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I have read the manu smriti, and i found to my dismay that the code set by
manu is a lot discriminating to woman reducing them to something like menial
workers. The caste system mentioned in the smriti is unbelievable that it gives
the feeling as though caste system had something to do with hinduism.
how come an incarnation of vishnu, give mankind, a set of codes that sets a
sort of discriminative rules against the weaker sez, and the rigid caste system?m

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this is a verse from the manu smriti. can some1 explain y woman is portrayed
in such a manner. especially the last line which actually is SATI, which has
been abolished in India now, since it was one of the biggest social evils to exist
in the societym

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Manu divides Hindus into four varnas i.e. casteism. He not only divide Hindus
into four varnas, he also grades them. Besides prescribing rank and occupation
Manu grants privilege to swarnas and imposes penalties on the shudras.The
status of the Shudras in the Hindu society as prescribed by Manu the Law-
giver and the Architect of Hindu society. There are so many Codes of the Manu
Smriti against the Shudras and Women which are below:m

1. For the welfare of humanity the supreme creator Brahma, gave birth to the
Brahmins from his mouth, the Kshatriyas from his shoulders, the Vaishyas from
his thighs and Shudras from his feet. (Manu's code I-31,)m
Ô. God said the duty of a Shudra is to serve the upper varnas faithfully with
devotion and without grumbling. (Manu 1-91) Manu is not satisfied with this. He
wants this servile status of the Shudras to be expressed in the names and
surnames of persons belonging to that community. Manu says:m

3. Let the first part of a Brahman¶s name denote something auspicious, a

Kshatriya¶s be connected with power, and a Vaishyas with wealth but a
Shudra¶s express something contemptible. (Manu II. 31.)m

4. The second part of a Brahmin¶s name shall be a word implying happiness,

of a Kshatriya¶s (a word) implying protection, of a Vaishya¶s a term expressive
of thriving and of a Shudra¶s an expression denoting service. (Manu II. 3Ô.)m

5. A hundred year old Kshatriya must treat a ten year old Brahmin boy as his
father. (Manu 11-135)m

6. The Brahmin should never invite persons of other varnas for food. In case,
the latter begs the Brahmin for food, the Brahmin may give them some left-
over. Even these left-over must be served not by the Brahmin but by his
servants outside the house. (Manu IIÔ).m

7. He who instructs Shudra pupils and he whose teacher is a Shudra shall

become disqualified for being invited to a shradha. (Manu III. 156.)m

8. A Shudra is unfit of receive education. The upper varnas should not impart
education or give advice to a Shudra.It is not necessary that the Shudra should
know the laws and codes and hence need not be taught. Violators will go to as
amrita hell. (Manu IV-78 to 81)
9. "Let him not dwell in a country where the rulers are Shudras." (Manu IV. 61)m

10. He must never read the Vedas in the presence of the Shudras. (Manu IV.
99.)m

11. Any country, where there are no Brahmins, of where they are not happy
will get devastated and destroyed. (Manu VIII-Ô0 to ÔÔ)m

1Ô. A Brahmana who is only a Brahman by decent i.e., one who has neither
studied nor performed any other act required by the Vedas may, at the king¶s
pleasure, interpret the law to him i.e., act as the judge, but never a Shudra
(however learned he may be). (Manu VIII. Ô0.)m

13. The Kingdom of that monarch, who looks on while a Shudra settles the
law, will sink low like a cow in the morass. (Manu VIII. Ô1.)m

14. Any Brahmin, who enslaves or tries to enslave a Brahmin, is liable for a
penalty of no less than 600 PANAS. A Brahmin can order a Shudra to serve
him without any remuneration because the Shudra is created by Brahma to
serve the Brahmins. Even if a Brahmin frees a Shudra from slavery the Shudra
continues to be a slave as he is created for slavery. Nobody has the right to
free him. (Manu VIII-50,56 and 59)m

15. A Shudra who insults a twice born man with gross invectives shall have his
tongue cut out; for he is of low origin. (Manu VIII. Ô70.) m

