Disclaimer: The aim of this article is to bring out the lesser-known and deliberately overlooked aspects of Manu Smriti, one of the many smritis of Hinduism. The article doesn’t advocate or endorse the aspects mentioned in Manu Smriti which doesn’t stand the morales of today’s society. The beauty and magnanimity of Hinduism lies in evolving and adapting to the changing times unlike the rigidity professed by other dominant monotheistic Abrahamic religions. As Bhagwan Krishna says in Bhagwad Gita, change is the law of nature.
Preface
The chief of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and Lok Sabha MP Thol. Thirumavalavan is on a mischievous attempt to spread canards about Hinduism.
He along with the cadres of his party which is in alliance with the DMK, hit the streets to distribute 1 lakh copies of the distorted version of Manu Smriti.
In this deliberately distorted version, Thirumavalavan claims to have compiled all that the Manu Smriti has said about Shudras and women.
While his icon Dr. B.R. Ambedkar took to burning the Manu Smriti for its ‘regressiveness’, Thirumavalavan has resorted to fanning communal flames by distributing the distorted version of Manu Smriti in an attempt to turn the Hindu heathens against their own faith.
Thirumavalavan’s brazen attempt at peddling misinformation and half-truths about Manu Smriti is yet another example of how the Dravidian Stockist hate factory has been at the forefront of destroying the Hindu faith and preparing the grounds for evangelical and Islamist forces to prey on the heathen population.
And this they do by conflating the entirety of Hinduism with Manu Smriti.
The very mention of the name Manu, even before proceeding any further, is greeted with utmost acerbity in Tamil Nadu. Inciting the emotions of the gullible masses with repeated falsehood and pitching them against the voiceless innocent has been the loathsome pastime of the Dravidian Stockists who thrive on hatred towards Hindu faith. The disturbing, disgusting fact is that almost all those critics do not possess any iota of knowledge either about Manu or his work. The poison has been ingrained so deep that their revulsion is a ridiculous reflex reaction. They have neither patience nor proclivity to pore over or probe into the truths and revise their perspective.
It All Started When
The westerners who visited our nation centuries ago found out to their utter shock that we were enjoying a harmonious social system with all sections of the society functioning with charm, charity and cordiality, while they were leading a vagabond, vagrant, uncultured dog-eats-dog life. They could not swallow that ours has been an admirable system. In order to spoil it, they studied our scriptures with nefarious intention, translated them in such a way as to convey a completely wrong message. Also during the 1857 revolt the British saw the Hindus’ unity throughout the nation which they knew was a threat to their political dominance and a stumbling block for their evangelical mission. So, with the sole aim of dividing them, they focussed on Hindu scriptures to falsify them and create enmity among different sections. Manu Smriti became their weapon. As it is, there are as many as fifty versions of Manu Smriti with many translations in English, many of them with the sole, sinister aim of presenting it as a work detrimental to the desideratum of the common people. Today, our present militant activists, propelled by their missionary masters, have chosen the most damaging version among them written by the likes of the notorious Max Mueller, William Jones etc. to give legitimacy to their spirited tirade.
Who Is Manu?
Contrary to popular perception, Manu is not a person but a position. There are 14 Manus according to Hindu philosophy. In the Hindu cosmology, time is divided into kalpa (aeon), in which the universe undergoes cycles of birth and death. The birth of the universe marks the beginning of a new kalpa. Each kalpa consists of fourteen Manvantaras, and each Manvantara is headed by a different Manu.
When performing a ritual, mantras are recited during the sankalpam which is used to represent space time. The phrase “Vaivaswata Manvantare” that comes as part of the sankalpam mantra is basically saying that we are in Vaivaswata Manu period, denoting a point in space-time. Vaivaswata Manu is the 7th in the list of 14 Manus.
And guess who is Vaivasta?
Vaivasvata was the king of Dravida (present day south India) when the great deluge happened. Upon being warned by Matsya (the fish avatar of Lord Vishnu), he built a boat that carried the Vedas, his family and the seven sages of Hinduism to safety, with Matsya helping them tide over the deluge.
So, basically Vaivasvata Manu is a pakka Tamil Dravidian if one has to view him on puritan lens.
