquered nation posing insurmountable problems.

At no time in history have all Hindus followed Manu Smriti or any other law book completely, like the Shariah is done in Islamic regimes. Further, the Smritis by their very nature are deemed inferior to the Shrutis (the Vedas). In any question of dispute between the Shruti and the Smriti, the former will prevail over the latter. However, some selfish people over the ages have quoted or interpreted the Manu Smriti as an excuse to justify Brahmin supremacy, the alleged sanctity of the caste system and the lower status given to the so-called Dalits.

Manusmriti is attributed for having rendered the caste system secure by the elaboration of a system of conventional precepts. The society consisted of four (later hereditary) classes - Brahmanas (teachers and priests), Kshatriyas (administrators and armymen), Vaishyas, also called as Aryas (traders, farmers and herdsmen) and Shudras (servants). It clearly defined the relative position and the duties of the several castes, and determined the penalties to be indicted on any transgressions of the limits assigned to each of them.

Regarding origin of caste in India, Manusmriti makes the following statement:

which according to Indian History Sourcebook (The Laws of Manu) translates as follows:

The Daradas lived to north-east of Kashmir, the Paradas on river Sailoda in Sinkiang province of China, the Kambojas in the regions of Pamirs (Tajikstan) and Badakshan (Afghanistan) north of Hindukush, the Yavanas in Bactria (Balkh) and the Shakas (Scythians) beyond river Jaxartes (Syr Darya) in Central Asia. The Pahlavas refer to the Persians. The Yavanas of Manu Smriti refer to the Greeks but in the after-times, the terms "Yavana" or "Yona", "Yonaka" took on a wider meaning of Mlechchas/Barbarians and a designation to all foreign tribes or the westerners visiting India (Padama Purana, Srshtikanda, 47.69-75).

Manu Smriti - Praise of the Manu Smriti

The Manu Smriti has been praised for its highly moral and positive injunctions. Its caste system or Varna Vyavastha is said to have rendered the society organized, peaceful, vanished unemployment, created respect for teachers and priests, preserved the purity of food (which is supposed to directly affect the mind) and of blood through marriage. The relationship between a teacher and a student is highly inspiring. Not only are the duties of a student given to his guru, but also the duties of a guru for his students. The study of Vedas and Vedic worship is recommended. Most importantly, even alleged anti-Hindus like Balsham (in his book "The Wonder that was India") have praised the Manu Smriti for the rules it lays for the Aryan warfare, where there is strict prohibition against killing of innocents, civilians, women, children, unarmed or unprepared fighters, warfare at night etc. This is in stark contrast to many western contemporary societies, like Romans, Greeks and Vandals, whose warfare sometimes involved more of civilian massacre than ethical fighting. It also have many positive injunctions for Brahmanas, recommending them vegetarianism, honor for all others, and detachment from wealth. Even servants are to be treated with respect by the master. They further argue that certain passages of the Manu Smriti that are highly biased against the Shudras must be either due to misinterpretation or due to later selfish additions and tampering. Some of its positive injunctions are:

• II - 2. "To act solely from a desire for rewards is not laudable, yet an exemption from that desire is not (to be found) in this (world): for on (that) desire is grounded the study of the Veda and the performance of the actions, prescribed by the Veda."
• II - 3. "The desire (for rewards), indeed, has its root in the conception that an act can yield them, and in consequence of (that) conception sacrifices are performed; vows and the laws prescribing restraints are all stated to be kept through the idea that they will bear fruit."
• III - 13. "The knowledge of the sacred law is prescribed for those who are not given to the acquisition of wealth and to the gratification of their desires; to those who seek the knowledge of the sacred law the supreme authority is the revelation (Sruti)."
• III - 93. "Through the attachment of his organs (to sensual pleasure) a man doubtlessly will incur guilt; but if he keep them under complete control, he will obtain success (in gaining all his aims)."
• III - 161. "Let him (a Student) not, even though in pain, (speak words) cutting (others) to the quick; let him not injure others in thought or deed; let him not utter speeches which make (others) afraid of him, since that will prevent him from gaining heaven."
• III - 162. "A Brahmana should always fear homage as if it were poison; and constantly desire (to suffer) scorn as (he would long for) nectar."
• IV - 2. "A Brahmana must seek a means of subsistence which either causes no, or at least little pain (to others), and live (by that) except in times of distress."
• IV - 3. "For the purpose of gaining bare subsistence, let him (a Brahmana) accumulate property by (following those) irreproachable occupations (which are prescribed for) his (caste), without (unduly) fatiguing his body."
• VI - 60. "By the restraint of his senses, by the destruction of love and hatred, and by the abstention from injuring the creatures, he becomes fit for immortality."
• VIII - 13. "Either the court (of justice) must not be entered, or the truth must be spoken; a man who either says nothing or speaks falsely, becomes sinful."
• VIII - 14. "Where justice is destroyed by injustice, or truth by falsehood, while the judges look on, there they shall also be destroyed."