16. If he mentions the names and castes of the (twice born) with contumely, an
iron nail, ten fingers long, shall be thrust red hot into his mouth. (Manu VIII.
Ô71.)m

17. If a Shudra arrogantly presumes to preach religion to Brahmins, the king

shall have poured burning oil in his mouth and ears. Manu VIII. Ô7Ô.)m

18. A Shudra who has an intercourse with a woman of the higher caste
guarded or unguarded shall be punished n the following manner; if she was
unguarded, he loses the offending part; if she was guarded then he should be
put to death and his property confiscated." (Manu VIII. 374.)m

19. A Brahman may compel a Shudra, whether bought or unbought, to do

servile work for he is created by the creator to be the slave of a Brahmana.
(Manu VIII. 413.)m

Ô0. No Shudra should have property of his own, He should have nothing of his
own. The existence of a wealthy Shudra is bad for the Brahmins. A Brahman
may take possession of the goods of a Shudra. (ManuVIII-417 & X1Ô9)m

Ô1. A Brahman may seize without hesitation, if he be in distress for his

subsistence, the goods of his Shudra. The Shudra can have only one
occupation. This is one of the inexorable laws of Manu. says Manu. (Manu VIII.
417)m

ÔÔ. A Shudra who wants to just fill his stomach may serve a Vaishya. If he
wants a permanent means of living he can serve a Kshatriya. But if he wants to
go to heaven or wants higher or superior birth in the next generation he must
serve a Brahmin. (ManuIX334 & 335)m

Ô3. The most sacred duty of a Shudra is to serve the Brahmins, always,
reciting the words "Brahman" with utmost devotion. Such a Shudra will get
salvation. Otherwise he will die a worst death and will go to the worst hell.
(Manu X-1Ô1)m

Ô4. But let a (Shudra) serve Brahmans, either for the sake of heaven, or with a
view to both (this life and the next) for he who is called the servant of a
Brahman thereby gains all his ends. (Manu X. 1ÔÔ.)m

Ô5. The service of Brahmans alone is declared (to be) an excellent occupation
for a Shudra for whatever else besides this he may perform will bear him no
fruit. (Manu X. 1Ô3.)m

Ô6. They must allot to him out of their own family (property) a suitable
maintenance, after considering his ability, his industry, and the number of those
whom he is bound to support. (Manu X. 1Ô4.)m

Ô7. Brahmins to give Shudras food leftovers, old torn clothes, spoiled grain and
old utensils (Manu X-1Ô5)m

Ô8. No superfluous collection of wealth must be made by a Shudra, even

though he has power to make it, since a servile man, who has amassed riches,
becomes proud, and, by his insolence or neglect, gives pain to
Brahmins. (Manu X. 1Ô9.m

Ô9. A Brahmin shall never beg from a Shudra, property for (performing) a
sacrifice i.e., for religious purposes. All marriages with the Shudra were
prescribed. Marriage with a woman belonging to any of three other classes was
forbidden.m

A Shudra was not to have a connection with a woman of the higher classes
and an act of adultery committed by a Shudra with her was considered by
Manu to be an offence involving capital punishment. (Manu XI. Ô4.)1, Ô ,3, 4In
the matter of acquiring learning and knowledge Manu¶s successors went much
beyond him in the cruelty of their punishment of the Shudra for studying the
Veda. For instance, Katyayana lays down that if a Shudra over heard the Veda
or ventured to utter a word of the Veda, the king shall cut his tongue in twain
and pour hot molten lead in his ear. Manu¶s law book and its strict compliance
by the Brahmans, it may be summarized that men and women are not born
equal. There is no room for individual merit and no consideration of individual
justice. If the individual has the privilege, it is not because it is due to his/her
personally.
The
privilege goes with class, and if it is his/her good luck to enjoy it, he/she is
destined to be born in the privileged class. On the other hand, if an individual is
suffering in a class, it is because he belongs to that class. Thereby, logically
speaking from Manusmriti¶s point of view, the suffering of Shudras and women
is because of their being part of their caste and sex respectively. Manu¶s µsocial
order¶ breeds 'social out-caste,¶ which in turn dishes out µsocial injustice¶ to the
underprivileged. Narda¶s µSmriti¶ (law book), openly advocate slavery, but since
Varnashram (a creation of caste system by the Manu) was critical and
deviously interwoven into religion, to subjugate the Shudras through
superstitions like opium to an addict, the Brahmans let the slaves die."5From-
Casteism: The Eighth Worst Wonder by Dr. S. L. Virdi, Pages-39-43)m

