The State in Ancient India: A Study in the Structure and Practical Working of Political Institutions in North India in Ancient Times c14.16

Language: English

c14.16

Besides Śruti and Smṛti, Manu admits the customs of virtuous men and ātmatuṣṭi or one's own conscience as sources of law. Here is a round-about admission of custom and state-decrees as binding on the people. When he accords equal authority to two conflicting sacred texts, he can only be held to imply that reason or usage was to be the deciding factor. In his chapter on Civil and Criminal Law he is more explicit:

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