[tgs]

Manu-Smrithi

Vaedhas are called SRUTHI ... which are the authentic Divine commandments... being the Voice of God communicated to the Humanity through Rishis and such other Seers towards the overall Emancipation and advancement of Mankind.

Whereas SMRITHIs are not the Divine-Commandments.... but man-made Laws and Regulations without any Divinity or Sanctity attached to.

"Smrithi" means..... "Code-of-Practice".... a just recorded version of the self-imposed practices already in existence but recorded by the Representatives of the Kings. It was not newly legalised to be imposed on by the Rulers.

During the ancient days the the people were governed more by their Social- discipline based on their unified understanding within their respective section formed on the basis of Occupation or Profession... likee Farmers, Merchants, Medical-practitioners, Sculptors and so on. So to say the Social-Laws self-prescribed by the respective section of Social-groups were recorded and codified as the Branches of Laws applicable to that section of Society only. During those days when the Kings were ruling over different parts of Bhaarath... for their convenience of Reign, they depended upon the Self-imposed Laws of each Section of the Society.

How the so called "Manu-Smirithi" came into existence?

The Code of Practice already adopted by various sections of the Society was recorded by one Minister named Manu, even on which lot of amendments and supplements have been incorporated subsequently varying from country to country.. There is much dispute and controversial statements on the originality of Manu-Smrithi, because the versions of Manu-Smirithi adopted by the Guptha-Kings are far different from that Chandraguptha mourya King as also from that of Kalinga Rulers.

While the Manu-Smrithi has been based on Castes, the definitions on various castes itself are inconsistent and ambiguous, further differing from one another versions of Manu-Smrithi even though all of them had been documented in different countries in Palm-leaves and Metal-plates.

Manu-Smrithi became an utter failure due to its illogical reasoning and justifications, even though it was already a self-imposed code of practice. Especially it was vehemently criticised and objected to by some of the Religious Leaders of those days, as discriminatory and inhuman Laws.

Then Chanakya wrote the Artha-Saasthra, as the common Law for Governing the people of a country.. which too was on the Communal basis. But even that Saasthram was a modified code-of-practice as practically felt convenient sections of the Society on Community-basis.

But the Ministers could not enforce Artha-sasthra too effectively because of much of Communal mix-up even within the Royal families subsequently.

Because the Learned men of those days could convince their Kings that those man-made Smrithis are ambiguous inconsistent impracticable some being even inhuman too irrespective of the degree of Crime or the magnitude of the Offense committed. They were also considered as the encroachment and Gross Violation of Vaedhic Stipulations of Humanitarian approach

Thus both the Manu-Smrithi and Artha-Saasthra totally failed during the Ancient days itself.