Dharmashastra

Course content

In the Bhagavadgītā, Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna: “Ignoring the precept of the scriptures [śāstra], he who acts under the impulsion of passion, he does not attain perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme Goal. Therefore, the scripture [śāstra] is your authority as regards the determination of what is to be done and what is not to be done.

After understanding (your) duty as presented by scriptural injunction, you ought to perform (your duty) here.” (Gītā 16, 23-24). The Dharma literature is enormous, it includes Vedic revelation (śruti), authoritative texts (smṛti) like Manudharmaśāstra, itihāsapurāṇa and the vast commentarial tradition. The History of Dharmaśāstra, a concise overview of Dharma by P. V. Kane, spans about 6,500 pages. In this course, we will read brief sections of the Kane text, focusing on:

1. The meaning and sources of Dharma.
2. Introduction to the various authors and texts of Dharmaśāstra.
3. Topics in the Dharmaśāstra such as varṇa, āśrama, yagna, niyoga, saṃskāras, pañcamahāyajña and so on.
4. Śrauta rituals such as Darśapūrṇamāsa, Cāturmāsya, Agniṣṭoma and other Soma sacrifices.
5. Rājadharma and some political aspects of Dharma
6. Sin and expiation (pāpa, prāyaścitta)
7. Vratas and Utsavas including those observed by modern Hindus (Dīpāvali, Vijaya Daśami, Mahāsamīkrānti, Mahāśivarātri etc.
8. Dharma in relation to philosophical schools such as Pūrvamīmāṃsā, Buddhism, Sāṃkhya, Yoga, etc. The doctrine of karma and rebirth.

We will read pre-assigned sections from The History of the Dharmaśāstra: Vols. 1-V. The primary goal of the course is to understand the scope, structure, function and interpretation of Dharmaśāstras; with the aim of reading Manusmṛti contextually, analytically, and philosophically.

Close reading of the text, class discussion, lectures, and guest lectures (when possible) constitute the method of instruction. Students are required to write 15-page paper on one section of Manusmṛti. The paper should reconstruct Manu’s thesis and analyze its argument, while enriching your interpretation with materials from Kane’s work.