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Social thought of Yajnavalkya-(1)
and different importance to certain topics and titles of state and court law. Even in 'prayas citta, he discusses 'Yatidharma', 'Dana' and 'As'uca' in greater detail. He covers up certain problems of law not discussed by Manu and also discusses topics like 'Graha' santi', 'Dravyas'uddhi' etc. This is a proof of the fact that social thought continues to change, though slowly.
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(5) One more proof of the changing social vision and social thought is the fact that Yajnavalkya discusses in brief, and without Manu's emphasis on morality, some of the topics given greater importance in Manu. To illustrate-the thinking on 'Snatakadharma', 'Sraddha', 'bhakṣyabhakṣya' etc. come under this category.
6) The reading of the Manusmrti leaves this find impression on our mind on the whole that Manu is a stiff moralist and highly religious and righteous. This is not the case with Yajnavalkya, who is principally a social philosopher, a sociologist. He tries to lay down before us the natural and realistic Acara of a healthy society.
Social Change
As the social approch and the visioa of laying down of social philosophy have changed, we naturally come to the question of social change. Let us discuss the problem from the viewpoint of those days and see, where, how and why Yajnavalkya's vision of the Acara of social life has changed. Then we will come to his thinking on marriage, family, Varna, Adrama, Vyavahara, Prayaścitta etc.
Kingsly Davis states
"What seems important today, what seems a vital change, may be nothing more than a temporary oscillation having nothing to do with essential trends. This is what historians mean when they say that time alone can place events of the day in their true perspective."4
Jain Education International
It would be proper to keep in mind this statement of Davis when we examine social change in a period of some 300 years from Manu to Yajnavalkya. Our first impression will be that there is no very remarkable change during the period in the broad social structure, its 4. "Human Society", Kingsly Davis, p. 624
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