What Is Manu Smriti?
The date of Manu Smriti cannot be ascertained but it is one of the earliest text in literature. It may pre-date even the two ithihasas, Ramayana and Mahabharata. The author of the Smriti is considered as Swayambhuva Manu, the first among the fourteen Manus.
The codes developed by Manu were for administration of society of the prevalent times. In the authentic original Sanskrit version of Manu Smriti, there are twelve chapters consisting of 2435 verses.
The Science In Manu Smriti
The first chapter describes the origin of the universe and the evolution of the species in a cogent, convincing manner. While going through it, the reader will be struck with admiration and awe at the accuracy with which those facts are validated by the present scientific discoveries.
Slokam 1.5:
आसीदिदं तमोभूतमप्रज्ञातमलक्षणम् ।
अप्रतर्क्यमविज्ञेयं प्रसुप्तमिव सर्वतः ॥ १.५॥
Meaning: This (universe) existed in the shape of Darkness, unperceived, destitute of distinctive marks, unattainable by reasoning, unknowable, wholly immersed, as it were, in deep sleep.
Slokam 1.6
ततः स्वयम्भूर्भगवानव्यक्तो व्यञ्जयन्निदम् ।
महाभूतादि वृत्तोजाः प्रादुरासीत्तमोनुदः ॥ १.६॥
Meaning: Then the divine Self-existent (Svayambhu, himself) indiscernible, (but) making (all) this, the great elements and the rest, discernible, appeared with irresistible (creative) power, dispelling the darkness.
Slokam 1.7
योऽसावतीन्द्रियग्राह्यः सूक्ष्मोऽव्यक्तः सनातनः ।
सर्वभूतमयोऽचिन्त्यः स एव स्वयमुद्बभौ ॥ १.७॥
Meaning: He who can be perceived by the internal organ (alone), who is subtle, indiscernible, and eternal, who contains all created beings and is inconceivable, shone forth of his own (will).
Slokam 1.8
स एष सोऽभिध्याय शरीरात्स्वात्सिसृक्षुर्विविधाः प्रजाः ।
अप एव ससर्जादौ तासु वीर्यमवासृजत् ॥ १.८॥
Meaning: He, desiring to produce beings of many kinds from his own body, first with a thought created the waters, and placed his seed in them.
Slokam 1.9
तदण्डमभवद्धैमं सहस्रांशुसमप्रभम् ।
तस्मिञ्जज्ञे स्वयं ब्रह्मा सर्वलोकपितामहः ॥ १.९॥
Meaning: That (seed) became a golden egg, in brilliancy equal to the sun; in that (egg) he himself was born as Brahman, the progenitor of the whole world.
Slokam 1.10
आपो नारा इति प्रोक्ता आपो वै नरसूनवः ।
ता यदस्यायनं पूर्वं तेन नारायणः स्मृतः ॥ १.१०॥
Meaning: The waters are called narah, (for) the waters are, indeed, the offspring of Nara; as they were his first residence (ayana), he thence is named Narayana.
Slokam 1.11
यत्तत्कारणमव्यक्तं नित्यं सदसदात्मकम् ।
तद्विसृष्टः स पुरुषो लोके ब्रह्मैति कीर्त्यते ॥ १.११॥
Meaning: From that (first) cause, which is indiscernible, eternal, and both real and unreal, was produced that male (Purusha), who is famed in this world (under the appellation of) Brahman
Slokam 1.12
तस्मिन्नण्डे स भगवानुषित्वा परिवत्सरम् ।
स्वयमेवात्मनो ध्यानात्तदण्डमकरोद्द्विधा ॥ १.१२॥
Meaning: The divine one resided in that egg during a whole year, then he himself by his thought (alone) divided it into two halves
Slokam 1.13
ताभ्यां स शकलाभ्यां च दिवं भूमिं च निर्ममे ।
मध्ये व्योम दिशश्चाष्टावपां स्थानं च शाश्वतम् ॥ १.१३॥
Meaning: And out of those two halves he formed heaven and earth, between them the middle sphere, the eight points of the horizon, and the eternal abode of the waters
Precise analysis of above said Shlokas, reveals, particularly Shloka 12 & 13, these are exactly what Big Bang Theory says!
