Its verses were chanted at the ceremonies such as the Soma-sacrifice. The object of the Smritis is to purify the heart of man and take him gradually to the supreme abode of immortality and make him perfect and free.Sama Veda is exclusively compiled for ritual application. The Smritis prescribe certain acts and prohibit some others for a Hindu, according to his birth and stage of life. What is the object of the Smritis in Hinduism? The Smritis have laid down definite rules and laws to guide the individuals and communities in their daily conduct and to regulate their manners and customs. The laws for regulating Hindu society from time to time are codified in the Smritis. Smriti, in a broader sense, covers all Hindu Sastras save the Vedas. How are the laws codified in the Smritis? Viswamitra, Devala, Marichi, Pracheta, Narada, etc are the authors of the respective Upasmritis. So, new names of Smriti-authors are Kashyapa, Pracheta etc but probably these texts are not extant now. Based on the method of organizing the text, the smriti literature is of two forms: sutra and metrical. Based on the nature of knowledge, the smriti literature is of two types: one that expounds sastra and one that outlines codes of conduct. What are the different types of smriti literature? Samhita also refers to the most ancient layer of text in the Vedas, consisting of mantras, hymns, prayers, litanies and benedictions. Samhita literally means “put together, joined, union”, a “collection”, and “a methodically, rule-based combination of text or verses”. In some contexts, the term Veda is used to refer only to these Samhitas, the collection of mantras.
There are four “Vedic” Samhitas: the Rig-Veda, Yajur-Veda, Sama-Veda and Atharva-Veda, most of which are available in several recensions (śākhā).
It presents itself as a discourse given by dharma topics such as duties, rights, laws, conduct, virtues and others.It is variously dated to be from the 2nd century BCE to 3rd century CE.Manu Smriti is considered to be the oldest Smriti. There is another post Vedic class of Sanskrit literature called Epics which includes Ramayana and Mahabharta. It comprises Vedanga, Shad darsana, Puranas, Itihasa, Upveda, Tantras, Agamas, Upangs. Smiriti literally means “that which is remembered,” and it is entire body of the post Vedic Classical Sanskrit literature. Four basic categories are defined under this system – Brahmins (priests, teachers, intellectuals), Kshatriyas (warriors, kings, administrators), Vaishyas (agriculturalists, traders, farmers ) and Shudras (workers, labourers, artisans). Varna system is the social stratification based on the Varna, caste. Yājñavalkya gives the list of total 20 by adding two more Smritis, namely, Yājñavalkyasmriti and Manusmriti. There are four Vedas: the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Samaveda and the Atharvaveda. Other passages found in Manusmriti, such as those relating to Ganesha, are modern era insertions and forgeries. Verses such as 3.55–3.62 of Manusmriti, for example, glorify the position of women, while verse such as 9.3 and 9.17 do the opposite. Atharva-Veda Samhita – ancient spells and magical charms that pre-date the Aryan influence. Sama-Veda Samhita – chants and songs to sing during sacrifices. Yajur-Veda Samhita – a handbook for priests performing sacrifices. Rig-Veda Samhita – the oldest veda, containing 1,028 hymns devoted to ancient gods. What is Samhita and what are its different types? 100 ce), with 2,694 stanzas divided into 12 chapters. What is the other name of Smriti Shastra?įirst among them stands the Dharma-shastra of Manu, also known as the Manu-smriti (Laws of Manu c. Each of these texts exist in many different versions, and each is rooted in Dharmasutra texts dated to 1st millennium BCE that emerged from Kalpa (Vedanga) studies in the Vedic era. There are many Dharmashastras, variously estimated to be 18 to about 100, with different and conflicting points of view.
What is the object of the Smritis in Hinduism?.How are the laws codified in the Smritis?.Who are the authors of all the Smritis?.What are the different types of smriti literature?.What is Samhita and what are its different types?.What is the other name of Smriti Shastra?.