Women must be honored
Woman is to be respected by her husband,
brother, father, kindred, mother-in-law, father-in-law,
husband's younger brother, and the bandhus,
with ornaments, clothes and food.
brother, father, kindred, mother-in-law, father-in-law,
husband's younger brother, and the bandhus,
with ornaments, clothes and food.
The text is laid out as a frame story in which the sages of Mithila approach Yājñavalkya and ask him to teach them dharma.[13] The text opens its reply by reverentially mentioning ancient Dharma scholars, and asserting in verses 1.4-5 that the following each have written a Dharmasastra (most of these are lost to history) – Manu, Atri, Visnu, Harita, Yajnavalkya, Ushanas, Angiras, Yama, Apastamba, Samvarta, Katyayana, Brihaspati, Parashara, Vyasa, Samkha, Likhita, Daksha, Gautama, Shatatapa and Vashistha.[14][15] The rest of the text is Yājñavalkya's theories on dharma, presented under Ācāra (proper conduct), Vyavahāra (criminal law) and Prāyaścitta (expiation).
The Yajnavalkya Smriti extensively quotes the Manu Smriti and other Dharma-texts, sometimes directly paraphrasing passages from these, often reducing earlier views into a compendium and offering an alternate legal theory.[16] There are influential differences from the Manu Smriti and earlier Dharma texts, especially with regard to statecraft, the primary of attested documentary evidence in legal process, and in jurisprudence.
King Janaka performed a sacrifice. He assembled thousand cows, with gold tied to their horns. He said that the best Vedic scholar could take all the cows. Yajnavalkya asked his disciple to drive away the cows, said M.K. Srinivasan in a discourse. Asvala, a hotr priest in Janaka’s kingdom, asked Yajnavalkya if he were indeed the best Vedic scholar. Yajnavalkya taunted him, saying: “We salute you, the most learned of the Vedic scholars. I took the cows because I need them.” An angry Asvala then began to question Yajnavalkya. He asked how a sacrificer would be freed from death. What Asvala’s question meant was this: “Everything in the universe is pervaded by death. How then can a person who performs sacrifices with a view to attaining Brahma Vidya be liberated?” Yajnavalkya replied: “The hotr priest should be seen as Agni; speech as fire itself. When Karma is performed with this view, then when the sacrificer dies, he attains liberation.” Asvala then asked, “Everything is overtaken by day and night. So how can the sacrificer get beyond this?”Yajnavalkya replied: “The adhvaryu priest should be seen as the eye, and as presided over by Aditya.” Asvala had many more questions for Yajnavalkya, all of which the sage answered convincingly. Svetaketu then asked Yajnavalkya two questions: “By what are the three worlds strung together and who is the internal ruler, if any, of the Universe?” Yajnavalkya replied: “Vaayu brings together the three worlds.” Yajnavalkya listed as many as 21 items — sun, moon, the five elements, indriyas, mind and soul in each of which Brahman resides, and controls each of them without their knowledge. This passage is known as Antaryami Brahmana. It is the basis for Visishtadvaita, which propagates qualified non-dualism.
King Janaka performed a sacrifice. He assembled thousand cows, with gold tied to their horns. He said that the best Vedic scholar could take all the cows. Yajnavalkya asked his disciple to drive away the cows, said M.K. Srinivasan in a discourse. Asvala, a hotr priest in Janaka’s kingdom, asked Yajnavalkya if he were indeed the best Vedic scholar. Yajnavalkya taunted him, saying: “We salute you, the most learned of the Vedic scholars. I took the cows because I need them.” An angry Asvala then began to question Yajnavalkya. He asked how a sacrificer would be freed from death. What Asvala’s question meant was this: “Everything in the universe is pervaded by death. How then can a person who performs sacrifices with a view to attaining Brahma Vidya be liberated?” Yajnavalkya replied: “The hotr priest should be seen as Agni; speech as fire itself. When Karma is performed with this view, then when the sacrificer dies, he attains liberation.” Asvala then asked, “Everything is overtaken by day and night. So how can the sacrificer get beyond this?”Yajnavalkya replied: “The adhvaryu priest should be seen as the eye, and as presided over by Aditya.” Asvala had many more questions for Yajnavalkya, all of which the sage answered convincingly. Svetaketu then asked Yajnavalkya two questions: “By what are the three worlds strung together and who is the internal ruler, if any, of the Universe?” Yajnavalkya replied: “Vaayu brings together the three worlds.” Yajnavalkya listed as many as 21 items — sun, moon, the five elements, indriyas, mind and soul in each of which Brahman resides, and controls each of them without their knowledge. This passage is known as Antaryami Brahmana. It is the basis for Visishtadvaita, which propagates qualified non-dualism.