The big bang theory is as follows: Our universe is thought to have begun as an entity; which was minuscule, infinitely hot, infinitely dense. Where did it come from? We don’t know. Why did it appear? We don’t know. This subtle entity; apparently; exploded and expanded and the universe came into existence. After very, very long time, it got cooled. It continues to expand till date. All planets and other heavenly bodies were formed step by step. This is the Big Bang theory. Before big bang there was nothing, not even time.
Shloka 5 to 13 of Manu Smriti, explains exactly what Big bang theory explained and in even a better way, as Big Bang theory is unable to answer, what is an “entity” and where did it come from. But, Manu; in shloka 5 to 13; explained it in a better way and thoroughly. That entity was christened as ‘Brahmam’.
Thus, one can find science of the evolution of universe in written in these Hindu scriptures eons ago. Such similar phenomenon is written in many other scriptures, also like Vishnu Purana, Varaha Purana, Brahmanda Purana and Brahmavaivarta Purana etc. Later, Manu explained, in shloka 63 to 74, the expected time of creation of our earth before 4.32 billion years, which is almost equal to what is said in big bang theory, i.e., 4.5 billion years.
Slokam 1.63
स्वायम्भुवाद्याः सप्तैते मनवो भूरितेजसः ।
स्वे स्वेऽन्तरे सर्वमिदमुत्पाद्यापुश्चराचरम् ॥ १.६३॥
Meaning: These seven very glorious Manus, the first among whom is Svayambhuva, produced and protected this whole movable and immovable (creation), each during the period (allotted to him).
Slokam 1.64
निमेषा दश चाष्टौ च काष्ठा त्रिंशत्तु ताः कला ।
त्रिंशत्कला मुहूर्तः स्यादहोरात्रं तु तावतः ॥ १.६४॥
Meaning: Eighteen nimeshas (twinklings of the eye, are one kashtha), thirty kashthas one kala, thirty kalas one muhurta, and as many (muhurtas) one day and night.
Slokam 1.65
अहोरात्रे विभजते सूर्यो मानुषदैविके ।
रात्रिः स्वप्नाय भूतानां चेष्टायै कर्मणामहः ॥ १.६५॥
Meaning: The sun divides days and nights, both human and divine, the night (being intended) for the repose of created beings and the day for exertion.
Slokam 1.66
पित्र्ये रात्र्यहनी मासः प्रविभागस्तु पक्षयोः ।
कर्मचेष्टास्वहः कृष्णः शुक्लः स्वप्नाय शर्वरी ॥ १.६६॥
Meaning: A month is a day and a night of the manes, but the division is according to fortnights. The dark (fortnight) is their day for active exertion, the bright (fortnight) their night for sleep.
Slokam 1.67
दैवे रात्र्यहनी वर्षं प्रविभागस्तयोः पुनः ।
अहस्तत्रोदगयनं रात्रिः स्याद्दक्षिणायनम् ॥ १.६७॥
Meaning: A year is a day and a night of the gods; their division is (as follows): the half year during which the sun progresses to the north will be the day, that during which it goes southwards the night.
Slokam 1.68
ब्राह्मस्य तु क्षपाहस्य यत्प्रमाणं समासतः ।
एकैकशो युगानां तु क्रमशस्तन्निबोधत ॥ १.६८॥
Meaning: But hear now the brief (description of) the duration of a night and a day of Brahman and of the several ages (of the world, yuga) according to their order.
Slokam 1.69
चत्वार्याहुः सहस्राणि वर्षाणां तत्कृतं युगम् ।
तस्य तावत्शती संध्या संध्यांशश्च तथाविधः ॥ १.६९॥
Meaning: They declare that the Krita age (consists of) four thousand years (of the gods); the twilight preceding it consists of as many hundreds, and the twilight following it of the same number.
Slokam 1.70
इतरेषु ससंध्येषु ससंध्यांशेषु च त्रिषु ।
एकापायेन वर्तन्ते सहस्राणि शतानि च ॥ १.७०॥
Meaning:
In the other three ages with their twilights preceding and following, the thousands and hundreds are diminished by one (in each).
