The Laws of Manu: Or Manava Dharma-Sástra, Abridged English Translation (Classic Reprint)

Sruti andS mriti. The sacred books of the Hindus are divided into two great classes, called Sruti andS mriti. Sruti, which means hearing denotes direct revelation; Smriti, recollection includes the sacred books which are admitted to have been composed by human authors. Classed underS ruti, are the Vedas, theB rahmanas, and the Upanishads. Smriti, in its widest sense, includes almost the whole of post-vedic literature The principal divisions are the six Vedangas, theS marta-S utras, theD harma-S astras or Law Books, theE pic Poems, the eighteen Puranas, and the Upa-P uranas. Yajur Veda. The Rig-V eda denotes the Veda of hymns of praise. The Sdma-V eda contains extracts from the Rig-V eda, arranged for the purpose of being chanted at sacrifices. The A tharva-V eda ia oi later origin than the others. It is sometimes called the Cursing Veda, because it contains so many mantras supposed to be able to cause the destruction of enemies. The YajurV eda will be noticed rather more at length from its close connection with theD harma-S stras. The name comes from yaj, sacrifice. It contains the formulas and verses to be muttered by the priests and their assistants who had chiefiy to prepare the sacrificial ground, to dress the altar, slay the victims, and pour out the libations. The first sentences in one of the two divisions were to be uttered by the priest as he cut from a particular tree a switch with which to drive away the calves from the cows whose milk was to furnish the material of the offering. There are two principal texts of theY ajur-V eda, called respectively theW hite and theB lack, or the Vajasaneyi and Taittiriya Sanhitas. The Vishnu Purana gives the followiug explanation of their names :V aisampayana, a pupil of the great Vyasa, was the original teacher of theB lack Yajur-V eda. Yajnavalkya, one of his disciples, having displeased him, was called upon by
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