Every Hindu
is expected to have a
good knowledge of the Vedas, the Hindu
Scriptures. It is equally
important to know and observe
a Code of Conduct which
will guide him through life.
Scriptural knowledge will be
useless if it is not
accompanied by good conduct
based on the Vedas or
Vedic authority. Many sages have
composed the Dharma Shastras
to guide the common people
in their daily lives. Advice
and injunction of any text
or person intended for
moral or spiritual advance is
regarded as part of the
Dharma Shashtras.
In accordance with
the wishes of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti
Peethadhipathi, Paramacharya, a compilation
of the conduct codes under
the title, Samkshepa Dharma
Shastram has been brought
out by the Heritage India Educational
Trust, Chennai, Tamil Nadu,
India. This book is a
condensation of Vaidyanatha Deekshityam
and has been compiled by
Sri.Manjakkudi K. Venkatarama Sastrigal
and Sri. E.S.Ramamurthi
and the
original texts have been
checked by Hospet. Sri. Krishna Sharma.
The book now in it's
fourth edition, has been printed
and published by Rajan
and Co. in 1993.
This presentation
is based upon the above
book. The modern reader, especially
of other cultures, as indeed
many Indians who are themselves
conditioned by science-based rationalism
or by contemporary socio-political
mindsets, may readily be willing
to dismiss much of it
as irrational superstition, designed
by the priestly class to
maintain a hold over all
the lay classes of society,
or may tend to ascribe
all socio-economic ills affecting
India today to blind adherence
to the obscurantist caste system
upheld by the Dharma Shastras.
But quite certainly the rational
way to read these texts
is to recognise that they
addressed a society of a
past age and prescribed
social structures and norms
of social and personal
conduct relevant to the
needs of those times. And
if the prescriptions of
the Dharma Shastras led to
social distortions in later
times, it would clearly
make sense to go by their
true spirit and reject
the distortions, as indeed
reformers have done at all
times and in all cultures.
And the true spirit is
to be found in the
teaching of Krishna who declared
the social order to rest
on the qualities and capabilities
of the individual.
Krishna's teaching
in the Gita makes no
reference whatever, implicit or explicit,
to the social order resting
on any group identity based
on any group criterion,
and is therefore relevant for
all time :
catuvR{y¡ mya s&ò<
gu[ kmR iv-ahz>
This
presentation is therefore focussed
on those codes that have
an obvious relevance to the
needs of the present day
or are interesting from
a psychological, sociological or
historical point of view. From
the latter point of view,
it will be readily seen
that the Dharma Shastras had
addressed the disciplines of
everyday living in a bygone
age in perhaps far greater
depth of detail than analogous
texts of other cultures.
And if one is tempted to
pass judgement on how those
texts preached so much
superstition for those times, we
should be honest enough
to remember that people
in modern times even in
the so-called advanced societies have
their own share of superstitious
beliefs and practices. For, human
nature, with its components
of fear and superstition
will be an inevitable part of
man in all places in
all ages.