An Outline of the Religious Literature of India c7.s2.6

c7.s2.6

There are four types of *sūtras* which are of large significance for the religious life, namely the *Śrauta*, the *Gṛihya*, and the *Dharma* manuals, and the magic-books. The *Śrauta-sūtras* get their epithet *Śrauta* from the fact that they are directly founded on the hymns and the *Brāhmaṇas*, which are *śruti*, i.e. revelation in the highest sense. The *Gṛihya* manuals are called *gṛihya*, i.e. domestic, because they describe the minor sacrifices and the ritual acts obligatory on the family. The *Dharma* manuals lay down the rules of the *dharma*, i.e. the Hindu law of conduct. Of the *Śrauta-sūtras* a dozen survive, of the *Gṛihyas* also a dozen, or thirteen, if the *Kauśika* be included, and of the *Dharma* manuals six; while there are four noteworthy books on magic.