The Yajnavalkya-Smrtih of sage Yanjavalkya occupies an important place among the significant religious scriptures of India. This treatise is grouped into three major sections; Acaradhyayah, Vyavaharadhyah and Prayascittadhyayah. The Acaradhyayah is devoted to the study of the code of conduct for a person related to the knowledge of Dharma. It prescribes the necessary rules for human conduct for a harmonious life.
Sage Yanjavalkya makes a clear interpretation of class, caste and consciousness and cautions about the results of unholy marriages and the sons begotten from the wives of different castes. He says that a person, leading the domestic mode of life should daily perform the Smarta (Prescribed in a code of laws) action in the Vivaha fire i.e., a fire that is kept in the house for domestic rites, or that brought according to the divisions of time and Srauta (prescribed in the Sruti) actions in Vaitanika fire, (a sacrificial fire). Defining the duties of a household he asks to offer oblations to fire with self-control and recite the Suryadaivata Mantras and study the Vedas and various other scriptural works.
The laws and regulations in general are given in the second division. The last division is on regulations in different spheres of one’s life. |