Slokam 1.71
यदेतत्परिसङ्ख्यातमादावेव चतुर्युगम् ।
एतद्द्वादशसाहस्रं देवानां युगमुच्यते ॥ १.७१॥
Meaning: These twelve thousand (years) which thus have been just mentioned as the total of four (human) ages, are called one age of the gods.
Slokam 1.72
दैविकानां युगानां तु सहस्रं परिसङ्ख्यया ।
ब्राह्ममेकमहर्ज्ञेयं तावतीं रात्रिमेव च ॥ १.७२॥ तावती रात्रिरेव च
Meaning: But know that the sum of one thousand ages of the gods (makes) one day of Brahman, and that his night has the same length.
Slokam 1.73
तद्वै युगसहस्रान्तं ब्राह्मं पुण्यमहर्विदुः ।
रात्रिं च तावतीमेव तेऽहोरात्रविदो जनाः ॥ १.७३॥
Meaning: Those (only, who) know that the holy day of Brahman, indeed, ends after the completion of) one thousand ages (of the gods) and that his night lasts as long, (are really) men acquainted with (the length of) days and nights.
Slokam 1.74
तस्य सोऽहर्निशस्यान्ते प्रसुप्तः प्रतिबुध्यते ।
प्रतिबुद्धश्च सृजति मनः सदसदात्मकम् ॥ १.७४॥
Meaning: At the end of that day and night he who was asleep, awakes and, after awaking, creates mind, which is both real and unreal.
Science In Bible And Quran
The holy books of other religions, though much more recent than Manu Smriti, contain numerous scientifically absurd notions, bordering on idiocy.
Bible states that the earth was created in six days. Man was created at the end of the sixth day.
Value of ‘Pi’ is mentioned as ‘3’ in the Bible. Kings 7:23-26 (King James Version of The Bible) and also in Chronicles 4:2-5 (KJV)
The firmament above is claimed to be a solid “roof” over the world. It is described in Genesis 1:6-8 (KJV).
Bible implies that the sun moves around the Earth, rather than the Earth rotating.
”The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. —Ecclesiastes 1:5
Quran 71:19
And Allah has made the earth for you as a carpet (spread out).
Our local ‘reformers’ dare not mention even a single one from them. They are very much aware that if they enter into that area, volcanoes will erupt and heads will fall (Sar Tan Se Juda). But, they will freely take the liberty of nitpicking a few ideas from Hindu edicts, which may not be suitable for application in present day world, blow them out of proportion and condemn the entire work.
Statecraft In Manu Smriti
In the subsequent chapters, rules and regulations for each section of the society, duties of the householder, wife, children, king’s responsibilities, law and order, crime and punishment, law of karma, duties and their rewards, purpose of life and finally guidance for ultimate realisation are all described in great detail.
Manu is quite strict while prescribing the attributes of a king (can be considered for a political leader in the present day).
Slokam 7.44
इन्द्रियाणां जये योगं समातिष्ठेद्दिवानिशम् ।
जितैन्द्रियो हि शक्नोति वशे स्थापयितुं प्रजाः ॥ ७.४४॥
Meaning: Day and night he must strenuously exert himself to conquer his senses; for he (alone) who has conquered his own senses, can keep his subjects in obedience.
Slokam 7.45
दश कामसमुत्थानि तथाऽष्टौ क्रोधजानि च ।
व्यसनानि दुर्ऽन्तानि प्रयत्नेन विवर्जयेत् ॥ ७.४५॥
Meaning: Let him carefully shun the ten vices, springing from love of pleasure, and the eight, proceeding from wrath, which (all) end in misery.
Slokam 7.46
कामजेषु प्रसक्तो हि व्यसनेषु महीपतिः ।
वियुज्यतेऽर्थधर्माभ्यां क्रोधजेष्वात्मनैव तु ॥ ७.४६॥
Meaning: For a king who is attached to the vices springing from love of pleasure, loses his wealth and his virtue, but (he who is given) to those arising from anger, (loses) even his life.
Slokam 7.47
मृगयाऽक्षो दिवास्वप्नः परिवादः स्त्रियो मदः ।
तौर्यत्रिकं वृथाट्या च कामजो दशको गणः ॥ ७.४७॥
Meaning: Hunting, gambling, sleeping by day, censoriousness, (excess with) women, drunkenness, (an inordinate love for) dancing, singing, and music, and useless travel are the tenfold set (of vices) springing from love of pleasure.
