Hindu Dharmasastra: Introduction, Text with English Translation & Shloka Index

The Dharmashastra occupies a prominent place in the Sanskrit literature. It has always been a work of universal Authority. It has always served as a sourcebook of Hindu jurisprudence. It has been a veritable storehouse of information for the social, cultural, political, and religious aspects of ancient Indian society. It is the very essence of Hinduism. Its' deeper study helps in the proper understanding of the Ancient Indian Culture.
The term Dharma Shastra is generally applicable to both the Dharmashutras and the smritis. The word series is used in two senses. In a wider sense, it includes the whole ancient literature other than the Veda. But in the restricted sense smriti and Dharma Shastra are synonyms. Gautam and Vasishtha speak of smriti as one of the sources of Dharma. The series came into existence to satisfy the demand of the society for new provisions in matters of Dharma, religious and secular behavior.
The Dharma Shastras of the Hindus, are not one single book but consist of the Samhitas or Institutes of holy sages numbering twenty according to the list given by Yajnavalkya, These are namely, Manu, Atri, Vishnu, Harita, Yagnavalkya, Ushana, Angira, Yama, Apastamba, Samvarta, Katyayana, Brihaspati, Parisara, Vyasa, Sankha, Likhita, Daksha, Gautam, Satatapa and Vasistha samhitas respectively.
This collective addition will give the readers the complete text of all the twenty smrities, fully edited. The English translation is a literal one as far as it could be attempted, keeping an eye to eye on its accuracy and literary excellence.