MANUSMRITI -a memory

MANUSMRITI 

-a memory

·       ‘The flood’:

Manu, like any other historical figure, survived ‘the flood’ and became the ancestor of the new human race. In story of the great flood, Manu combines the traits of the Hebrew Bible figures of Noah, who preserved life from extinction. Noah’s flood, Zeus’ deluge and the flood in Gilgamesh tell the same story that tapered the last ice age. As the ice melted, it resulted in the rising of sea level leading to ‘the flood’.

 

·      

Who was Manu?

Manu was the son of Lord Brahma and Goddess Saraswati. He is also known as the first king and is mentioned as the performer of the first sacrifice in the Vedas. The name ‘Manu’ is similar to the Indo-European man, which is also grammatically related with the Sanskrit word ‘man’- “to think”. In every secondary cycle the world is re-created and a new ‘Manu’ appears to become the guardian of the coming human race. Manu is considered the author of the ancient Sanskrit code of conduct called Manusmriti.

 

·       What is Manusmriti?

Manusmriti, in literal terms means ‘reflections of Manu’. It came into being about 1800 years ago during the Yagna-based vedic period. Manusmriti or Manav-dharma-Shastra is a smriti (reminiscence) of the work of man, which is subject to change with time (kala), place (sthan) and participants (patra). It is divided into 12 adhyayas (lessons). There are 14 different Manavantara and each Manavantara lasts a lifetime. The present Manavantara is the seventh and is known as Vaivasvata Manavantara.

 

However, Manusmriti has never been considered to be the “God’s command”.  It is a Smriti- a memory.