Slokam 7.48
पैशुन्यं साहसं द्रोह ईर्ष्याऽसूयाऽर्थदूषणम् ।
वाग्दण्डजं च पारुष्यं क्रोधजोऽपि गणोऽष्टकः ॥ ७.४८॥
Meaning: Tale-bearing, violence, treachery, envy, slandering, (unjust) seizure of property, reviling, and assault are the eightfold set (of vices) produced by wrath.
Slokam 7.49
द्वयोरप्येतयोर्मूलं यं सर्वे कवयो विदुः ।
तं यत्नेन जयेत्लोभं तज्जावेतावुभौ गणौ ॥ ७.४९॥
Meaning: That greediness which all wise men declare to be the root even of both these (sets), let him carefully conquer; both sets (of vices) are produced by that.
Slokam 7.50
पानमक्षाः स्त्रियश्चैव मृगया च यथाक्रमम् ।
एतत्कष्टतमं विद्यात्चतुष्कं कामजे गणे ॥ ७.५०॥
Meaning: Drinking, dice, women, and hunting, these four (which have been enumerated) in succession, he must know to be the most pernicious in the set that springs from love of pleasure.
Slokam 7.51
दण्डस्य पातनं चैव वाक्पारुष्यार्थदूषणे ।
क्रोधजेऽपि गणे विद्यात्कष्टमेतत्त्रिकं सदा ॥ ७.५१॥
Meaning: Doing bodily injury, reviling, and the seizure of property, these three he must know to be the most pernicious in the set produced by wrath.
Slokam 7.52
सप्तकस्यास्य वर्गस्य सर्वत्रैवानुषङ्गिणः ।
पूर्वं पूर्वं गुरुतरं विद्याद्व्यसनमात्मवान् ॥ ७.५२॥
Meaning: A self-controlled (king) should know that in this set of seven, which prevails everywhere, each earlier-named vice is more abominable (than those named later).
Slokam 7.53
व्यसनस्य च मृत्योश्च व्यसनं कष्टमुच्यते ।
व्यसन्यधोऽधो व्रजति स्वर्यात्यव्यसनी मृतः ॥ ७.५३॥
Meaning: (On a comparison) between vice and death, vice is declared to be more pernicious; a vicious man sinks to the nethermost (hell), he who dies, free from vice, ascends to heaven.
Manu Smriti And Thirukkural
There are many parallels between Manu Smriti and Thirukkural. Some of the aspects of morality, statecraft, and the greatness of a ruler mentioned in Manu Smriti are scattered across several chapters of Thiruvalluvar’s Thirukkural. The above mentioned Slokas on moral qualities of a ruler finds place in the following Kurals.
Kural 920
இருமனப் பெண்டிரும் கள்ளும் கவறும்
திருநீக்கப் பட்டார் தொடர்பு.
Meaning: Fortune leaves those whose friends are wantons, wine and dice.
Kural 126
ஒருமையுள் ஆமைபோல் ஐந்தடக்கல் ஆற்றின்
எழுமையும் ஏமாப் புடைத்து
Meaning: Like a tortoise, withdraw your five senses in one birth, to protect you in the next seven.
Here are some other commonalities between Thirukkural and Manu Smriti.
Social Equality In Manu Smriti
Manu Smriti contains lot of progressive, reformative, futuristic statements.
A few instances are provided below:
It is said that nobody is a Brahmin simply by birth. All are Shudras only. Eligibility for Brahmin-hood is observance of strict rules.
जन्मना जायते शूद्रः कर्माण द्विज उच्यते
By birth, everyone is sudra. Only by action, one becomes a dwijan.
शूद्रो ब्राह्मणतामेति ब्राह्मणश्चैति शूद्रताम।
क्षत्रियाज्जातमेवं तु विद्याद्वैश्यात्तथैव च।
A sudra can become a brahmin and a brahmin, sudra. Also, a kshatriya or a vaisya can also turn into other varna. It is all by their knowledge only.
