Abstract
The Indian tradition dates back to 8,000 BC and has a continuous recorded history since the time of the Vedas for over 5,500 years. Several elements of India’s diverse culture—such as Indian religions, yoga and Indian cuisine—have had a profound impact across the world.
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The authoritative sources of Hinduism are divided into two classes: the Srutis and the Smritis.(Dwivedi 1988) The Srutis are eternal truths of religion heard by the sages and recorded for the benefit of others. These are the Vedas and the Upanishads. The Smritis are the secondary scriptures which expand and exemplify the principles of the Srutis. These consist of the Codes of law, the great epics Ramayana and Mahabaratha, the Puranas or Chronicles etc. The most important law givers are Manu, Yajnavalkya and Parasara. They give detailed instructions, according to the conditions of the time, to all classes of men regarding their duties in life. Hence their codes of laws are known as Dharma Sastras.
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Muthuswamy, V. (2014). Hindu Perspective on Vulnerable Groups: Children, Women, the Elderly and the Disabled. In: Tham, J., Garcia, A., Miranda, G. (eds) Religious Perspectives on Human Vulnerability in Bioethics. Advancing Global Bioethics, vol 2. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8736-9_15
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