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Smrti is bona-fide
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To: alt-hindu@uunet.uu.net
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Subject: Smrti is bona-fide
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From: nparker@crl.com (Nathan Parker)
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Date: 2 Apr 1995 09:34:11 -0700
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From nparker@crl.com Sun Apr 2 12: 24:52 1995
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Newsgroups: alt.hindu
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Organization: CRL Dialup Internet Access (415) 705-6060 [Login: guest]
[ Article crossposted from alt.religion.vaisnava ]
[ Author was NAMA HATTA ]
[ Posted on 1 Apr 1995 16:12:35 -0500 ]
Recently I read that someone had doubts about the validity of
Smrti-sastra. I'd like to humbly submit the following
itihasah puranam ca
pancamo veda ucyate
vedan adhyapayam asa
mahabhrata-pancaman
"The histories and Puranas are said to be the fifth Veda. Vyasadeva
instructed this literature known as Veda, which has the Mahabharata as its
fifth part."
(from the Moksa-dharma)
If there are still some out there who don't accept this citation from the
Moksa dharma that clearly establishes the Mahabharata as the fifth Veda,
Srila Jiva Gosvami cites a verse from the Bhavisya-purana:
karsnam ca pancamam vedam
yan maha-bharatam smrtam
"The Mahabharata, compiled by Vedavyasa, is to be understood as the
fifth Veda"
If the critics still want to criticize that it is not in the Veda
themselves that the itihasas and Puranas are the fifth Veda, refer to the
Chandogya Upanisad:
ca rg-vedam bhagavo'dhyemi yajur-vedam sama-vedam atharvanam caturtham
itihasam puranam pancamam vedanam vedam
"O lord, I have studied the Rg Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, the fourth
Veda, known as the Atharva veda, and the fifth Veda, known as the
histories and Puranas."
But when refering to verses regarding the validity of smrti, the
Gita-mahatmya says:
gita su-gita kartavya
kim anyaih sastra-vistaraih
ya svayam padmanabhasya
mukha-padmad vinihsrta
"Because Bhagavad-gita is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
one need not read any other Vedic literature. One need only attentively
and regualy hear and read Bhagavad-gita. In the present age, people are so
absorbed in mundane activities that it is not possible for them to read
all the Vedic literatures. But this is not necessary. This one book,
Bhagavad-gita, will suffice, because it is the essence of all Vedic
literatures and especially because it is spoken by the Supreme Personality
of Godhead."
I hope this helps clear any doubts.
alt.religion.vaisnava
