The good things in Manu Smriti

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The good things in Manu Smriti

By K.V. Paliwal

 

Manu himself believed that the Veda is the foundation of dharma

(Vedo Akhilo Dharma Moolam; MS 2:6), and he had said about the

dharma according to the Vedas.

 

Main cause of rejecting Manu Smriti by the VHP appears mainly due to

the presence of large scale interpolations in it. Such a case is not

only in Manu Smriti, but also in other smrities, Puranas and other

ancient Hindu scriptures except the Vedas.

 

The Manu Smriti is the earliest Smriti, after the Vedas, as

concluded by great Vedic scholars such as Pt Bhagwatdatt (Rajarshi

Manu No.1) and Surendra Kumar (Manu Smriti 1986), and even earlier

than that of Mahabharata as there are several shlokas of MS in the

Mahabharata.

 

The basic principles of Manu Smriti are valid even today not only in

Hinduism but also are quite applicable to the entire human race. The

rational approach adopted by Manu has been widely appreciated by

scholars of East and West.

 

Context: "The Vishwa Hindu Parishad totally rejects the Manu Smriti

as it has no place in a civilised society." (Hindu Voice, May, 2006,

p. 43).

 

The VHP appears to reject Manu Smriti (MS) on the plea that, "There

are more than 300 smrities. They have little to do with the eternal

values of Dharma". About the authenticity of smrities, Jaimini Rishi

says, "They are authentic to the extent that they are in tune with

the Vedas." (Mimansa, 2.3.3). According to Tandya Brahman

(23.16.17) "A word by Manu is supreme, and is like medicine."

Acharya Brahaspati says, "When there is contradiction among the

smrities, treat Manu Smriti as authentic. But it should be taken

like this only, when Manu Smriti is in consonance with the Vedas,

and NOT where it contradicts it." Jabal Rishi says. "In the event of

contradiction between Vedas and smrities, primacy should be accorded

to the Vedas" (Jabal Smriti) In this context Mahabharata

says, "People should adopt Dharma according to the Vedas. (Shanti

Parv 270:1; 297:33).

 

Following the above criteria, the Hindus have accepted MS as their

supreme scripture as being in tune with the Vedas and so it is

authentic. The main theme of MS is eternal dharma and provides

complete code of conduct for human beings and therefore it is Dharma

Shastra (Smriti) based on the Vedas (MS 1.129).

 

Manu himself believed that Veda is the foundation of dharma (Vedo

Akhilo Dharma Moolam MS 2:6), and he had said about the dharma

according to the Vedas. Therefore people should adopt it as

authentic dharma (MS 2:8,13).

 

The four founding pillars of Manu's dharma are Vedas, Dharma Shastra

(Smriti as per Veda), noble conduct, and truthful judgement and

action based on self-consciousness (MS 1:132), and such a dharma

should also prove true to any test of logic (MS 12:106). Manu's

dharma covers all aspects of life as dharma, Arth (Wealth), Kaam

(Desires) and Moksha (Salvation), and so Manu deals with the eternal

dharma, and not with Yama and Niyama as conceived by the VHP, which

are components of Ashtang Yoga (Yoga Dharshan 2:1)

 

About the theme of Manu, Dr Motwani, a renowned Sri Lankan

sociologist with Ph. D in 1958, from California University, USA,

writes on Manu Smriti as follows:

 

"Manu Smriti or Manu Dharma Shastra is a treatise that deals with

the social life of man...fundamentally the Dharma Shastra contains a

statement of principles of social life of man applicable at all

times and in all climes, and therefore, has an universal

significance; its teachings are aimed at the Homo sapiens, the human

race, the manavas as a whole, and they emphasise the element of the

permanent, the eternal in the life of man and society" (Manu Dharma

Shastra, pref. XI. 1958). Thus even modern scholars considers MS of

universal significance in the life of man.

 

Secondly the MS is the earliest Smriti, after the Vedas, as

concluded by great Vedic scholars such as Pt Bhagwatdatt (Rajarshi

Manu. No. 1) and Surendra Kumar (Manu Smriti 1986), and even earlier

than that of Mahabharata as there are several shlokas of MS in the

Mahabharata and not the vice versa, says Pt Ram Dev—a great

indologist (Rajarshi Manu No. 2, p.10). Because it is a fact that

the 18 adhyayas of Gita are simply the 18 adhyayas (25th to 42th) of

Bhishma Parva of Mahabharata (Mahabharata Vol. 3, pp 2597-2812, Gita

Press, Gorakhpur) and thus Gita is a part of Mahabharata, and a

later composition than that of MS and thus Gita is not Adi MS.

 

Third, the myth that MS is only 2,200 years old, written during

Pushyamitra's reign, is totally fictitious. This myth has been

created by Max Muller and George Buhler—the editor and translater of

MS, (The law of Manu, S.B.E. Vol .25, Motilal Banarasi Das, Delhi),

which was further propagated by Dr B.R.Ambedkar who being ignorant

of Sanskrit—depended on this English translation. On the contrary,

not only Indian indologists but several unbiased western scholars

acknowledge MS to be of earlier period than 200 BC. According to

Eliphinton (History of India, pp 11-12) MS is of 900 BC while Sir

John considers it to be of 600 BC (Institutes of law, introduction)

and Hunter accepts it of 500 BC (The Indian Emperor Vol. 1, p 113)

and according to Surender Kumar (Manu Smirit 1981) and Raghu Nandan

Prasad Sharma (Smrition Men Bhartiya Jeevan Padhyati, 2001) MS is

quite ancient as several shlokas of MS are quoted in the Brahman

Granthas, Ramayan, Mahabharata, Dharma Sutras, Nirukt and Darshan

Shatras, etc. So it is irrevalent to conclude MS to be of 200 BC

only.

