The Minor Law-Books

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The Narada-smriti or Naradiya Dharmasastra first Supposed origin of the Code of Manu. of Manu. attracted attention nearly a century ago by being quoted in the Preface to Sir W. Jones's celebrated translation of the Code What caused it to be brought before the notice of the learned world, was its bearing on the origin and history of the authoritative law-book of ancient India. The statements extracted by Sir W. Jones from the opening chapter of Narada's law-book require some modification at present, as he was not acquainted with the larger and more authentic of the two versions of Nârada's work, which is now translated. It appears from the present work (pp. 1-4) that Narada, the reputed com- piler of the Nâradiya Dharmasastra, refers to four, instead of three, successive versions of the Code of Manu, in 100,000 slokas or 1,080 chapters, in 12,000, 8,000, and 4,000 slokas. The authorship of these four versions is assigned, respectively, to Manu, Narada, Markandeya, and Sumati, the son of Bhrigu, and the Narada-smriti is described as an abridgment, made by Nârada, of the ninth or Vyavahara (legal) chapter of the original Code in 100,000 slokas. The first part of Narada's abridgment of the ninth chapter of Manu's Code is designed as a matrika or vyavahara- matrika, 'summary of proceedings-at-law' or 'general rules of procedure.