Parashara Smrti (पराशरस्मृति:)
If the Vedas and the Upanishads give the basic philosophy of Hinduism, the Dharmashastras, comprising the Smrtis, the Puranas and the Nibandhas (digests), give the rules and regulations that guide a Hindu in his personal and social life.
परिचयः ॥ Introduction
According to Swami Harshananda[1], Parashara is one of the well-known Rishis or sages frequently mentioned in the Epics and the Puranas. Parashara was the son of the sage Sakti and the grandson of the famous Vasishtha. He is considered as one of the gotra-pravartakas of the sages from whom the gotras (patriarchal ancestries) originated. Learning of the cruel end of his father at the hands of a demon, Kalmashapada, he started a sacrifice for the destruction of the race of demons. He was not only a great sage but also a great scholar of the religious lore. His teachings to other sages and kings like Janaka contain a lot of information on many abstruse facets of religion and philosophy (vide Mahabharata, Anushasana parva 146 to 149; 150 to 152). He was the father of another great sage—Vyasa or Vedavyasa—through Satyavati, the adopted daughter of a chieftain of the fisherman.
ग्रंथा: ॥ Texts
Two texts namely, Parashara Gita (Shantiparva 296-304) and the Parashara Smrti are attributed to him. Medieval and even modern Hindu practices depend much upon the Dharmashastras, works that generally deal with Achara and Vyavahara, personal and social conduct. One such work, though not an ancient one wielding greater authority, is the Brhat-parashara-samhita. It appears to be a recast of an earlier work, the Parashara Smrti. Said to have been imparted by the Sage Parashara to Suvrata, it contains about 3000 verses divided into 12 chapters. Its subject matter contains the following topics: the sphere of the Aryas; the six daily karmas like bath, sandhya, japa, worship of Gods and honouring guests; the Gayatri mantra; the duties of the various varnas and ashramas; forms of marriage and connected topics; on gifts; sraddha or after-death ceremonies; prayashchittas or expiations; rites for propitiating deities like Ganesha and Rudra; some aspects of yoga like pranayama and so on.
अध्यायसारः ॥ Chapter Contents of Parashara Smrti
One of the more ancient Smrtis extant even now, is the Parashara Smrti. It contains several views considered as peculiar, like eulogizing the practice of Sati (self-immolation by a widow on the funeral pyre of her husband). Numerous verses in it also occur in other Smrti-works like those of Manu and Baudhayana. Later writers of Nibandhas quote Parashara frequently. Madhavacharya (Vidyaranya) (14th century CE) has written a voluminous commentary called Parashara-madhaviya on this Smrti. Parashara Smrti has 12 chapters and around 600 verses—or 592 according to its own statement at the end. The following is a brief summary of its contents[2].
| Chapter | Number of Verses | Title | Topic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 73 | Chaturvarnya-vichara | Knowledge of dharma;
on the four yugas; six daily duties like bath, sandhya ritual and Vedic studies; proper means of livelihood for the three lower varnas |
| 2 | 20 | Grihastha-dharmachara | Duties of a householder |
| 3 | 50 | Janana-marana-sutakadi-shuddhi | Ashaucha (ceremonial impurity) and purificatory processes |
| 4 | 33 | Udbandhanadi-mrta-shuddhi | On suicide;
punishment for a wife who deserts her husband; remarriage of women under certain conditions; in praise of chaste widows |
| 5 | 25 | Snanadi-shuddhi | Minor expiations |
| 6 | 75 | Prani-hatyadi-nishkrti | Expiations for killing animals and human beings |
| 7 | 42 | Dravya-shuddhi | Purification of various articles such as vessels of wood and metal |
| 8 | 50 | Akama-krita-papa-prayashchitta | Expiations for the killing of cows and oxen unwillingly;
constitution of a parishad (assembly) of Brahmins |
| 9 | 62 | Go-vipatti-prayashchitta | Taking proper care of one’s cows |
| 10 | 43 | Prayashchitta-vidhana | Certain expiations like Chandrayana and Santapana |
| 11 | 57 | Papanam prayashchitta-vidhana | Expiations for the violation of the rules regarding the partaking of food;
purification of wells polluted by animals |
| 12 | 80 | Sakala-prayashchitta-nirnaya | On the various kinds of bath;
bath for purification, expiations for mortal sins like murder of a Brahmin, consuming liquor, stealing of gold and so on |
उपसंहार: ॥ Conclusion
The text begins with the verse:
अथातो हिमशैलाग्रे देवदारुवनालये। व्यासमेकाग्रमासीनमपृच्छन्नृषय: पुरा॥[2] athāto himaśailāgre devadāruvanālaye| vyāsam ekāgram āsīnam apṛcchann ṛṣayah purā||
Meaning: On the top of the snowy hill, in the hermitage of the Devadaru grove, the Rishis of yore interrogated Vyasa, who was seated, rapt in thought[3]. Parashara concludes the text with the following verse:
यथाsध्ययनकर्माणि धर्मशास्त्रमिदं तथा। अध्येतव्यं प्रयत्नेन नियतं स्वर्गकामिना॥[2] Yathā’dhyayanakarmāṇi dharmaśāstram idaṃ tathā| adhyetavyaṃ prayatnena niyataṃ svargakāminā||
Meaning: In accordance with the rules for studying (similar works), these institutes of law should be carefully studied, without fail, by a person who desires to go to heaven.[3]
Infact, the Dharmashastras should be gone through very seriously as they are the keys to understand the culture of contemporary India. They provide a rare peep into the minds of the lawmakers and the society.