An investigation into the Dharmasutras' Manusmruti Varna system

Abstract

A wealth of knowledge on the political, judicial, and social climate of that era may be found in Manusmriti. The earliest and most well-known smriti is Manusmriti, also known as Manava dharmasastra. A standard representation of Hindu society and civilization, the Manusmriti is the most authoritative source of Hindu law. The second-century manuscript Manusmriti is credited with maintaining the varna system, which consists of four divisions within society. This classification, however, does not only apply to Manusmriti. Instead, it is a prevalent aspect—indeed, a fundamental component—of all of the Dharma literature. The challenges the Brahmin group faced during a time of extreme social upheaval seem to have been taken into consideration when the book was written. The Vyavaharapadas worldview aims to restore the oneness of the Brahmin and Kshatriya ethnic groups. Eleven The focus on this topic is intended to be seen as a gift of similarity from the ruling elite to the religious community. Apart from the Vedas, very few other literary works in the world perhaps give women as much respect and privileges as these do, as the Manu Smriti gladly attests to. It might be necessary to search for further modifications even in well-known women's activist works to properly arrange Manu Smriti. It is not very clear from everything I have looked at that women are the cornerstone of a good society. The other ancient political philosophers shared Manu's belief that women were a creature that required care and protection and could not exist on their own. However, the intellectuals' belief reduced women to subservient entities. Women have always taken a backseat to men in society. She was seldom treated with respect; occasionally, somebody would refer to her pitiful situation. The author attempted to analyze the varna system in Manusmriti as well as the position of women during that time.