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Laws Of Manu BY: Pooneh Khanlari 2006 |
•Traditionally accepted as one of the supplementary arms of the Vedas, 'The Laws of Manu' or 'Manava Dharma Shastra' is one of the standard books in the Hindu canon, and a basic text for all gurus to base their teachings on. This 'revealed scripture' comprises 2684 verses, divided into twelve chapters presenting the norms of domestic, social, and religious life in India (circa 500 BC) under the Brahmin influence, and is fundamental to the understanding of ancient Indian society. Who is Manu? •It is generally believed that Manu, the ancient teacher of sacred rites and laws, is the author of 'Manava Dharma-shastra'. The initial canto of the work narrates how ten great sages appealed to Manu to pronounce the sacred laws to them and how Manu fulfilled their wishes by asking the learned sage Bhrigu, who had been carefully taught the metrical tenets of the sacred law, to deliver his teachings. However, equally popular is the belief that Manu had learnt the laws from Lord Brahma, the Creator, and so the authorship is said to be divine.
Definitions / Terms Brahmin: A member of the highest of the four major castes of traditional Indian society, responsible for officiating at religious rites and studying and teaching the Vedas. •Sloka: A distich of Sanskrit verse consisting of two sixteen-syllable lines of two eight-syllable padas each. Interesting Facts •The Laws of Manu is one of the main pillars of ancient Hindu Law, and is held in the highest reverence. •Tradition says that Manu wrote down the laws of Brahma in 100,000 Slokas which formed 24 books and a thousand chapters. The Laws Of Manu includes 2684 verses, thats a huge amount of verses but has been parted into 12 chapters in different categories. Each category deals with different content. For more detail about the different chapters look below. The Structure & Content of the Laws Of Manu •The first chapter deals with the creation of the world by the deities, the divine origin of the book itself, and the objective of studying it. Chapters two to six recounts the proper conduct of the members of the upper castes, their initiation into the Brahmin religion by sacred thread or sin-removing ceremony, the period of disciplined studentship devoted to the study of the Vedas under a Brahmin teacher, the chief duties of the householder - choice of a wife, marriage, protection of the sacred hearth-fire, hospitality, sacrifices to the gods, feasts to his departed relatives, along with the numerous restrictions — and finally, the duties of old age. The seventh chapter talks of manifold duties and responsibilities of kings. The eighth chapter deals with the modus operandi in civil and criminal proceedings and of the proper punishments to be meted out to different caste. The ninth and the tenth chapters relate the customs and laws regarding inheritance and property, divorce and the lawful occupations for each caste. Chapter eleven expresses the various kinds of penance for the misdeeds. The final chapter expounds the doctrine of karma, rebirths and salvation. |
The Manu-Samhita forms the beginning of a set of law-books, which have come down to posterity under the special designation of Samhita. It stands midway between the old law-books and the new, forming a connecting link between the ancient and the modern ‘legislators. As a code of law, it has for centuries held supreme, sway over India and the Hindu population.
This following book states the laws of manu and its definitions.
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The front book cover on the Laws of Manu (original text) Related
Links:
This picture shows the evidence of how people in certain villages still believing in the laws of manu and studying off of it. Bibliography
(click here) |
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