what exactly are shastras.. ?

what exactly are shastras.. ?

there are various standards of precedence..

Just like the legal system evolved from legislation through judicial interpretation and precedents, social and spiritual law too evolve..

In Hinduism, at least of the brahmanical type, the prescriptions of Veda , usually implied, are taken as the final and authoritative law.. and whatever is in conflict or in contradiction with Vedas are not valid..

But the question is, even though we Hindus talk of the authority of Vedas, there are huge numbers of followers of this religion who are not controlled by and are not having any knowledge of Vedas..

Besides even for the scrupulous followers of Vedas, it has to be pointed out that apart from certain Karikas and instructions for conduct of sacrifices and such rituals, found in Brahmanas like Taittireeya, Sathapatha, Gopatha etc, the rules of conduct are usually derived from what we find as to how the noble charaters depicted in Vedas behaved in situations..

Also, many parts of Vedas are not exactly in the present Sanskrit after Panini etc, and even the best of commentators like Sayana and Bhattabhaskara flounder..

Also, the Vedas as primary literature is supposed to have existed centuries before their interpretation, grammar and etymology based of the evolved vedangas like Shiksha, Niruktham, Chandas etc were in place and on each of these subjects there are hundreds of texts giving out varying versions, and whenever there are different versions, there are confilicts too..

So Shastram varies according to time, terrain and even social and physical conditions..

Therefore while agreeing heartily with Krishna in his statement तस्मात शास्त्रं प्रमाणं ते I would love to give a query..is it not necessary to ponder over what exactly is Shastra.. ?

Some general rules which are beneficial might not be that way in particular cases..

Walking is a good exercise but for a physically challenged person on a person whose calf muscles are torn walking can invite disaster..

What we usually read as shastras are just generalizations..

In some dharmasastras we find different parts like Shrauta Sutras Dharma Sutra, Gruhya Sutra, Shulbha Sutra, etc... laws applied for particular purposes...like the present criminal law, civil law, fiscal law and so on.. They can be facing conflicts of varying degree for obvious reason.. Human life is after all a dynamic consensus between personal and collective interests..

Something from Mahabharatham has been quoted.. that is from Gita.. तस्मात् शास्त्रं प्रमाणं ते

I am tempted to reply with a quote from the same Bharatham...

वेदाः विभिन्नाः स्मृतयो विभिन्ना

नासौ मुनिर् यस्य मतं न भिन्नम्।

धर्मस्य तत्त्वम् निहितं गुहायाम्

महाजनो येन गतः स पन्था॥

vedāḥ vibhinnāḥ smṛtayo vibhinnā

nāsau munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam|

dharmasya tattvam nihitaṁ guhāyām

mahājano yen gataḥ sa panthā||

from Mahabharatam III 17402 as quoted in the Translation of Sarva Dashana Samgraha of Madhavacharya by Cowell and Gough..

Different and even contradictory views are expressed by Vedas in varied contexts. Smrithis also speak in varied voices from time to time..

There is not a view of a Sage which has not been contradicted.. The essence of Dharma is confined in the darkness of a Cave..

So the best course of action is to tread the path of life as already shown by the eminent predecessors in majority..

The Indian philosophy could accommodate Hedonistic thoughts of Charvaka, and atheistic views of Sankhya the ritualistic path of Jaimini and Vedantic trends of Vyasa and Shankara because of this Generosity of our Sages.

It is meaningless to assert that I am right or my groups is right and that you are wrong.

We tend to lose that spirit of accommodation now..

We have to think.

So just as one says, you shall love your neighbour should know what is love and also who is a neighbour... and both these things can vary according to situations, it takes a lot of thinking and acumen to decide what is Shastras and then we can says shastras are pramanas,,

I made this elaborate reply in respons to a post is tagged to me.. I am not canvassing disrespect to traditions or flouting of the established social practices..

But change and challenge within the limits of social equilibrium which is always dynamic is the best way to have the most effective social and legal regime..