The Smriti scriptures of Sanatan Dharma are of human origin, i.e. they could be attributed to particular authors. The word Smriti means “that which is remembered.” This category of Hindu scriptures encompasses everything except the Vedas. Smriti scriptures expand upon Vedic principles in more accessible ways for the general population. In addition, they include various laws (injunctions and prohibitions) taking into account the social context of society. Smriti scriptures include the Dharma Shastras, Nibandhas, Puranas, Epics (Ramayan and Mahabharat), Agamas or Tantras, Vedangas, Upa Vedas, Darshanas and other great works. A description of the Dharma Shastras and the Puranas is presented.
Dharma Shastras (Law Books)
The Dharma Shastras are the law book of Sanatan Dharma containing the codes of human conduct, social administration and ethical/moral duties. There are eighteen main Dharma Shastras written by great sages: Manu, Yajnavalkya, Parasara, Vishnu, Daksha, Samvarta, Vyasa, Harita, Satatapa, Vasishtha, Yama, Apastamba, Gautama, Devala, Sankha-Likhita, Usana, Atri and Saunaka. The Manu Smiriti, which is a law book for righteous living, is a popular Dharma Shastra which is used as a reference for Hindu ethical issues.
It must be noted that the laws and rules found the Dharma Shastras are dependent on societal conditions at a particular time in history. The principles behind these laws need to be interpreted and applied in a modern context, as some of them cannot be applied verbatim.
The Puranas
There are eighteen main Puranas: Visnu Purana, Naradiya Purana, Srimad Bhagavata Purana, Garuda Purana, Padma Purana, Varaha Purana, Brahma Purana, Brahmanda Purana, Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Markandeya Purana, Bhavishya Purana, Vamana Purana, Matsya Purana, Kurma Puranan, Linga Purana, Shiva Purana, Skahda Purana and Agni Purana. Six of these are devoted to Lord Vishnu, six to Lord Brahma and six to Lord Shiva. The author of the Puranas is sage Veda Vyasa.
The Puranas contain the essence of the Vedas through the medium of accessible examples, mythology, stories and allegories. The great Vedic principles are encoded in these forms for the general population, as they are easily remembered and disseminated.
One of the most popular Puranas is the Srimad Bhagavata Purana which chronicles the avatars or manifestations of Lord Vishnu. The ten Avatars are: Matsya (the fish), Kurma (the tortoise), Varaha (the boar), Narsingh (the man-lion), Vamana (the dwarf), Parsurama (Rama with the axe), Shri Ram, ShriKrishna, Buddha (the prince ascetic) and Kalki (the hero). These avatars encode the spiritual evolution of man as he moves from a state of ignorance to one of enlightenment. Each story provides the spiritual aspirant with the methodology for overcoming internal negativities and replacing them with positive qualities necessary for eventual liberation.