†




'
1. Dr.Babasahib Saheb Ambedkar, Writings and Speeches, Vol. 5, Page 113 to
115
Ô. Kovena, Toward Emancipation, Page 57, 6Ô
3. S.L.Shashtri, Manu Simiri ki Shav Preksha, concluded, Page 54 to 155
4. Author Coke Burnale, Hindu Polity (The Ordinances of Manu) concluded.
5. G.S.Thind, Our Indian Sub Continent Heritage, Page 145 m

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1. Every woman must be loyal, faithful. obedient honorable to her husband

even if he is blind, deaf, dumb, old, physically handicapped, debauchel or,
gambler and neglects his wife and lives with his concubine(s). If the husband is
unhappy, it would be the fault of his wife. If he cries, she should cry. If he
laughs she should laugh. She can only answer humbly to his question. She
should not on her own put any question. She should eat only after her husband
eats. If he is beating she should not react, but fall on his feet and beg him to
pardon her, and kiss his hands and pacify him. If the husband dies she should
burn herself to death on his funeral pyre and go along with him to the other
world and serve him there in this manner. (Padma Purana)m

Ô. Women are fickle minded. Never believe them. Friendship with a women is
just like friendship with a wolf. (Rig-Veda 8-33-7)m

3. A virtuous woman is one who dies on the funeral pyre of her dead husband
and avails the privilege of serving her husband in the other world. (Atharva
Veda 18-3-1)m

4. Woman is the source of sorrow. At birth she makes her mother weep. At the
time of the puberty she makes her parents weep. At the time of the marriage
she makes all her family members and relatives weep. In youth she commits
lot of blunders and brings bad name to the entire family, relatives and Varna.
She tortures the hearts of her parents, husband and other family members.
She is called 'DARIKA' because she is source of sorrow to all.m

(Aithareya Brahmana)
5. Women are liers, corrupt, greedy, and unvirtuous. (Manu II 1)m

6. Even for a woman, the performance of the sanskaras are necessary and
they should be performed. But they should be performed without uttering the
Veda Mantras." (Manu II. 60)m

7. It is the nature of women to seduce men in this (world); the wise are never
unguarded in the company of males. (Manu II. Ô13)m

8. For women are able to lead astray in (this) world not only a fool, but even a
learned man, and (to make) him a slave of desire and anger." (Manu II.Ô14)m

9. One should not sit in a lonely place with one's mother, sister or daughter, for
the senses are powerful, and master even a learned man." (Manu II. Ô15)m

10. A Brahmin male by virtue of his birth becomes the first husband of all
women in the universe. (Manu III. 14)m

11. Women not care for beauty, nor is their attention fied on age; (thinking); (it
is though that) he is a man, they give themselves to the handsome and to the
ugly. (Manu IV. 14)m

1Ô. By a girl, by a young woman, or even by an aged one, nothing must be

done independently, even in her own house." (Manu IV. 147) m

13. In childhood a female must be subject to her father, in youth to her

husband, when her lord is dead to her sons; a woman must never be
independent. (Manu IV. 148)m

14. She must not seek to separate herself from her father, husband or son; by
leaving them. She would make them both (her own and her husband's) family
incompatible. (Manu IV. 149)m

15. A Brahman must never eat food given at a sacrifice performed by a

woman. (Manu IV. Ô05) m

16. Sacrifices performed by women are inauspicious and not acceptable to

god. They should therefore be avoided. (Manu IV. Ô06)m

17. A girl must be under the care of her father . . . in youth under the care of
the husband and in old age under the care of her sons. But she should never
be free and independent. (Manu V. 148) m

