THE SPIRITUAL PATH

There is a mistaken belief that the Authors of these Smritis were lawgivers.  That is wrong. They did not enunciate new laws.  Smriti implies what is remembered.  Smriti is a record of the memory of the sages of the Vedic texts including what might have been lost in the passage of time.  Smriti follows and is in according with Sruti or the Vedas.

Kaalidaasa picturesquely conveyed this when he said that the queen Sudakshina followed her husband, King Dileepa, and walked a little distance behind him, as he took the cow Nandini to graze in the forest, with accordant mind even as the Smriti follows the footsteps of Sruti. Sruterivaartham smritiranvagacchat. Thus we have the authority of Kaalidaasa the mahaakavi, our national poet for saying that Smritis derive their authority from the Vedas and that their ordinances are not man-made with the possibility of error or liability to be set at nought.   

Suppose again that there are no Smriti texts to guide us at a crisis, what are we to do?   The conduct of those who know the Smriti, seelaschatadvidaam is to be observed and we must act accordingly. As these persons who know the Smritis are well versed in the eternal basic principles of conduct, their declarations are expected to be in tune with the spirit of the Sruti. But when persons well versed in Smritis are not available, we have to model our conduct on the virtuous actions of good people, aachaaraascha saadhoonaam.

[ Back ] [ Aspects Of Our Religion ] [ Up ] [ Next ]