Chatuh Shloki Manusmriti: An English
Commentary
British
Indologist William Jones selected the Manusmriti as the authoritative text for
framing the Hindu Law Code, making it one of the earliest Sanskrit texts to be
translated into English. Replete with colonial distortions, the text has soon
become one of the most maligned treatises. Castigated as being inherently
oppressive and discriminatory, abuse of this text has become a common practice.
Rarely read and routinely maligned, researchers hardly ventured to explore the
great text in exacting detail.
Ironically,
the colonial intellectualism that failed to find a near-equivalent word for
Dharma or to appreciate its vast scope, having translated the Dharmasastras,
amplified their distorted version to criticise the Sanatanis. Sadly, the
discourse dripped in warped colonial interpretation has served as a staple to
generations of Indians. Criticised, condemned and judged, the real import of
the Dharmasastra has been nearly lost. Demonstrating a rare conviction and
driven by intense passion for the Dharmic knowledge corpus, Nithin Sridhar, an
engineer turned Dharmic scholar, who has earned laurels for his detailed
commentary on Isopanishad, has authored a book titled “Chatuh Shloki
Manusmriti: An English Commentary” to unravel the code of conduct laid down
by rsis.
Manusmriti
or Manava Dharmasastra was taught by Brahma to Svayambhuva Manu, the originator
of the text. Through the guru-sishya Parampara transmission, the subject matter
was taught by Manu to Bhrigu and nine other sages and the current text is
attributed to Sumati Bhargava, a descendant of the Bhrigu lineage (Lineage of
Bhrigu is Bhargava). The extant text with 2,684 verses has 12 chapters.
Delineating the origination as opposed to composition, the author has admirably
introduced the paurusheya and apaurusheya concepts, central to the Pramana
Philosophical tradition of Indian learning.
Adhering to
the Hindu pedagogical convention of focusing on the opening verses of the Hindu
texts, like the Chatuh Shloki Bhagavatam (of Bhagavata Purana) the present
text, upholding the traditional approach, carries a detailed commentary on the
first four shlokas of the Manusmriti. Laid out in two distinct sections along
with three Appendices, the first section comprises three chapters -Origination,
Transmission and Authorship of Manusmriti.
Manusmriti
is centred on four major themes- cosmogony, source of dharma, duties of the
four varnas and concept of karma, rebirth and liberation. Inherently holistic
and inclusive, the sophisticated discourse of the Dharmasastras, commencing
with cosmogony, enunciates the concept of Brahma, reinforcing its basis for
Dharma. The expositions on creation, levitating from a linear anthropocentric
view while inculcating a cosmological perspective, elucidate human duties and the
place of human beings in the larger scheme of the Universe.
To initiate
the reader into the basics of the Dharmasastras, the author begins with an
explicit definition of dharma. Dharma as per Vaisesika Sutra, 1.1.2, is an
action which yields abhyudaya (material wellbeing or prosperity) and nihsreyasa
of all (spiritual emancipation) …..all
actions which leads one to overall well being is dharma and those that lead to
fall, bondage, and sorrow of individual is adharma….. the purpose of sastra is
to create order and systematically present different aspects of a particular
field of knowledge”. (p31). As a natural progression, the book then
steadily drifts towards the Hindu epistemology, the author steadily touches
upon the six darsanas (Nyaya, Vaisesika, Sankhya, Yoga, Purva Mimamsa
and Vedanta), six sources of knowledge or pramanas (pratyaksa,
anumana, upamana, arthapatti, anupalabdhi and sabda), which validate the
authoritativeness and trustworthiness of Sruti (Vedas) and Smriti
(which includes Upanishads, Dharmasastras).
Dharmaśāstras
encode the dharmic principles, which serve as a guide for the Hindu society
regarding the duties and spiritual practices. Irrespective of the
socio-political changes, some of these basic principles, like the result of a
particular karma or action, that lead to sukha (happiness) or dukkha (sorrow),
would remain the same. Especially, during challenging times, Dharmaśāstra
provide a much-needed civilisational framework to address the socio-cultural
matters like abortions, adultery, same-sex marriages, legal age of marriage,
etc.
