Daksha Smrti (दक्षस्मृति:)
Vedanga is a class of works regarded as auxiliary to the four Vedas and designed to aid in the correct pronunciation and interpretation of the text and the right employment of the Mantras in ceremonials. The Vedangas are six in number—Shiksha (the science of proper articulation and pronunciation), Chandas (the science of prosody), Vyakarana (grammar), Nirukta (etymological explanation of difficult Vedic words), Jyotish (astronomy) and Kalpa (ritual or ceremonial).[1] The Kalpasutra is fourfold namely, Shrautasutra, Grhyasutra, Dharmasutra and Shulvasutra. This Dharmasutra containing the Do’s and Don’ts of the social life got enlarged as the Dharmashastra or Smrti literature in later years. The Trimuni of Indian Nyaya (Law and Order) are: Narada, Brihaspati and Katyayana.[2]
If the Vedas and the Upanishads give the basic philosophy of Hinduism, the Dharmashastras, comprising the Smrtis, the Puranas and the Nibandhas (digests), give the rules and regulations that guide a Hindu in his personal and social life. The word Smrti in a technical sense refers to the secondary scriptures like the Manusmrti and others which remind one, of the great spiritual truths contained in the Vedas. They are law-books which prescribe the code of conduct for the individual and the society.
परिचयः ॥ Introduction
Daksha is one of the writers on dharma enumerated by Yajnavalkya. Apararka also cites numerous verses of Daksha on achara, ashaucha, shraddha and similar topics. In one case, he attributes a prose passage to Daksha about the gift of gold. Two of his verses most frequently quoted by writers on vyavahara are those that lay down what nine things cannot be the subjects of gift.[3]
Various editions of Daksha Smrti are available like:
- In Jivananda’s collection, there is a Daksha smrti in seven chapters and 220 verses.
- Anandashrama collection
- M N Dutt’s collection
- Govt Manuscript Library, BORI Poona (197 verses)
- Bombay University manuscript (197 verses)
अध्यायसारः ॥ Chapter Contents
The edition consulted here is the one published by Nag publishers in 1981 with the title ‘Smrti Sandarbha’ in seven chapters and 208 verses.
| Chapter | Subject-matter | Number of verses |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Description of Ashramas | 14 |
| 2 | Duties of the twice-born | 56 |
| 3 | Description of the household ashrama | 32 |
| 4 | Types of wives | 21 |
| 5 | Pure and Impure acts | 13 |
| 6 | Ritual Impurity | 18 |
| 7 | Yoga | 54 |
| Total - 208 |
Some important and famous verses of Daksha smrti are:
| Sanskrit in Devanagari | Roman Transliteration | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| संध्यायां च प्रभाते च मध्याह्ने च तत: पुन:/
संध्यां नोपासते यस्तु ब्राह्मणो हि विशेषत:// 2.18 स जीवन्नेव शूद्र: स्यान् मृत: श्वा चैव जायते/ संध्याहीनोsशुचि: नित्यमनर्ह: सर्वकर्मसु// 2.19 |
sandhyāyāṃ ca prabhāte ca madhyāhne ca tataḥ punaḥ/
sandhyāṃ nopāsate yastu brāhmaṇo hi viśeṣataḥ// 2.18 sa jīvanneva śūdraḥ syān mṛtaḥ śvā caiva jāyate/ sandhyāhīno'śuciḥ nityam anarhaḥ sarvakarmasu// 2.19 |
The Brahmin who does not perform his daily rituals at dawn, midday and dusk is a Sudra and will be reborn as a dog. A Brahmin who does not perform his daily rituals is impure and unfit for any activity. |
| वेदाभ्यासो हि विप्राणां परमं तप उच्यते/ (2.25) | vedābhyāso hi viprāṇāṃ paramaṃ tapa ucyate/ (2.25) | Practice of Vedas is the ultimate penance of Brahmins. |
| सुखं वांछन्ति सर्वे हि तच्च धर्मसमुद्भवम्/
तस्माद् धर्म: सदा कार्य: सर्ववर्णै: प्रयत्नत:// (3.23) |
sukhaṃ vānchanti sarve hi tacca dharma-samudbhavam/
tasmād dharmaḥ sadā kāryaḥ sarva-varṇaiḥ prayatnataḥ// (3.23) |
All wish to experience pleasure born from dharma (duty), thus, dharma should be practiced by all sections consciously. |
| मृते भर्तरि या नारी समारोहेत् हुताशनम्/
सा भवेत् तु शुभाचारा स्वर्गलोके महीयते// (4.19) |
mṛte bhartari yā nārī samārohet hutāśanam/
sā bhavet tu śubhācārā svargaloke mahīyate// (4.19) |
A lady who dies on the pyre of her dead husband (i.e. commits Sati) is virtuous and will enjoy in heaven. |
| प्राणायामस्तथा ध्यानं प्रत्याहारस्तु धारणा/
तर्कश्चैव समाधिश्च षडङ्गो योग उच्यते// (7.2) |
prāṇāyāmastathā dhyānaṃ pratyāhārastu dhāraṇā/
tarkaścaiva samādhiśca ṣaḍaṅgo yoga ucyate// (7.2) |
Yoga has six constituents namely: Pranayama, Dhyana, Pratyahara, Dharana, Tarka and Samadhi. |
| पारिव्रज्यं गृहीत्वा च यो धर्मे नावतिष्ठते/
श्वपदेनांकयित्वा तं राजा शीघ्रं प्रवासयेत्// (7.34) |
pārivrajyaṃ gṛhītvā ca yo dharme nāvatiṣṭhate/
śvapadenānkayitvā taṃ rājā śīghraṃ pravāsayet// (7.34) |
A monk who does not follow rules (does not abstain from eight carnal pleasures etc) ought be treated as a dog and ousted soon by the King. |
| ध्यानं शौचं तथा भिक्षा नित्यम् एकांतशीलता/
भिक्षो: चत्वारि कर्माणि पंचमो नोपपद्यते// (7.39) |
dhyānaṃ śaucaṃ tathā bhikṣā nityam ekāntaśīlatā/
bhikṣoḥ catvāri karmāṇi pancamo nopapadyate// (7.39) |
The four characteristics of a mendicant are: meditation, purity, sustenance on alms and solitude always. |
The first verse of the Daksha smrti is:
सर्वधर्मार्थतत्त्वज्ञ सर्ववेदविदां वर:/ पारग: सर्वविद्यानां दक्षो नाम प्रजापति:// sarva-dharmārtha-tattvajña sarva-veda-vidāṃ varaḥ/ pāragaḥ sarva-vidyānāṃ dakṣo nāma prajāpatiḥ//
Meaning: The Prajapati named Daksha is an expert in all sciences; knower of all dharma and artha; and the best among the knowers of all the Vedas. The last verse of the Smrti is:
श्रावयित्वा त्विदं शास्त्रं श्राद्धकालेsपि वा द्विज:/ अक्षयं भवति श्राद्धं पितृभ्यश्चोपजायते// śrāvayitvā tvidaṃ śāstraṃ śrāddhakāle'pi vā dvijaḥ/ akṣayaṃ bhavati śrāddhaṃ pitṛbhyaścopajāyate//
Meaning: If a twice-born chants this text during ancestral ceremony then it becomes inexhaustible for the manes.
Thus, Daksha smrti is certainly a very old Smrti and contains the name of Daksha himself which shows that he was a thorough-going Advaitin.