This is the final tidbits on Manu Smriti, focusing on the last and 12th chapter.  The 12th chapter has 126 shlokas.  While this chapter also has material on crime and punishment, what is more interesting is what it has to say on things that are broadly philosophical cum spiritual.  Therefore, let me only concentrate on those.  12.3 tells us good and evil deeds result from the mind, speech and the body.  Depending on one’s deeds, men attain superior, middling or inferior ends.  The mind is the instigator behind those three kinds of states (superior, middling, inferior) embodied beings attain and those three kinds (mind, speech and body) of deeds and ten characteristics (12.4).  This sounds difficult to understand, but will become clear in a moment.  Coveting the property of others, thinking injurious thoughts in one’s mind and resorting to false paths are the three kinds of deeds (evil ones) associated with the mind (12.5).  Harsh words, false words, all kinds of violent words and incoherent and foolish talk are the four kinds (of evil action) associated with speech (12.6).  Taking what has not been given, violence that is not in accordance with the law and sexual intercourse with someone else’s wife are said to be the three kinds (of evil action) associated with the body (12.7).  Thus, we have a listing of the 10 characteristics of evil action.  If a man commits evil acts that are associated with the body, he is reborn as an inanimate object.  Evil acts associated with speech mean rebirth as a bird or an animal.  Evil acts associated with the mind mean rebirth as an outcaste (12.9).

He who makes the self undertake action is known as the क्षेत्रञ्ज.  The learned refer to the one who performs the acts as भूतात्मा (12.12).  I am deliberately not attempting to translate क्षेत्रञ्ज and भूतात्मा.  These are the kinds of discussions one associates with something like the Bhagavad Gita.  I am only making the point that people don’t necessarily know that Manu Smriti also has such statements.  All embodied beings have another natural and internal self known as जीव and it is through this that in all births, one realizes happiness and unhappiness (12.13).  There is a महान्क्षेत्रञ्ज (deliberately not translating again) associated with all beings and it is established in all beings and pervades them, through high and low (12.14).  (A word of caution, if you are reading translations of 12.14. I don’t think all translations get the nuance right.)  Sattva, rajas and tamas are the three qualities through which the self is tied down (12.24).  Studying the Vedas, austerities, knowledge, purity, control over the senses, the performance of acts connected with dharma and reflection on one’s soul are qualities associated with sattva (12.31).  Love for action, impatience, resorting to evil acts and addiction to material objects are qualities associated with rajas (12.32). Avarice, sleeping, lack of fortitude, cruelty, being a नास्तिक (deliberately not translating this as atheist), following bad professions, seeking favours and gifts, and being distracted are qualities associated with tamas (12.33).  When one performs an act and is ashamed of it, the learned know that this is a quality that is associated with tamas (12.35).  When one performs an act for the sake of fame in this world and does not sorrow if the attempt is unsuccessful, that is a quality associated with rajas (12.36).  When one always wishes to know, is not ashamed of one’s action and satisfies one’s आत्मन्, that is a quality associated with sattva (12.37).  Kama is the characteristic of tamas, artha is said to be the characteristic of rajas and dharms is the characteristic of sattva (12.38).  Those with sattva advance to the state of divinity, those with rajas become humans and those with tamas are born as inferior species (12.40).

There are two kinds of acts in the Vedas, those that lead to happiness and are प्रवृत्त and those that are superior and are निवृत्त (12.88).  What do these words mean?   As a straightforward translation, प्रवृत्त is continuation or return, while निवृत्त has senses of vanishing or cessation.  Deeds which are performed to obtain something in this world or the next are known as प्रवृत्त and those performed without desire and for knowledge are निवृत्त(12.89).  प्रवृत्त deeds lead to a status that is like that of the gods, but निवृत्त deeds make one free of the five elements (12.90).  Stated differently, प्रवृत्त leads to rebirth, but निवृत्त frees one from the cycle of birth.  He who equally sees all beings  in one’s आत्मन् and one’s आत्मन् in all beings, becomes radiant and rules over his own self (12.91).

How do we know what is dharma and what is not?  12.110-12.112 vest that responsibility with an assembly, which will have between 3 and 10 members.  When there are 10 members, the composition is like this – one each from those who know the Rig Veda, the Sama Veda and the Yajur Veda, one who is a हेतुक (logician), one who is a तर्किन्(someone who is skilled in speculation, I am not sure how this is to be interpreted, it is usually interpreted as someone well-versed in the mimasa school), someone who is skilled in the nirukta school, someone who reads texts associated with dharma and one each from the brahmacharya, garhasthya and vanaprastha ashramas (this is sometimes translated as the first three varnas, but the word ashrama is clearly used).  Thus we have that total of 10 members.  All the gods are there in the आत्मन्, everything is established in the आत्मन्.  It is the आत्मन् which generates karma yoga in the body (12.119).  He who uses the आत्मन् to see the आत्मन् in all beings looks on everything as equal and attains the supreme objective of the ब्रह्मन् (12.125).  These are familiar principles of Hindu philosophy.  But did you know that Manu Smriti also talked about these?

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