Foregrounding
the need for reviving dharmaśāstra tradition, the author purportedly advocates
the cultivation of hermeneutics of ‘sraddha’ to unravel and appreciate
the depth of Hindu texts. Warranting a need for rejecting scepticism towards
the non-emphirical subjects like śāstras, he encourages the contemplative
process of śravana catustaya- śravana (listening), manana (intellectual
reflection), nidhidhyāsana (contemplation) and sāksātkāra (actualisation of truth).
Popular
notion makes contentious observations on the alleged interpolations, deeming
the extant text dogmatic and outdated.
The first section disputes the misconceptions about the Manusmriti and
thoroughly contests the distortions regarding its relevance.
Drawing extensively
from various scriptures, commentaries and sastric texts, the second section of
the book focuses on translation and commentary on the first four verses. Upholding
the traditional convention, the author provides a word-by-word translation of
the shlokas. The extensive commentary whets the appetite of a curious mind and
holds out an Indic drishti for complex socio-cultural and ethical
issues.
The sastric
exegesis, though limited to the four shlokas in the current work, provides a
perspective grounded in dharma. This was clearly reflected in the discussion on
the second verse, where the Manusmriti factors in the human reality of no two
persons are the same. Human beings are inherently diverse- with differing competencies,
abilities, ethical dispositions and above all, inherited karmic burden. Hindu
societies recognise these diversities, which are difficult to overcome.
Instead of a
homogenised egalitarian approach and a prescriptive one-size-fits-all kind of
solution for an envisioned utopian order, the Hindu philosophy embraces the
differences. The text offers frameworks and recommends individuals to practice
their svadharma and pursue purusharthas for individual and
societal well-being. The deeper implication is that individuals, as per their svabhavas,
can charter their own marga to attain material gains and spiritual
emancipation.
Far from
being a book of commandments, the Manusmriti is a book of wisdom with a
meaningful framework for individuals. Without seeking to enforce these
paradigms, it affirmatively speaks about the consequences of actions and the
kind of karmaphala that can be accrued from their actions. Codifying
nuggets of wisdom rooted in dharma, Manusmriti provides a glimpse of the Hindu
worldview.
To
summarise, in the words of Sri Jnananda Bharathi Swami, “The Sastras depend
for their validity, not on the acceptance of the people professing to follow
them nor upon the opinions of persons however sublimely evolved they may seem
to be in the eyes of their followers, but solely upon their intrinsic truth
which is in the power of nobody to disturb”. (p133)
Through
intense contemplation, rsis have compiled the dharmasastras with an inlaid
framework- an ethical compass for humans, resonating a unified vision. Centuries
of colonisation deepened the disconnect with the Indic knowledge system.
Contemporary discourse, dominated by the Western framework, has furthered a
scepticism towards the indigenous corpus of knowledge. At a time when a mere
mention of the Manusmriti sparks a lightning debate, the author pulled off the
daunting task of reviving interest in sastric studies.
The orderly
progression of introducing the concepts of the Hindu philosophy,
epistemological tools in the first section, triggers any inquisitive mind to
appreciate the depth of the Hindu sastric studies. Taking an introductory dive
into the Manusmriti text, the second section brings to the fore the
intellectual rigour of the author. Resisting the impulse to be defensive, the
author unapologetically translates the verses into English to broaden their
reach, all while preserving the integrity and authenticity of the original
text. In parallel, he deftly transitions into a discussion on the verses to
establish the contemporary relevance of the treatise.
Manusmriti
is known for its detailed exposition on varnas. But the concept of varna is
introduced in the later verses. Appendix I on ‘Hindu Conception of Varna:
Exploring its multifaceted nature’, rightly fits into this scheme by eloquently
expounding the spiritual and ritualistic significance of the Varna System.
Through an
engaging and discursive style, the author makes a compelling case for the
revival of Dharmasastra studies, successfully rekindling interest among
deracinated yet intellectually inquisitive Santanis. Hopes this monograph serves
will lay a foundation for revitalising the contemporary reclamation movement on
Hindu Knowledge Systems. Without doubt, it stands as an essential primer for
any Hindu intellectual seeking a foundational understanding of the Manusmriti.
No comments:
Post a Comment