Compiled by London swaminathan
swami_48@yahoo.com
Date: 3 JANUARY 2019
GMT Time uploaded in London 21-00
Post No. 5878
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Dr S Radhakrishnan, famous philosopher and President of India
has compared Manu with Kautilya. He compared Manu Smrti of Manu and Arthasastra
of Kautilya in an article published in 1952. I have given below some
interesting points,
Manu in the Mahabharata
Over 250 Slokas from the Manu Smrti occur in various sections
of the Mahabharata and many legends are common between the two works.
Size of the Two books
Manu Smrti has 2685 verses in 12 chapters. It is in poetic verses.
Kautilyas Arthasastra is a prose work in 15 books comprising 6000 Slokas of 32 syllables each in length.
Age of Two works
Manu Smrti in the present redaction belongs to Second century BCE. Kane argued that the epic borrowed the verses from the Smrti and it belongs to pre -epic period.
( yesterday I gave ten reasons to place the original Manu Smrti in the Vedic period. Viewed in that background , 250 plus Slokas in the epic is another proof to show that it was composed before 3100 BCE. But nobody disputes that Hindus updated the Smrti periodically. No one could say which one section or rule is older or newer. Definitely the anti Shudra verses were later interpolations. Because no such trend is seen in the epics or Vedas).
Authorship
Manu Smrti is attributed to Swayabhuva Manu and his disciple Bhrgu recited it to the sages. Kautilya says clearly that he took into account of all the literature on the subject. He refers to the views of over five authors and many unnamed authors.
Manu is a hoary name in Indian tradition. The Manu Smrti is the leading work on the sacred law of ancient India and Arthasastra of Kautilya takes the same rank among the manuals of polity.
Dharma sastra of Manu and Arthasastra of Kautilya alike study man in society.
Dharma sastras in general cover wider ground than Arthasastra and therefore command a wider appeal. For instance the cosmogony and eschatology of the opening and closing chapters of the Manu Smrti have no counterparts in Kautilya’s.
Geographical outlook
Manu divides north India into several graded regions like Aryavarta and Brahmavarta. Kautilya deals with the whole country from the Himalayas to the southern ocean.
( this is another proof to say that Manu must have lived long before Kautilya)
Unlike Kautilya, Manu gives extreme importance to Brahmins but at the same time insists good character and Vedic study for Brahmins.
Society
Both insist the grhastha srama— life of a House holder is greater than the other three stages. Hospitality is emphasised. Eight types of marriages is mentioned by both. Though the names of eight types are mentioned , all other known evidence shows that the normal form of marriage was a monogamous sacramental union between a youth and a maiden of the same Varna/caste .
Women in society
Manu gives a high place to women in social life and family.
Where women are honoured, there the gods are pleased; but where they are not honoured, no sacred rite yields rewards.
In that family where the husband is pleased with his wife and the wife with her husband, happiness will assuredly be lasting .
He is so keen on girls getting proper husbands that he goes so far as to say that when a suitable husband is not to be found, a girl may be kept in her father’s house as a spinster to the end of her life rather than be given over to a man destitute of good qualities.
Slaves
The Greek writers are positive that slavery was unknown in India in the Mauryan epoch. But Greek type of slavery, ‘Chattel slavery’ was unknown in India. But Manu mentions different kinds of Dasas.
Homer and Good Kings
Manu says that when the world was without a king, it was much agitated with fear; and for its protection Lord Brahma created the king, to protect the good and destroy the wicked. Lord created his own son Danda. Danda is often translated as punishment. But it is more than that. It is the embodiment of law and order, the descendant of the Vedic rta.
Homer says
“When a blameless king fears gods and upholds right judgement then the dark earth yields wheat and barley and the trees are laden with fruits; the young of his flocks are strong, and the sea gives abundance of fish”.
This statement has many
parallels in Hindu literature.
Tiruvalluvar in Tamil Veda, Tirukkural also says this.
Manu says, even an infant king must not be despised.
Dr Radha Krishnan, in
his lengthy article, compared administration, justice and ethics as well.
Source
History of Philosophy Eastern and Western, volume one,
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnans article, Manu and Kautilya
—-Subham ——
Tamil and Vedas 