18. She must always be cheerful, clever in management of her household

affairs, careful in cleaning her utensils and economical in expenditure. (Manu
V. 150)m

19. Him to whom her father may give her, or her brother with the father's
permission, she shall obey as long as he lives and when he is dead, must not
insult his memory. (Manu V. 151)m

Ô0. The husband who wedded her with sacred mantras is always a source of
happiness to his wife, both in season and out of season, in this world and in the
next. (Manu V1. 53)m

Ô1. Though destitute or virtuous, or seeking pleasure elsewhere, or devoid of

good qualities, yet a husband must be constantly worshipped as a god by a
faithful wife. (Manu V. 154)m

ÔÔ. No sacrifice, no vow, no fast must be performed by women, apart from their
husbands. If a wife obeys her husband, she will for that reason alone be
exalted in heaven. (Manu V. 155)m

Ô3. At her pleasure let her (i.e. widow) enunciate her body, by living voluntarily
on pure flowers, roots and fruits, but let her not when her lord is deceased,
even pronounce the name of another man. (Manu V. 157)m

Ô4. But a widow, who from a wish to bear children, slights her deceased
husband by marrying again, brings disgrace on herself here below, and shall
be excluded from the seat of her lord (in heaven). (Manu V. 161)m

Ô5. Responsibly the father who gives not (his daughter) in marriage at the
proper time. (Manu IX. 4)m

Ô6. A woman must always maintain her virtue and surrender her body to her
husband only, ever if she is married off to an ugly person or even a leper.
(Manu IX. 14)m

Ô7. Through their passion for men, through their mutable temper, through their
natural heartlessness, they become disloyal towards their husbands, however,
carefully they may be guarded in this (world). (Manu IX. 15)m

Ô8. Knowing their disposition, which the Lord of Creatures laid in them at the
creation, to be such, (every) man should most strenuously exert himself to
guard them. (Manu IX. 16)m

Ô9. When creating them, Manu allotted to women (a love of their) bed, (of
heart) seat and (of) ornament, impure desires, wrath, dishonesty, malice, and
bad conduct. (Manu IX. 17) m

30. Killing of a woman, a Shudra or an atheist is not sinful. Woman is an

embodiment of the worst desires, hatred, deceit, jealousy and bad character.
Women should never be given freedom. (Manu IX. 17 and V. 47, 147)m

31. Women have no right to study the Vedas. That is why their Sanskars are
performed without Veda Mantras. women have no knowledge of religion
because they have no right to know the Vedas. The uttering of Veda Mantras,
they are as unclean as untruth is." (Manu IX. 18)m
3Ô. All women are born of sinful wombs. (Bhagavad-Gita IX 3Ô)m

33. The husband is declared to be one with the wife, which means there could
be no separation once a woman is married. (Manu IX. 45)m

34. Neither by sale nor by repudiation is a wife released from her husband.
(Manu IX. 46)m

35. To a distinguished, handsome suitor of equal caste should she have not
attained (the proper age) (i.e. although she may not have reached puberty).
(Manu IX. 88)m

36. A wife, a son and a slave, they three are declared to have no property: the
wealth which they earn is (acquired)for him to whom they belong. (Manu IX.
416)m

37. None of the acts of women can be taken as good and reasonable. (Manu
X.4)m

38. Day and night women must be kept in dependence by males (of their
families), and, if they attach themselves to sexual enjoyments, they must be
kept under one's control. (Manu XIÔ)m

39. Her father protects (her) in childhood, her husband protects (her) in youth,
and her sons protect (her) in old age; a woman is never fit for independence."
(Manu XI. 3)

40. Women must particularly be guarded against evil inclinations, however

trifling (they may appear); for, if they are not guarded, they will bring sorrow on
to families." (Manu XI. 5)m