 

Fourth the main cause of rejecting MS by the VHP appears mainly due

to the presence of large scale interpolations in it. Such a case is

not only in MS, but also in other Smrities, Puranas and other

ancient Hindus scriptures except the Vedas. These interpolations are

unvedic, unhuman, illogical and irrevalent and are against the basic

Vedic concepts and doctrines of Manu; and were noticed by the

scholars since the 9th century, particularly after the theo-

political impact of Muslims in India. According to Dr Rustagi and Dr

Narang, different scholars have observed that out of total 2,684

shlokas of MS, 100 to 1,502 shlokas are interpolated, in the

existing editions of MS, mostly in those chapters dealing with

social, legal and political aspects of life(Manu—Manu Smriti and

Appraisal).

 

Dr B.R. Ambedkar used about 300 shlokas of MS in his works (BAW5

Vols. 1, 3.4, 5 &7, 1979-90), and about 235 shlokas were related to

Brahmans, women and Shudras, 84 per cent of which were interpolated,

and his criticism was mainly due to these interpolations (Paliwal,

1998, Manu Ambedkar and Caste System, p. 55). However Dr Ambedkar

accepted no untouchability in MS, and full respect to the Sudras

upto Mahabharata period, and Shudras are Aryas. He also acknowledged

that Manu did not create the present day birth based caste system.

 

In view of this problem of interpolations in MS, Prof Surendra Kumar

after critically examining and deleting the interpolated shlokas,

published Vishuddha Manu Smriti in 1986, which is at par with the

Vedic concepts of Manu. It is now fully authentic as per the basic

doctrines of the Vedas and is free from all types of criticisms and

has been well received by scholars and Hindu Dharamacharyas.

 

Due to the supremacy and authenticity of MS, Swami Dayanand

Saraswati a revivalist of the Vedas incorporated about 250 shlokas

of MS in his Satyarth Prakash. Regarding social justice, the

uniqueness of MS lies in the fact that it not only provides equal

opportunity to the people of every varna to rise upto Brahmanhood,

but prescribes much more severe punishment, for the same crime, to

the educated and responsible people, like King and Brahman than the

illiterate and weaker sections of the society as the Shudras.

 

The basic principles of MS are valid even to day not only in

Hinduism but also are quite applicable to the entire human race. The

rational approach adopted by Manu has been widely appreciated by

scholars of East and West such as philosopher Nietsche, H.P.

Blatavasky, Maurice Materlink Dr Annie Besant, P.D. Oespensky,

Swami, Vivekanand, Guru Dev Ravindra Nath Tagore, Dr S.Radhakrishnan

etc. Nietsche even said, "Close the Bible and open the Manu Smriti."

(The Will to Power, Vol.1). Recently Raghunandan P.Sharma has

summarised the impact of MS on the growth of world civilisations

quoting examples of different countries. (Smrition Men Bhartiya

Jeevan Paddhyati, 2001 and Vishwa Vyapi Bhartiya Sanskriti, 2001).

 

Dr Motwani while summarising the impact of MS on world civilisations

writes: "Manu as the maker of civilisations since the time of

recorded history of man, as the patron saint of social thinkers,

philosophers and planners is unknown to mankind" (ibid Pref

XII). "Manu's social thought is ahead of the contemporary social

thought of the west.... There is no social thinker, in the East or

the West, who has covered so thoroughly the field of the human

social drama and destiny, and with such amazing insight and

amplitude as Manu" (ibid p.13). "Manu does not belong to the dead

past of some forgotten antiquity, but is a living force in the life

of every civilised human being that breathes on the face of this

earth today.Manu belongs to no single nation or race; he belongs

to the whole world. His teachings are not addressed to an isolated

group, caste or sect, but to humanity. They transcend time and

address themselves to the eternal in man. There is need for a fresh

statement, in the light of modern knowledge and experience, of the

fundamental teachings of Manu. India, which has been the custodian

of his teachings as well as the radiating center from which they

went to different parts of the world, is under special obligation to

resuscitate the Manus spirit and vision" (ibid P.15).

 

It is under pressure of criticism on the pretext of the status of

Shudras in the polluted MS then it may be clarified that since today

there is no varna system in vogue, in the Hindu society, so none is

Shudra or Brahman in the strict term of the Veda. All are equal

today. The present day SCs, STs and the OBCs are definitely not the

Shudras. Moreover, there are innumberable, illogical and

unscientific statements in the Bible and Quran. But their followers

are not rejecting them due to the criticism, rather are improving

them; and Bible had been regularly revised since the century.

 

Therefore it would be more appropriate to adopt, propagate and

promote the Vishuddha MS which stands next to Vedas in its purport

and authenticity, and also to critically examine the other smrities

and revise them by rejecting the interpolations there in. Rejection

of Vishuddha MS amounts to rejection of Vedas, the supreme

scriptures of the Hindus.

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