Re: Laws of Manu
The authority of manu-dharma-shAstra is mentioned in the rAmAyaNa of vALmIki, the bhAgavata purANa, and the viShNu purANa, so it was known to the authors of these venerable smRiti-s. Certainly, there are many things in manu that are followed to present day, such as brahmin boys requiring to get upaNayanam by age 8, marriage within one's varNa, protection of women, etc. Then again, there are also some elements that don't seem to have any independent verification in our culture today or in the culture as depicted in the smRiti-s. Examples of the latter include: shUdra-s supposed to have names indicating their wretchedness, financial penalties for raping an innocent girl, etc.
Philosoraptor
"Wise men speak because they have something to say. Fools speak because they have to say something." - Plato
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