Hindu Scriptures – The Smritis
By Dr. Narayana Bhat
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Mr. Bhat is a member of the Hindu Cultural Center of North Alabama, Huntsville, Alabama. Mr. Bhat will be writing for our Hindu Religion column on bi-monthly basis and will choose his topic from readers’ questions. Please send your questions to Mr. Bhat at: |
The Smritis
Next in importance to the Srutis are the Smritis or secondary scriptures. These are the ancient sacred law-codes of the Hindus dealing with the Sanatana-Varnasrama-Dharma. They supplement and explain the ritualistic injunctions called Vidhis in the Vedas. The Smriti or Dharma Sastra is founded on the Sruti. The Smritis are based on the teachings of the Vedas. The Smriti stands next in authority to the Sruti (Vedas). It explains and develops Dharma. It lays down the laws which regulate Hindu national, social, family and individual obligations.
The laws for regulating Hindu society from time to time are codified in the Smritis. The Smritis have laid down definite rules and laws to guide the individuals and communities in their daily conduct and to regulate their manners and customs. The Smritis have given detailed instructions, according to the conditions of the time, to all classes of men regarding their duties in life.
The Hindu learns how he has to spend his whole life from these Smritis. The duties of Varnasramas (the four stages of life) are clearly given in these books. The Smritis describe certain acts and prohibit some others for a Hindu, according to his birth and stage of life. The object of the Smritis is to purify the heart of man and take him gradually to the supreme abode of immortality and make him perfect and free.
These Smritis have varied from time to time. The injunctions and prohibitions of the Smritis are related to the particular social surroundings. As these surroundings and essential conditions of the Hindu society changed from time to time, new Smritis had to be compiled by the sages of different ages and different parts of India. The time dependence of Smritis is the key to the survival of Hinduism in the face of foreign invasions.
Posted by ks on 03/01/10 at 12:18 AM
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Hindu Scriptures – The Srutis
By Narayana Bhat
|
Mr. Bhat is a member of the Hindu Cultural Center of North Alabama, Huntsville, Alabama. Mr. Bhat will be writing for our Hindu Religion column on bi-monthly basis and will choose his topic from readers’ questions. Please send your questions to Mr. Bhat at: |
The Vedas are the oldest texts of Hindu literature, stemming from an oral tradition believed to be of unknown origin so much so that they are held to be transcendental and immutable gospels (apourusheya prabhu samhitas). They are the eternal truths revealed by God to the great Rishis of India. The word Rishi means a seer, from the root dris, to see. The Rishi is the Mantra-Drashta, a seer of Mantra or thought. The thought was not his (her) own. The Rishis saw the truths or heard them. Therefore, the Vedas are what are heard (Sruti). The Rishi did not write. He (or she) did not create it out of his (or her) mind. He (she) was the seer of thought which existed already. He (she) was only the spiritual discoverer of the thought. He (she) was not the inventor of the Veda.
Posted by ks on 01/07/10 at 05:45 AM
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Republic Day Celebrations
Ugadi
Ganesha Chaturthi
Independence Day (Link1) (Link2)
Mahashivaratri
Posted by ks on 01/06/10 at 11:15 AM
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Diwali Pooja
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Posted by ks on 10/14/09 at 11:56 PM
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Ganesha Chaturthi
By Pravin Kotian, Ph.D.
Birmingham, AL
Ganesha Chaturthi is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Ganesha. Ganesha Chaturthi or “Vinayak Chaturthi” is one of the major traditional holiest festivals of Hindus. Lord Ganesha happens to be one of the most popular deities and everyone seems to be in love with this cute, pot-bellied elephant god. The occasion sees pious worships to Lord Ganesha, who is widely worshipped as the supreme god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune. The deity is also believed to be the remover of all obstacles and is also famous for being a trickster and for his profound sense of humor.
Posted by ks on 08/31/09 at 08:42 AM
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