41. Considering that the highest duty of all castes even weak husbands (must)
scribe to guard their wives. (Manu XI. 6)m

4Ô. A woman shall not perform the daily sacrifices prescribed by the Vedas.
Then according to IX.37 if she does it, she will go to hell. (Manu XI. 36)1, Ô, 3,
4 From- Casteism: The Eighth Worst Wonder by Dr. S. L. Virdi, Pages-39-43)m

†




'
1. G.S.Thind, Our Indian Sub Continent Heritage, Page 146 to 151)
Ô. Author Coke Burnale, Hindu Polity The Ordinances of Manu) Concluded 3.
Kovena, Toward Emancipation. Page 57, 6Ô, 7Ô, 73
4. S.L.Shashtri, Manu Simiri ki Shav Preeksha concluded page 54 to 155.m
&
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No one is to argue critically about vedas because religion has originated from
them. Any nastika (non-believer) or critic of the Vedas, who "insults" them on
the basis of logic, is worthy of being socially boycotted by "noble" persons.
Women, that is, even women belonging to Brahmin, Kshatriya and Vaishya
varna are not entitled to upanayan and the study of the Vedas. For them,
marriage is equivalent to upanayan and service of their husbands is equivalent
to the study of the Vedas in the gurukul. Even if the husband is morally
degraded, engaged in an affair with another woman and is devoid of
knowledge and other qualities, the wife must treat him like a god. A widower is
allowed to remarry but a widow is not. Besides, women are not considered fit
for being free and independent. They are to be protected in their childhood by
father, in youth by husband and in old age by son. They should never be
allowed by their guardians to act independently. A woman must never do
anything even inside her home without the consent of her father, husband and
son respectively. She must remain in control of her father in childhood, of
husband in youth and of son after the death of her husband.

†  

In Ramayana, Ram kills Shambuka simply because he was performing tapasya

(ascetic exercises) which he was not supposed to do as he was a Shudra by
birth.

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In Mahabharata, Dronacharya refuses to teach archery to Eklavya, because he

was not a Kshatriya by birth. When Eklavya, treating Drona as his notional
guru, learns archery on his own, Drona makes him cut his right thumb as
gurudakshina (gift for the teacher) so that he may not become a better archer
than his favorite Kshatriya student Arjuna!

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The much-glorified Bhagvat-Gita, too, favors varna-vyavastha.When Arjuna

refuses to fight, one of his main worries was that the war would lead to the birth
of varna-sankaras or offspring from intermixing of different varnas and the
consequent "downfall" of the family. On the other hand, Krishna tries to
motivate Arjuna to fight by saying that it was his varna-dharma (caste-duty) to
do so because he was a Kshatriya. In fact, Krishna goes to the extent of
claiming that the four varnas were created by him only.m
 

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X ± 1Ô4. They must allot to him (shudra) out of their own family property a
suitable maintenance, after considering his ability, his industry and the number
of those whom he is bound to support.m

X ± 1Ô5. The remnants of their food must be given to him, as well as their old
clothes, the refuge of their grain and their old household furniture.m

X ± 1Ô9. No collection of wealth must be made by a shudra even though he be

able to do it; for a shudra who has acquired wealth gives pain to Brahmana.m

XI ± 6. One should give, according to one¶s ability, wealth to Brahmanas

learned in the veda and living alone; (thus) one obtains after death heavenly
bliss.m

XI ± Ô61-6Ô. A Brahmana who has killed even the peoples of the three worlds,
is completely freed from all sins on reciting three times the Rig, Yajur or Sama-
Veda with the Upanishad.m

Thus in Hinduism, there is no choice of avocation. There is no economic

independence and there is no economic security. Economically, speaking of a
shudra is a precarious thing.m

Successors of Manu made the disability of the shudra in the matter of study of
veda into an offence involving dire penalties as:m

XII. 4. If the shudra intentionally listens for committing to memory the veda,
then his ears should be filled with (molten) lead and lac; if he utters the veda,
then his tongue should be cut off; if he has mastered the veda his body should
be cut to pieces.m

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