History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s18.14.1

v1.c6.s18.14.1

The extant Manusmṛti is divided into twelve *adhyāyas* and contains 2694 ślokas. Dr. Jolly's edition (published in 1895) prepared after collating numerous mss. and printed editions contains only one śloka more. The Manusmṛti is written in a simple and flowing style. It generally agrees with Pāṇini's system, though it contains some deviations from it as in the verse 'sākṣiṇaḥ santi metyuktvā' (8. 57). The foregoing pages have sufficiently shown how it agrees closely with the doctrines contained in the Dharmasūtras of Gautama, Baudhāyana, Āpastamba. We have also seen how numerous verses are common to the dharmasūtras of Vasiṣṭha and Viṣṇu and the Manusmṛti. The Kauṭilīya also exhibits remarkable agreement with the Manusmṛti in phraseology and doctrines.²⁷³ What conclusions are to be drawn from this will be discussed later on. Some verses are repeated, e. g. V. 164-165 are the same as IX. 30 and 29. The contents of the Manusmṛti may be briefly summarised as follows:--(I) Sages approach Manu for instruction in the *dharmas* of the *varṇas*; Manu describes the creation of the world from the self-existent God more or less in the Sāṅkhya manner; the creation of Virāj, of Manu from Virāj, of ten sages from Manu; creation of various beings, men, beasts, birds etc.; Brahmā imparts dharmaśāstra to Manu, who teaches the sages; Manu bids Bhṛgu to instruct the sages in *dharma*; six other Manus sprang from Svāyambhuva Manu;