Skanda Puranam also makes a similar statement:
जन्मना जायते शूद्रः संस्काराद्द्विज उच्यते ॥
(स्कन्दपुराण)
A person is a sudra by birth, it is through good activities that one is called a Brahmin
Here is a bombshell for our local zealots by the famous German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche!
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 – 1900) claimed that the Hindu caste system was simply the ratification of an order of nature in his book The Anti-Christ (1895) – “The order of castes, the supreme, the dominating law, is only the sanctioning of a natural order” (Nietzsche, 2003a: p. 189).
Arguably, this claim by Nietzsche is an expression of how much he admires the Hindu caste system.
Women Empowerment In Manu Smriti
Our half baked critics claim that women were not treated properly by Manu in his work. They will be surprised to note that he excels even present day reformists in his progressive dicta! Here they are:
Verse 9.89
काममामरणात्तिष्ठेद्गृहे कन्यार्तुमत्यपि ।
न चैवैनां प्रयच्छेत्तु गुणहीनाय कर्हि चित् ॥ ९.८९॥
Meaning: Father should not hurriedly give his daughter in marriage to a bad guy.
Verse 9.90
त्रीणि वर्षाण्युदीक्षेत कुमार्यर्तुमती सती ।
ऊर्ध्वं तु कालादेतस्माद्विन्देत सदृशं पतिम् ॥ ९.९०॥
Meaning: After waiting for three years, a girl can choose her partner.
Verse 9.91
अदीयमाना भर्तारमधिगच्छेद्यदि स्वयम् ।
नैनः किं चिदवाप्नोति न च यं साऽधिगच्छति ॥ ९.९१॥
Meaning: By doing so, neither she nor the groom is guilty
Compare this with the status/treatment of women in the two dominant Abrahamic religions.
Wives, Submit to Your Husbands — Ephesians 5:22-33
Women Should be at Home — Titus 2:3-5
Women Should Be Silent — 1 Corinthians 14:26-40
The Quran states clearly that women are to be subordinate to men in verse 4.34:
“Men stand superior to women in that God hath preferred some of them over others, and in that they expend of their wealth; and the virtuous women, devoted, careful (in their husbands’) absence, as God has cared for them. But those whose perverseness ye fear, admonish them and remove them into bed-chambers and beat them; but if they submit to you, then do not seek a way against them; verily, God is high and great.”
The Quran in Sura 2:228 says:
. . . Wives have the same rights as the husbands have on them in accordance with the generally
known principles. Of course, men are a degree above them in status . . . (Sayyid Abul A’La
Maududi, The Meaning of the Qur’an, vol. 1, p. 165)
The Quran in Sura 65:4 allows for older men to marry even girl who haven’t hit puberty.
This is what the Quran says for property rights of women. Sura 4:11 says that the share of the male shall be twice that of a female.
And then there is the practice of Triple Talaq.
There may be ideas and codes mentioned in the Manu Smriti that are irrelevant and may not be congruent to ideals of human rights that are there today. But, these codes are not eternal as evident from the fact that there are 14 Manus and none of them being in practice today.
Brahmins In Manu Smriti
There is a canard that Manu is pro-Brahmin and the Manu Smriti is meant for exerting the dominance of Brahmins over other communities. But, Manu is extremely strict with the conduct of Brahmins. Just one example: Brahmins are not supposed to drink liquor. If they do, here is the graphic description of the punishment:
सुरां पीत्वा द्विजो मोहादग्निवर्णां सुरां पिबेत् ।
तया स काये निर्दग्धे मुच्यते किल्बिषात्ततः ॥ ११.९०॥
If by chance, a brahmin consumes liquor, he will have to drink the same liquid boiling hot so that his body is completely scalded by it.
गोमूत्रमग्निवर्णं वा पिबेदुदकमेव वा ।
पयो घृतं वाऽ मरणाद्गोशकृद्रसमेव वा ॥ ११.९१॥
Or drink boiling ‘Panchakavyam’ till he dies.
An organised propaganda has been carried over several decades that the Brahmins are selfish, that they have framed laws to their complete advantage, detrimental to other sections of the society. The truth is exactly the opposite of it! As per the tenets of Sanatana Dharma, the strictest, stringent way of life is prescribed for them. He is not supposed to acquire wealth nor lead a comfortable life.
