| Women In The Sacred Laws |
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WOMEN IN THE SACRED LAWS PROLOGUE |
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| V. Law and Religion in Hindu Culture.
One remarkable aspect of Hinduism is that Law and Religion have been inseparable. Veda was the supreme source of authority for all Dharma sutras and it was a divine revelation. They looked up to this Divine Agent for justice and feared Divine Displeasure. These laws came in the form of commands and injunctions issued not by a political sovereign but by the Supreme God. The sovereign’s duty was to see that these were carried out adequately. Sir Gurudas Banerjee has emphasized, this aspect by saying that " the highest possible ambition of every Hindu ruler was to govern according to the primeval law; and the, most perfect type of administrative ability was the power to lead the subjects without the least deviation in the beaten track marked out by Manu.’'2The Satapatha Brahmana emphatically declares that kings are not entitled to make new laws or to modify the old ones. Manu, while providing rules for the guidance of the king does not mention that legislation is the function of the king.3 The same trend of thought underlies in the Homeric "Them is" or "The metes" who administered justice to kings.4The earliest of the lawgivers, Gautama, declared as the source of Dharma (1, 1.2); so did Baudhayana and Apastamba. But Manu made a departure and mentioned Veda is one of the sources of Dharma.Veda is the first source, tradition is the second and usages of virtuous men, the third source (Manu II. 6). Yajnavalkya agreed with Manu (Yaj. 1.7) but stressed more on the secular aspect of law. 2.Hindu Law of Marriage And Stridhana-P.3 3.Manu. Ch. VII. 4.Ancient law-Mayne-P. 3-4. |
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