MANU SMRATI

                        MANU SMRATI

                      The Laws of Manu

                           

1. The great sages approached Manu, who was seated
with a collected mind, and, having duly worshipped him,
spoke as follows: 'Deign, divine one, to declare to us
precisely and in due order the sacred laws of each of the
(four chief) castes (varna) and of the intermediate ones.
 'For thou, O Lord, alone knowest the purport, (i.e.)
the rites, and the knowledge of the soul, (taught) in this
whole ordinance of the Self-existent (Svayambhu), which
is unknowable and unfathomable.' He, whose power
is measureless, being thus asked by the high-minded
great sages, duly honoured them, and answered, 'Lis-
ten!' This (universe) existed in the shape of Darkness,
unperceived, destitute of distinctive marks, unattain-
able by reasoning, unknowable, wholly immersed, as it
were, in deep sleep. Then the divine Self-existent
(Svayambhu, himself) indiscernible, (but) making (all)
this, the great elements and the rest, discernible, ap-
peared with irresistible (creative) power, dispelling the
darkness. He who can be perceived by the internal
organ (alone), who is subtile, indiscernible, and eter-
nal, who contains all created beings and is inconceiv-
able, shone forth of his own (will). 8. He, desiring to
produce beings of many kinds from his own body, rst
with a thought created the waters, and placed his seed in
them.  That (seed) became a golden egg, in brilliancy
equal to the sun; in that (egg) he himself was born as
Brahman, the progenitor of the whole world. The
waters are called narah, (for) the waters are, indeed,
the o spring of Nara; as they were his rst residence
(ayana), he thence is named Narayana.From that
( rst) cause, which is indiscernible, eternal, and both
real and unreal, was produced that male (Purusha), who
is famed in this world (under the appellation of) Brah-
man.The divine one resided in that egg during a
whole year, then he himself by his thought (alone) di-
vided it into two halves;  And out of those two halves
he formed heaven and earth, between them the middle
sphere, the eight points of the horizon, and the eternal
abode of the waters.  From himself (atmanah) he
also drew forth the mind, which is both real and unreal,
likewise from the mind egoism, which possesses the func-
tion of self-consciousness (and is) lordly; Moreover,
the great one, the soul, and all (products) a ected by
the three qualities, and, in their order, the ve organs
which perceive the objects of sensation.  But, joining
minute particles even of those six, which possess mea-
sureless power, with particles of himself, he created all
beings.