Manu Smriti - Criticism of Manu Smriti

Needless to say, the Manu Smriti has been criticised and condemned. Manu Smriti's detractors feel that some of its injunctions favor one community (the Brahmins) over others. It is also accused of trying to imply that the Shudras as races foreign to India. Almost all of its injunctions pertaining to the Shudras are seen as tools for their exploitation.

Here are some selections:

• I – 91. "One occupation only the Lord prescribed to the shudra - to serve meekly even these other three castes."
• I – 93. "As the Brahmana sprang from (Prajapati’s i.e. God’s) mouth, as he was first-born, and as he possesses the veda, he is by right the lord of this whole creation."
• II – 31. "Let (the first part of ) a brahmin’s (denote) something auspicious, a kshatriya’s name be connected with power and a vaishya’s with wealth, but a Shudra’s (express something) contemptible."
• II – 100. "Whatever exists in the world is the property of the Brahmana; on account of the excellence of his origin the Brahmana is indeed, entitled to it all."
• VIII – 37. "When a learned Brahmin has found treasure, deposited in former (times), he may take even the whole (of it); for he is the master of everything."
• VIII – 270. "A shudra who insults a twice born man with gross invective, shall have his tongue cut out; for he is of low origin."
• VIII – 271. "If he mentions names and castes of the (twice born) with contumely, an iron nail, ten fingers, shall be thrust red hot into his mouth."
• IX – 189. "The property of a Brahmana must never be taken by the king, that is a settled rule; but (the property of men) of other castes the king may take on failure of all (heirs)."
• IX – 317. "A Brahmin, whether learned or ignorant, is a powerful divinity."
• X – 129. "No collection of wealth must be made by a shudra even though he be able to do it; for a shudra who has acquired wealth gives pain to Brahmana."
• XI – 261-62. "A Brahmana who has killed even the peoples of the three worlds, is completely freed from all sins on reciting three times the Rig, Yajur or Sama- Veda with the Upanishad."
• XII. 4. "If the shudra intentionally listens for committing to memory the veda, then his ears should be filled with (molten) lead and lac; if he utters the veda, then his tongue should be cut off; if he has mastered the veda his body should be cut to pieces."

The Manusmriti is also condemned as highly anti-feminist.

• IX – 3 . "Her father protects (her) in childhood, her husband protects (her) in youth and her sons protect (her) in old age; a woman is never fit for independence."
• IX – 18. "Women have no business with the text of the veda."
• IX - 17. "(When creating them) Manu allotted to women (a love of their) bed, (of their) seat and (of) ornament, impure desires, wrath, dishonesty, malice, and bad conduct."

One common defence of these passages is that they are being quoted out of context (though the context would have to be shown alter their meaning if this defence were to be sustained). It is also notable that Hinduism, unlike the Christian Churches, does not permit ordained hierarchy of clergy (there cannot be lay-persons, priests or Bishops/Archibishop or Ayatollahs). There are no Sunday sermons to attend nor the daily visit(s) to the mosque. There is thus, no social mechanism or organization to enforce dogma asserted in the Manu Smriti. For all practical purposes, injunctions in the Manu Smriti could only be imposed by custom or by legislation, because Hinduism itself does not permit a mechanism for doing so. In fact, there is no historical evidence of this text ever being put into large scale practice at any time in history.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Manu Smriti", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki