Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 9.djvu/664

 MANU 613 MANU

he contracted through his care of the sick. From had to know by heart. Every Vedic school of im* 1466 to 1584, the see of Mantua was occupied by portanoe had its appropriate aUtrcu, among whidi bishopsofthe House of Gonzaga: Cardinals Francesco, were the ''Grihya-«Otras", deahng with domestic Ludovico, Sigismondo, Ercole, Federigo, Francesco II, ceremonies, and the *' Dharma-sQtras ", treating of the Marco Fedele; only in 1566 was this series interrupted, sacred customs and laws. A fair mmiber of these by the Dominican Gr^orio Boldrino. After Ales- have been preserved, and form part of the sacred sandro Andreasi (1584-97), who founded a house for Brahmin literature. In course of time, some of the Jewish converts and a hospital for 8ick pilgrims, the more ancient and popular ''Dharma-sQtras'[ were en- diocese was once more governed by a Gonzaga, Car- larged in their scope and thrown into metrical form, dinal Francesco III (1587-1620), a Franciscan whose constituting the so-called ''Dharmansastras". Of secular name was Annibale. Mention should be made these the most ancient and most famous is the ** Laws also of Mgr Pietro Rota (1871-79), who was the ob- of Manu", the "Mftnava Dharma-sastra '*, so called, ject of much persecution at the hands of the govern- as scholars think^ because based on a " Dharma- ment, and of Uiuseppe Sarto (1884-05), now Pius X. sQtra" of the ancient M&nava school. The associa-

A synod was held at Mantua in 827, to settle a con- tion of the original suira "with the name M&nava

troversy between the metropolitan bishops of Aquileia seems to have suggested the myth that Manu was

and of Urado, one in 1053 for disciplinary reform, an- its author, and this myth, incorporated in the metri-

other in 1064, in relation to the controversy be- cal "Dharma-sfistra", probably availed to secure the

tween Alexander II and the antipope Honorius II. new work universal acceptance as a divinely revealed

At first (1537) it was proposed to hold the Coimcil of book.

Trent iit Mantua. The "Laws of Manu" consists of 2684 verses, di-

The diocese was once su£fragan of Aquileia, but in vided into twelve chapters. In the first chapter is

1452 it became immediately dependent on the Holy related the creation of the world by a series of emanar

See; in 1803, however, it was made a suffragan of tions from the self-existent deity, the mythical origin

Ferrara, and in 1819 of Milan. It has 153 parishes, of the book itself, and the great spiritual advantage to

and 257,500 inhabitants; there are 3 religious houses be gained by the devout study ot its contents. Chap-

of men, and 21 of women; 4 educational establish- ters two to six inclusive set forth the manner of life

ments for boys, and 10 for girls, and one Catholic daily and regulat ion of conduct proper to the members of the

paper. three upper castes, who nave been initiated into the

DoNmuoNDj.Ddlai^maeaUs.diMantovai^^ Brahmin religion by the sin-removing ceremony

iSl'e''^S"a'iS£?d/ilf^;iS;; fM^a^ru A?^f i(Iif?SS,SrS ^o^ ?f the rnvesUture with the sacred cord. First

municipio di Mantova (Mantua. 1871-74); Volta, Compendio IS descnbed the period of studentship, a time of as-

deUa atoria di ^ontowo (Mantua. 1807-38), 6 V9to,; Davahi. cetic discipline devoted to the Study of the Vedas

i^J^i^^ cWte cttta di Mantova n« ^h is^is ^j^^ ^ Brahmin teacher. Then the chief duties of

XJ. B£2>nGNi. the householder are rehearsed, his choice of a wife,

marriage, maintenance of the sacred hearth-fire, sao-

ManUfTHELAWsoF. — "The Laws of Manu "is the rifices to the gods, feasts to his departed relatives,

English designation commonly applied to the "Ma- exercise of hospitality. The numerous restrictions,

nava Dharma-sdstra", a metrical Sanskrit compen- also, regulating nis daily conduct, are discuussed in de-

dium of ancient sacred laws and customs held in the tail, especially in regard to his dress, food, conjugal

highest reverence by the orthodox adherents of Brah- relations, and ceremonial cleanness. After this comes

minism. The Brahmins themselves credit the work the description of the kind of life exacted of those who

with a divine origin and a remote antiquity. Its re- choose to spend their declining years as hermits and

puted author is Manu, the mythical survivor of the ascetics. The seventh chapter sets forth the divine

Flood and father of the human race, the primitive dignity and the manifold duties and responsibilities of

teacher of sacred rites and laws, now enjoying in kings, offering on the whole a high ideal of the kingly

heaven the dignity of an omniscient deity. The open- office. The eighth chapter treats of procedure in

ing verses of the work tell how Manu was reverently civil and criminal lawsuits, and of the proper punish-

approached in ancient times by the ten great sages and ments to be meted out to different classes of crim-

asked to declare to them the sacred laws of the castes, inals. The next two chapters make known the cua-

and how he graciously acceded to their request by toms and laws governing divorce, inheritance, the

having the learned sage Bhrigu, whom he had care- rights of property, the occupations lawful for each

fully taught the metrical institutes of the sacred law, caste. Chapter eleven is chiefly occupied with the

deliver to them this precious instruction. The work various kinds of penance to be undergone by those

thus pretends to be the dictation of Manu through the who would rid themselves of the evil consequences of

agency of Bhrigu; and as Manu learned it himself from their misdeeds. The last chapter expounds the doo-

the self-existent Brahma, its authorship purports to trine of karma, involving rebirths in the ascending or

be divine. This pious Brahmin belief regarding the descending scale, according to the merits or demerits

divine origin of the " Laws of Manu" is naturally not of the present life. The closing verses are devoted to

shared by the Oriental scholars of the western world, the pantheistic scheme of salvation leading to ab-

Even the rather remote date assigned to the work by sorption into the all-embracing, impersonal deity.

Sir William Jones, 1200-500 b. c. has been very gen- The "Laws of Manu" thus offers an interesting

erally abandoned. The weight ot authoritjyr to-day is ideal picture of domestic, social, and religous life in

in favour of the view that the work in its present India under ancient Brahmin influence. The picture

metrical form dates probably from the first or second has its shadows. The dignity of the Braimiin caste

century of the Christian era, though it may possibly be was greatly exaggerated, white the Sudra caste was so

a century or two older. Most of its contents, however, far despised as to be excluded under pain of death

may be safely given a much greater antiquity, from participation in the Brahmin religion. Punishr

Scholars are now pretty well agreed that the work is an ments for crimes and misdemeanours were lightest

amplified recast in verse of a "Dharma-sQtra", no when applied to offenders of the Brahmin caste, and

longer extant, that may have been in existence as increased in severity for the guilty members of the

eariy as 500 b. c. ' warrior, farmer, and serf caste respectively. Most

The siUras were manuals composed by the teachers forms of industry and the practice of medicine were

of the Vedic schools for the guidance of tlwir pupils, held in contempt, and were forbidden to both Brah-

They summed up in aphorisms, more or less methodi- mins and warriors. The mind of woman was held to

cally arranj^ed, the enormously complicated mass of be fickle, sensual, and incapable of proper self-direo-

rult's, l;iws, cii^tdins, rites, that the Brahmin student tion. Hence it was laid down tlmt women wore to be