Smriti

E470312

Smriti is a body of later Hindu sacred literature, including texts like the epics and law codes, that is considered human-authored and traditionally distinguished from the more authoritative, revealed scriptures known as Shruti.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Smriti canonical 8

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (50)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Hindu sacred literature category
religious text corpus
source of Hindu religious law
authoritativeStatusComparedToShruti less authoritative
authoritySource human sages and tradition
categoryWithin Hindu scriptures
considered human-authored
remembered tradition
contrastWith Shruti
distinguishedFrom Upaniṣads
linked to: Upanishads

Vedas
epistemicStatusInTradition derivative of Shruti
etymologyFromSanskritRoot smṛ (to remember)
function codification of religious duties (dharma)
codification of social norms
guidance on ethics and conduct
guidance on law and jurisprudence
guidance on rites and rituals
historicalDevelopment composed over many centuries in ancient and classical India
includesTextType Dharmasūtra
linked to: Dharmasutras

Dharmaśāstra (law codes)
linked to: Dharmashastras

Gṛhyasūtra
linked to: Grihyasutras

Itihasa (epics)
Nītiśāstra (ethical treatises)
linked to: Dharmashastras

Purāṇa
Smārta ritual texts
includesWork Bhagavad Gītā
linked to: Bhagavad Gita

Mahābhārata
linked to: Mahabharata

Manusmṛti
linked to: Manusmriti

Nārada Smṛti
linked to: Narada Smriti

Rāmāyaṇa
linked to: Ramayana

Viṣṇu Smṛti
linked to: Vishnu Smriti

Yājñavalkya Smṛti
linked to: Yajnavalkya Smriti

various Purāṇas
influenceOn social organization in traditional Hindu society
traditional Hindu law (Hindu personal law)
language Sanskrit
normativeStatus binding when not contradicting Shruti
religiousTradition Hinduism
scope civil law
criminal law
family law
inheritance rules
penance and expiation
temporalStatus later than Vedic Shruti
transmission later written down
originally oral
usedBy Hindu legal scholars
Hindu ritual specialists
Hindu theologians

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (8)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Shruti contrastedWith Smriti
subject linked to: shruti
Parashara Smriti genre Smriti
Shruti distinguishedFrom Smriti
Itihasa relatedConcept Smriti
Smriti Irani givenName Smriti
Angiras hasSpouse Smriti