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Manu,
Parasara, Yajnavalkya, Gautama, Harita, Yama, Visnu, Sankha,
Likhita, Brhaspati, Daksa, Angiras, Pracetas, Samvarta, Acanas,
Atri, Apastamba and Satatapa are the eighteen sages who mastered
the Vedas with their superhuman power and derived the Smrtis from
them. Their works are known after them like Manusmrti,
Yajnavalkya-smrti, Parasara-Smrti and so on, and they contain all
that we need to know about all the dharmas to be adhered to and
all the rituals to be performed during our entire life.
Apart
from these eighteen , there are eighteen subsidiary Smrtis called
Upasmrtis. It is
customary to include the Bhagavadgita among the Smrtis.
What
we find in one Smrti may not be found in the other. There may
also be differences between one Smrti and another. These give
rise to doubts which are sought to be cleared by works called
"Dharmasastra Nibandhanas".
There
are some Smrtis which do not contain instructions with regard to
all observances. For instance, some do not mention
sandhyavandana. The reason must be it is such a common rite that
everybody is expected to know it. Then some omit the sraddha
ceremony and some others are silent on various types of
"pollution" (for instance, that due to the birth of a
child in the family or death of a relative). Certain matters are
taken for granted. After all, we do not have to be told about how
to breathe or eat.
The
nibhandanas do not leave out any rite or dharma. Differences
between various Smrtis are sought to be reconciled in them.
Each
region follows its own nibhandhana. In the North, it is the one
authored by Kasinatha Upadhyaya. In Maharastra, it is the
Mitaksara: it has the force of law and is accepted as such by
the law courts. Nirnayasindhu by Kamalakara Bhatta is also
accepted as an authority there. In the South,
Vaidyanatha-Diksitiyam by Vaidyanatha Diksita is followed. These
are the important authorities for householders. Sannyasins follow
Visvesvara-samhita. In Tamil Nadu the Dharmasastra means the
Vaidyanatha-Diksitiyam. The nibandhana has been translated into
Tamil.
The
Dharmasastras are not as difficult to follow as the Vedas and can
be understood with a little knowledge of Sanskrit.
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"Hindu Dharma" is a book
which contains English translation of certain invaluable and
engrossing speeches of Sri Sri Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi MahaSwamiji (at
various times during the years 1907 to 1994).
For a general background, please see here
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