Smriti
- Sanskrit:
- “Recollection”
- Related Topics:
- Shruti
Smriti, that class of Hindu sacred literature based on human memory, as distinct from the Vedas, which are considered to be Shruti (literally “What Is Heard”), or the product of divine revelation. Smriti literature elaborates, interprets, and codifies Vedic thought but, being derivative, is considered less authoritative than the Vedic Shruti. Most modern Hindus, however, have a greater familiarity with Smriti scriptures. The texts include the important religious manuals known as the Kalpa-sutras; the compilations of ancient myth, legends, and history, the Puranas; and the two great epics of India, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The latter contains within it probably the single most influential text in Hinduism, the Bhagavadgita. In time the term Smriti came to refer particularly to the texts relating to law and social conduct, such as the celebrated lawbook, the Manu-smriti (Laws of Manu).