ब्राह्मणस्य तु देहोऽयं नोपभोगाय कल्पते । इह क्लेशाय महते प्रेत्यानन्तसुखायच ॥
The body of a brahmin is not for the purpose of enjoyment, but for a life of suffering and sacrifice, so that he can enjoy eternal bliss after shedding this mortal body.
How many of us know that, when he performs Sandhyavandanam three times a day, he is doing it not for his own welfare but for the entire society? Whether he is aware of it or not, he prays,
गायत्री छन्दसां मातेदं ब्रह्म जुषस्व नः|
Oh Gayatri Devi! You are the mother of all mantras. I meditate upon you for the welfare of all.
In fact, a Brahmin is not supposed to pray to God for his own benefit!
Till the advent of the British and the introduction of Macaulay education Brahmins had been living a frugal, exemplary life and guiding the society. In most of our old tales, you will only hear about “poor Brahmin”. In spite of the fact that they were treated with highest esteem in society, including the kings, they lived the most stoic, spartan, sparing life, eschewing any comfort, let alone luxuries. For instance, Chanakya, minister for emperor Chandragupta lived in a simple hut at the end of the town and during a cold night, denied himself use of woollen blankets kept with him meant for distribution to poor people the next day.
But, with the advent of English education, a can of worms had been opened and a permanent, irreversible pandemonium had set in. Yes, Brahmins because of their cultural and social capital have found it easy to accustom to changing times. To blame Brahmins for the present predicament of caste inequalities is preposterous.
Today, a large section of the Brahmins themselves don’t care or live by Manu Smriti. They are working across different domains and their way of life too has changed. Same is the case for other communities. But even today, there exists a miniscule minority of a few poor brahmins who are silently swimming against the current and running Veda patashalas and this is an eyesore for the Dravidians/missionaries who are attempting to erase every sign of Sanatana Dharma.
Conclusion
Codes, laws and guidelines are meant to change over time. Reforms within Hindu society have happened and will continue to happen to adjust to the changing times.
At present, nobody is advocating observance of Manu’s tenets. We have our Indian constitution to follow. Manu Smriti is just a treatise in the library. So, where is the need to take it from the shelf, laboriously look for lapses and adopt it as an alibi for accusing Hinduism and Sanatana Dharma? Do they have any spine to even mention the copious nonsensical observations in the holy books of other religions? It is funny to note that if anyone else dare to point them out, the same fellows feverishly rush to the defence of other religions and condemn and castigate that individual!
The protagonists who attempt to propagate hatred and divide the Hindu society should realise that they cannot continue their game any longer. The present generation is well informed about all facts through the ocean of information available now. The days of blind subservience to the dictates of diabolical leaders are past. They cannot simply pander to the minorities, presuming that the Hindus will always be divided and can therefore be taken for granted. In short, their game is over.
“Close the Bible and open the Manu Smriti. It has an affirmation of life, a triumphing agreeable sensation in life and that to draw up a lawbook such as Manu means to permit oneself to get the upper hand, to become perfection, to be ambitious of the highest art of living.”
The Will to Power – Friedrich Nietzsche
References
- Slokas of Manu Smriti and other inputs were provided by Parasuram Sharma, a retired bank officer and an octogenarian whose interests include Sanathana Dharmam, Samskritam, history and politics
- https://archive.org/details/ManuSmriti_201601/mode/1up
- https://sanskritdocuments.org/sites/prkannan/Manusmriti.pdf
- https://sanskritdocuments.org/articles/marriage_and_rights_of_women_in_ancient_India_by_Shashikant_Joshi.pdf
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manusmriti
- Manusmriti could be horrible, but these left-liberal liars are more horrible (opindia.com)
- மனு தர்மம் – New Indian-Chennai News & More (activeboard.com)
- மனு ஸ்மிருதி; வரலாற்று ரீதியான விவரங்கள் இவை! – Dhinasari Tamil
- https://wordsfromastone.wordpress.com/2018/05/08/evaluate-nietzsches-claim-that-the-hindu-caste-system-is-merely-the-ratification-of-an-order-of-nature/
- https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Biblical_scientific_errors
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