[Advaita-l] A request for clarifications

[Nithin Sridhar]

Namaste Raja Krishnamurthy ji,

I dont think my email had any question. I merely shared link to my book
which deliberates upon and clarifies many popular misconceptions including
those related to Smritis, their purpose and function in Hindu Worldview.

On Shankaracharya's position related to Manusmriti, it is very much
different from your caricature. You might want to check out my talk on the
topic available on Yoitube.

Regards,
Nithin

On Fri, 24 Apr, 2026, 11:03 pm Raja Krishnamurti, <
rajakrishnamurti at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Thank you, Nitin. Here is my response to your question. Manusmriti (or
> Manava-dharma-shastra) is traditionally considered part of the Smriti
> literature within the broader framework of Sanatan Dharma (Hinduism),
> serving as an ancient legal text or Dharmashastra. However, it is not a
> foundational scripture on par with the Vedas or Bhagavad Gita, and its
> authority is heavily debated due to controversial, discriminatory content.
> Key details regarding the Manusmritis place in tradition include: Role as
> Law Book: It was composed roughly between 200 BCE and 200 CE as a text
> defining social duties, moral principles, and legal guidelines (Varnashrama
> Dharma). Controversy and Context: Many verses encourage rigid caste
> hierarchies, untouchability, and inferior status for women. As such, many
> modern practitioners do not consider it binding or a core part of their
> faith. Hierarchical Status: In Hindu philosophy, Smritis (remembered texts)
> are generally considered secondary to the Shruti (vedas - what is heard).
> Contradictory Nature: The text is believed to contain interpolations
> (additions) made over centuries, leading to many internal contradictions.
> Adi Shankara in his commentary to Bhagavad Gita O son of Prtha, ye api,
> even those; papayonayah syuh, who are born of sin;—as to who they are, the
> Bhagavan says— striyah, women; vaisyah, Vaisyas, tatha, as also; Sudras; te
> api, even they; yanti, reach, go to; the param, highest; gatim, Goal;
> vyapasritya, by taking shelter; mam, under Me—by accepting Me as their
> refuge. So, from these passages it is clear that Adi Shankara holds that
> women are eligible for moksha even without Vedic initiation. In other
> words, for women he does not treat Vedic study as a necessary precondition
> for liberation, which can be understood as a relaxation of the requirement
> to study the Vedas. Therefore it is not a discrimination towards women; it
> is a gracious exemption from an otherwise compulsory course of Vedic study.
> Sudras according to Upanishads who do not practice the sayings of Brahma
> Sutras Gita and Upanishads, the Prastaanatrayi, the principal documents or
> Shruthi’s and manusmrithi is man made smriti and therefore has a lesser
> value than the other three. With Om and Prem, Rajagopalan
>
>
> Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
> <https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&af_sub1=Acquisition&af_sub2=Global_YMktg&af_sub3=&af_sub4=100000604&af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_&af_ios_store_cpp=9d3a686e-218d-4849-8298-b480188dc8ac&af_android_url=https%3A%2F%2Fplay.google.com%2Fstore%2Fapps%2Fdetails%3Fid%3Dcom.yahoo.mobile.client.android.mail%26listing%3Demail_signature>
>