Manusmrti (मनुस्मृतिः)

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Introduction to Manusmriti

Manu, Yajnavalkya and Parashara are some of the most celebrated law-givers of Bharata. Bharatiya society is founded on, and governed by, the laws made by these three great rishis. The granthas that enumerate these law codes are termed as Smritis and are named after their authors. So, we have Manusmrti or Manava Dharmashastra (Laws of Manu or the Institutes of Manu), Yajnavalkya Smrti and Parashara Smrti. They contain the code of conduct for man. And among them, Manu is the oldest law-giver among. Yajnavalkya Smriti follows on similar lines as the Manu Smrti. Manusmrti and Yajnavalkya Smrti are accepted all over Bharata as authoritative works on law.

It is said that the laws of Manu are intended for the Satya Yuga, those of Yajnavalkya are for the Treta Yuga; those of Sankha and Likhita are for the Dvapara Yuga; and those of Parashara are for the Kali Yuga.

Puranic Encyclopedia

MANUSMṚTI is a code of conduct written by Manu or Mānavāchārya who was the father of man-kind for the harmonious existence of a social life. The book contains twelve chapters.

The first chapter deals with the origin of the smṛti and the origin of the world. No other smṛti begins like this and so it is believed that this chapter must have been added to it later.

The contents of each of the other eleven chapters are given below:

Second chapter. It deals with the sense organs and stresses the importance of conquering and controlling them. It describes the qualities of a brahmana.

Third chapter. It contains the duties of a householder after his course of study of the Vedas. Eight different kinds of marriages are described in it. It also deals with methods of giving protection to women and children.

Fourth chapter. Duties of a brāhmaṇa, study of the Vedas and responsibilities of a Snātaka are all described in this chapter.

Fifth chapter. This deals with pure and impure foods, impurity and methods of purification, women and their responsibilities.

Sixth Chapter. This contains the duties of those who have entered the āśhrama of vānaprastha and also of ascetics.

Seventh chapter. It deals with the duties of Rulers and ministers.

Eighth chapter. It deals with law and justice. It contains laws for the proper conduct of justice and includes ways and means of settling disputes and handling cases of debts, sale without right, partnership, duels, theft, prostitution, boundary disputes and all such matters as are to be decided by a court of law.

Ninth chapter. It deals with the duties of a husband and wife. It also contains matters relating to property rights, partition and the duties of a Raja with regard to these.

Tenth chapter. It deals with the duties of the different varnas, mixed varnas and the duties of one in times of danger.

Eleventh chapter. It deals first with penance, observation of Vratas, Yāgas, Yajñas and fee to the priests. It then deals with punishments of crimes, expiation for murder, prostitution etc.

Twelfth chapter. It deals with the theory of births and describes how your deeds in the present life are directive of the nature of life of your next birth. What deeds would fetch you what life is also explained. It contains instructions on Ātmajñāna and the way to obtain mokṣa (absolute bliss).

The basis of the present Hindu Law is Manusmṛti.

Apte

The first Manu called स्वायंभुवमनु is the one to whom the code of laws known as Manusmriti is ascribed.

Manusmrti - Girija Prasad Dwivedi

श्रुतिस्तु वेदो विज्ञेयो धर्मशास्त्रं तु वै स्मृतिः । 2.10

As per this saying of Manusmrti, another name for Dharmashastra is Smrti. Many smrtis like Manusmrti are known by the name of their author. There are as many as 71 smrtis enlisted in various smrti texts.

Manusmrti is considered the foremost among them all.

वेदार्थोपनिबन्धत्वात्प्राधान्यं हि मनोःस्मृतम् । मन्वर्थविपरीता तु या स्मृतिः सा न शस्यते ॥

According to Brhaspati, the importance of Manusmrti is due to it collecting the essence of the Vedas. And hence, any smrti that goes tangential to Manusmrti is not praiseworthy.

For, the praise of Manu's tenets are obtained in the shrutis that are the basis for all smrtis

मनुर्वै यत्किञ्चिदवदत्तद्भेषजं भेषजतायाः ।

Meaning: Whatever is proposed by Manu is to be taken like medicine. There is no need to argue about the same.

The Mahabharata also says the same.

पुराणं मानवो धर्मः साङ्गो वेदश्चिकित्सितम् । आज्ञासिद्धानि चत्वारि न हन्तव्यानि हेतुभिः ॥

The story of propogation of Manusmrti

इदं शास्त्रं तु कृत्वासौ मां एव स्वयं आदितः । विधिवद्ग्राहयां आस मरीच्यादींस्त्वहं मुनीन् । । १.५८ । ।

एतद्वोऽयं भृगुः शास्त्रं श्रावयिष्यत्यशेसतः । एतद्धि मत्तोऽधिजगे सर्वं एषोऽखिलं मुनिः । । १.५९ । ।

ततस्तथा स तेनोक्तो महर्षिमनुना भृगुः । तानब्रवीदृषीन्सर्वान्प्रीतात्मा श्रूयतां इति । । १.६० । ।

It is mentioned in the Manusmrti itself that Maharshi Bhrgu learnt all the dharmas from Manu and on his advice, he taught the same to other rshis and versified it for the benefit of all that became popular by the name Manusmrti. It is hence that the line भृगुप्रोक्तायां संहितायां is found at the end of all adhyayas in Manusmrti.

Also, the knowledge of dharma passed on by Manu and his shishya parampara is seen in the form of quotations in other smrti texts that go by the name of Manu.

For example,

The Parashara Smrti says,

अग्निरापश्च वेदाश्च सोमसूर्यानिलास्तथा । एते सर्वेऽपि विप्राणां श्रोत्रे तिष्ठन्ति दक्षिणे ॥ ३९ ॥

प्रभासादीनि तीर्थानि गङ्गाद्याः सरितस्तथा । विप्रस्य दक्षिणे कर्णे सान्निध्यं मुनिरब्रवीत् ॥ ४० ॥

मनुना चैव्येकेन सर्वशास्त्राणि जानता । प्रायश्चित्तं तु तेनोक्तं गोघ्नश्चान्द्रायणं चरेत् ॥ ४१ ॥

The following two verses from the Manusmrti is found in the Ramayana

शासनाद्वा विमोक्षाद्वा स्तेनः स्तेयाद्विमुच्यते । अशासित्वा तु तं राजा स्तेनस्याप्नोति किल्बिषम् । । ८.३१६ । ।

राजभिः कृतदण्डास्तु कृत्वा पापानि मानवाः । निर्मलाः स्वर्गं आयान्ति सन्तः सुकृतिनो यथा । । ८.३१८ । ।

It is said in the kishkindhakanda of the Valmiki Ramayana

श्रूयते मनुना गीतौ श्लोकौ चारित्र वत्सलौ ॥ गृहीतौ धर्म कुशलैः तथा तत् चरितम् मया ॥४-१८-३०॥

राजभिः धृत दण्डाः च कृत्वा पापानि मानवाः । निर्मलाः स्वर्गम् आयान्ति सन्तः सुकृतिनो यथा ॥४-१८-३१॥

शसनात् वा अपि मोक्षात् वा स्तेनः पापात् प्रमुच्यते । राजा तु अशासन् पापस्य तद् आप्नोति किल्बिषम् ॥४-१८-३२॥

Though some pathabheda has crept over the period of time, the meaning of these verses is the same. This shows that it was this Manusmrti that was prevalent in the times of Valmiki.