Sambodhi 1984 Vol 13 and 14

Author(s): Dalsukh Malvania, Ramesh S Betai, Yajneshwar S Shastri
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 79

74
J. R. Betai & R. S. Betai
stand and control the tide of the fast spread of Buddhism. Jayaswal, Radhakrishnan and Mukherjee refer to Manusmrti being a post-Buddhi stic work, and written possibly with a view no repudiate Buddhism. Buddhism threw away more or less the caste-system and established the absolute equality of all. We must concede that its attitude of equality of all irrespective of caste, creed, sex, social status etc., and its opposition against the caste-system is revolutionary. It challenged and set aside the Asrama system by permitting conversion to all at any age in life. It granted permission to women to embrace Samnyasa, though with reluc tance in the beginning and established their independent Sanghas. It raised, its firm voice against the excessive ritualism of brahmins and slaughter of animals in Yajñas. It gave place to conscience as an authority in place of the word of the Vedas. This was a veritable challenge to the very existence of Aryadharma or Vedadharma and Hindu society with its deep-rooted traditional values. It seems that this inspired the Mänava school to give this exquisite compendium so that Hindu society and its Varnasrama were not wiped out or up-rooted. This is again one of the main reasons that inspired Manu's revaluation of social philosophy. This seems to be one of the important purposes of this composition. The following are the main points of internal evidence, that can go to prove that the purpose mentioned above was in the mind of Manu when he composed this work. It is interesting to note that he took the constructive step of making Hindu Dharma firm-rooted and the citadel of Hindu society intact and preferred not to attack directly the opponents. If Hindus or Aryas become strong and sound in their social, religious, philosophical, ethical and cultural values, they could very well stand the tide of Buddhism; this seems to be his outlook.
Internal Evidence :
One very important and an unusual feature of the work is that it started with two-fold plilosophy of Origin of Creation and Creation of man and ends in the 12th Adhyaya with the Karma doctrine of social activity to stress that one who leads this his life of Puruşartha on the lines laid down in the intervening Adhyayas, becomes fit to attain to mokṣa (12.107, 126). Social life and social ethics adopted in a very normal and balanced manner, with Puruşartha can lead man to bliss in the end. When Manu lays down this possibility and promise, naturally this can have a soothening effect on man's psychology and personality and he would not hurry up to renounce the world. The social order an d social fabric will not collapse, as was likely with the freedom of choice