History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s23.20

v1.c6.s23.20

Though Nārada is based on Manu, he differs in several essential matters from Manu. We have seen the difference between them in the nomenclature of the titles of law. Manu only casually mentions the ordeals of fire and water (8. 114), while Nārada enumerates five kinds of ordeals, describes them at length and adds two more viz. *taṇḍula-bhakṣaṇa* and *taptamāṣa* (ṛṇādāna, verses 259-348). He allows *Niyoga* (marital relation, verses 80-88), while Manu strongly condemns it. He allows remarriage of women (Nārada, marital relation, 97), while Manu is against it. Manu mentions seven kinds of slaves (8. 415), while Nārada raises their number to fifteen (abhupetyāśuśrūṣā, verses 26-28); Manu condemns gambling outright (9. 221-228), while Nārada allows it under state control and as a source of revenue; Nārada is further far more systematic than Manu and is full of divisions and subdivisions. For example, he divides property into three kinds, each of which is again subdivided into seven varieties (ṛṇadāna 44-47); Nārada divides the law of gift into four sections, which are further subdivided into 32; he subdivides the eighteen titles into 132 (vyavahāra-mātṛkā I. 25).