Manu Smriti - Sanskrit Text With English Translation

Chapter 1

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1.1. The great sages approached Manu, who was seated with a collected mind, and, having duly worshippedhim, spoke as follows:

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1.2. ’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.

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1.3. ’For thou, O Lord, alone knowest the purport, (i.e.) the rites, and the knowledge of the soul, (taught) in thiswhole ordinance of the Self-existent (Svayambhu), which is unknowable and unfathomable.’

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1.4. He, whose power is measureless, being thus asked by the high-minded great sages, duly honoured them,and answered, ’Listen!’

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1.5. This (universe) existed in the shape of Darkness, unperceived, destitute of distinctive marks, unattainableby reasoning, unknowable, wholly immersed, as it were, in deep sleep.

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1.6. Then the divine Self-existent (Svayambhu, himself) indiscernible, (but) making (all) this, the greatelements and the rest, discernible, appeared with irresistible (creative) power, dispelling the darkness.

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1.7. He who can be perceived by the internal organ (alone), who is subtile, indiscernible, and eternal, whocontains all created beings and is inconceivable, shone forth of his own (will).

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1.8. He, desiring to produce beings of many kinds from his own body, first with a thought created the waters,and placed his seed in them.

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1.9. That (seed) became a golden egg, in brilliancy equal to the sun; in that (egg) he himself was born asBrahman, the progenitor of the whole world.

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1.10. The waters are called narah, (for) the waters are, indeed, the offspring of Nara; as they were his firstresidence (ayana), he thence is named Narayana.

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1.11. From that (first) 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) Brahman.

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1.12. The divine one resided in that egg during a whole year, then he himself by his thought (alone) divided itinto two halves;

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1.13. And out of those two halves he formed heaven and earth, between them the middle sphere, the eight pointsof the horizon, and the eternal abode of the waters.

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1.14. From himself (atmanah) he also drew forth the mind, which is both real and unreal, likewise from themind egoism, which possesses the function of self-consciousness (and is) lordly;

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1.15. Moreover, the great one, the soul, and all (products) affected by the three qualities, and, in their order, thefive organs which perceive the objects of sensation.

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1.16. But, joining minute particles even of those six, which possess measureless power, with particles of himself, he created all beings.

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1.17. Because those six (kinds of) minute particles, which form the (creator’s) frame, enter (a-sri) these(creatures), therefore the wise call his frame sarira, (the body.)

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1.18. That the great elements enter, together with their functions and the mind, through its minute parts theframer of all beings, the imperishable one.

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1.19. But from minute body (-framing) particles of these seven very powerful Purushas springs this (world), theperishable from the imperishable.

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1.20. Among them each succeeding (element) acquires the quality of the preceding one, and whatever place (inthe sequence) each of them occupies, even so many qualities it is declared to possess.

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1.21. But in the beginning he assigned their several names, actions, and conditions to all (created beings), evenaccording to the words of the Veda.

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1.22. He, the Lord, also created the class of the gods, who are endowed with life, and whose nature is action;and the subtile class of the Sadhyas, and the eternal sacrifice.

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1.23. But from fire, wind, and the sun he drew forth the threefold eternal Veda, called Rik, Yagus, and Saman,for the due performance of the sacrifice.

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1.24. Time and the divisions of time, the lunar mansions and the planets, the rivers, the oceans, the mountains,plains, and uneven ground.

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1.25. Austerity, speech, pleasure, desire, and anger, this whole creation he likewise produced, as he desired tocall these beings into existence.

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1.26. Moreover, in order to distinguish actions, he separated merit from demerit, and he caused the creatures tobe affected by the pairs (of opposites), such as pain and pleasure.

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1.27. But with the minute perishable particles of the five (elements) which have been mentioned, this whole(world) is framed in due order.

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1.28. But to whatever course of action the Lord at first appointed each (kind of beings), that alone it hasspontaneously adopted in each succeeding creation.

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1.29. Whatever he assigned to each at the (first) creation, noxiousness or harmlessness, gentleness or ferocity,virtue or sin, truth or falsehood, that clung (afterwards) spontaneously to it.

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1.30. As at the change of the seasons each season of its own accord assumes its distinctive marks, even socorporeal beings (resume in new births) their (appointed) course of action.

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