dharma-sutra
धर्मसूत्र dharma-sutraThe oldest stratum of texts on law and conduct, terse and in mixed prose and verse, embedded in particular Vedic schools; the seed from which the Dharmashastra grew.
Where this term appears
- The caste system: what Hinduism says Essentials
There is no single thing called 'the caste system' in Hindu scripture; the English word 'caste' collapses two very different Indian concepts. The first is varna, a…
- The Rules of the Rite Treatise
The Dharma-sutras govern dharma itself, the rules of conduct, duty, and law for the four varnas (social orders) and the stages of life.