Dr. Satyan Sharma
Department of Sanskrit, Panjab University. From the city named after देवी चण्डी, ‘चण्डीगढ़’.
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Traditional texts like Dharmaśāstras need to be understood through the traditional methods of interpretation. Why? Take a look at this: In Manusmṛti (chapter 4), it's been told t...
Is Dvija's life privileged & easy? Maharṣi Vyāsa states clearly that the life of initiated Brāhmaṇas, Kṣatriyas & Vaiśyas is difficult. They cannot act as per their wishes. He u...
Adding some points to my previous article titled "Varṇa by one's nature and one's nature by birth". I had based the article on two factors: one's nature and the guṇa-proportions w...
Financial & judicial independence of certain women in ancient times : Yājñavalkyasmṛti 2.31 tells the cases where the verdicts given in a judicial proceeding are to be cancelled b...
Did Manu create caste? Did Brahmans create caste? Answer by Dr. Ambedkar "One thing I want to impress upon you is that Manu did not Give the law of Caste and that he could not do...
Certain ideas which may be thought to be Buddhistic, could be found in some way in texts taken to be pre-Buddha by the likes of Hajime Nakamura. In Nyāyasūtras, a pūrvapakṣa is se...
The 'Varman' descendants of a 'Śarman' An inscription of Kākusthavarman from around 6th century CE tells that the founder of their kingdom was a Brāhmaṇa named Mayūraśarman, who,...
Śūlapāṇi in his commentary on Yājñavalkyasmṛti 1.1-2, mentions various sections of the society (upto Pratilomajas) whose dharmas have been mentioned in the Smṛti. He seems to take...
Commentary versus one's own text Śrī Appayya Dīkṣita in his commentary on Śrīkaṇṭhācārya's commentary on Brahmasūtra 1.3.39, concludes that Śūdras don't have adhikāra in Brahmavid...
The Vedic basis of chanting names of Bhagavān Śrīdharācārya in his commentary on Bhāgavatapurāṇa 6.2.8 cites mantras from the Ṛgveda, which speak of chanting the names of Bhagavān...
When a Kirāta 'Vīradatta' was renamed 'Dvijavarman' In Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa, there's the story of a Kirāta Vīradatta, who used to sell wood. He once got a part of the wealth that a th...
In the screenshot from Manusmṛti 2.31, it has been told what kind of names should the people of four varṇas get. Note that the Śūdra is assigned 'jugupsita', for which Medhātithi...