Hindu Dharmasastra (Introduction, Text with English Translation & Shloka Index) (Set of 6 Volumes)

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About The Book

The Dharmashastra occupies a prominent place in the Sanskrit literature. It has always been a work of universal Authority. It has always served as a source book of Hindu jurisprudence. It has been a veritable storehouse of information for the social, cultural, political and religious aspects of ancient Indian society. It is the very essence of Hinduism. Its' deeper study helps in the proper understanding of the Ancient Indian Culture.
The terms Dharma Shastra is generally applicable to both the Dharmashutras and the smrities. The word smrities is used in two senses. In wider sense it includes the whole ancient literature other than the Veda. But in the restricted sense smriti and Dharma Shastra are synonyms. Gautam and Vasishtha speak of smriti as one of the sources of Dharma. The smrities came into existence to satisfy the demand of the society for new provisions in matters of Dharma, religious and secular behavior.
The Dharma Shastras of the Hindus, are not one single book but consist of the Samhitas or Institutes of holy sages numbering twenty according to the list given by Yajnavalkya, These are namely, Manu, Atri, Vishnu, Harita, Yagnavalkya, Ushana, Angira, Yama, Apastamba, Samvarta, Katyayana, Brihaspati, Parisara, Vyasa, Sankha, Likhita, Daksha, Gautam, Satatapa and Vasistha samhitas respectively.
In this collective addition will give to the readers the complete text of all the twenty smrities, fully edited. The English translation is a literal one as far as it could be attempted, keeping an eye to eye on its accuracy and literary excellence.

About the Author

Prof. Pushpendra Kumar, Retired as Head of the Department of Sanskrit, Delhi University, Delhi, in the year 2001.
First class first and Gold Medalist in M.A. (Sanskrit), Delhi University, Delhi, 1958.
Ph. D. on Shakti Cult in the Puranas (Published) 1967 from Delhi University..
Common-wealth Scholar and Post doctoral fellow, London University London 1970-72, worked on Tara Cult
Visited many European Countries viz. France, Italy, West Germany, Austria, Holland, Switzerland and Nepal For higher studies and lectures.
Principal, Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Kendriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha, Delhi, 1972-74.
Fellow of Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland since 1971. Author of 35 books and 60 articles.
General editor: on various topics of the Purana-Vidya Series, Chief Investigator UGC; Major Research Project A Descriptive Catalogue of Sanskrit Inscriptions, published in seven vols.
Received Delhi Sanskrit Akademi Award 1997.
In the year 2000, he was honored by the Mahamahim President of India by the certificate of Honor for scholarship in Sanskrirt and excellence. In the year 1999 Honored by the Sampurananada Sanskrit University, Varanasi for his excellence in Sanskrit and received many other awards. Specialization in the Puranas, Epigraphy and Sanskrit Kavyashastras.

Preface

The Smrties or Dharma Shastras are the code of conduct or constitution of Social duties. These texts directly deal with the Nature of Dharma. The term Dharma is to be derived from the root dhr, which means to support the people with the Dharma. The Dharma is worth the name because of its ability to sustain and support people and society.
The connotation of this term went on changing from time to time. In the Rgvedic hymns sometimes it is used in the sense of supporting, uplifting, preserving or protecting and so on. At some other places, it denotes moral law and customs. Sometimes it also stands for moral rule or order. and elsewhere it is also used in the sense of different varna's moral order or ordinance. In Vājasneyi Samhita, it represents a definite code of conduct, principles or rules of behaviors. In one of the Atharvavedic Mantras it stands for the merit acquired by performing religious activity. (AV. XI/9.17) Dharma Finally came to mean definite rights and duties, responsibility of people as also various conduct to be followed by various members of Indian society. Manu states ten excellent qualities to be the characteristic features of Dharma.

Introduction

The Vast Literature

The Manusmriti occupies a prominent place in the Smiriti literature. It received a reverence which was second only to that of Rigveda. It has always been a work of universal Authority. It has always served as a source book of Hindu jurisprudence. It has been a veritable storehouse of information for the social, cultural, political and religious aspects of ancient Indian society. It is the very essence of Hinduism. It's deeper study helps in the proper understanding of the Indian Culture.
The terms Dharma Shastra is generally applicable to both the Dharmashutra and the smrities. The word smrities is used in two senses. In wider sense it includes the whole ancient literature other than the Veda. But in the restricted sense smriti and Dharma Shastra are synonyms. Gautam and Vasishtha speak of smriti as one of the sources of Dharma. The smrities came into existence to satisfy the demand of the society for new provisions in matters of Dharma, religious and secular.
In the early stages of the development the smrities were regarded less important than the vedas, still in actual practice they were regarded as supreme in their own sphere. All these smrities are not of equal authority. Most of them are indeed obscure and rarely cited by ancient commentators. Exclusively of Dharmashastra hardly a dozen smrities have found commentators. But very soon it was realized that later smrities were also equally, if not more, useful then the earlier ones. For the rules contained in them were often more in conformity with the spirit and practices of later times. An effort was therefore made to see to it that they were also given due scope. With this motif in view it was laid down that when smrities differed, the majority opinion should be followed on that opinion which may be acceptable and which was most reasonable. Commentators like Medhatithi were unwilling to lay down a final list of authoritative smrities, for they relished that new smrities could still be composed which would be authoritative smrities, for they realized that new smrities could still be composed which would be authoritative for a later age.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages