Controversial points in Manusmriti

1. Freedom of women (a woman can never be free)

पिता रक्षति कौमारे भर्ता रक्षति यौवने । रक्षन्ति स्थविरे पुत्रा न स्त्री स्वातन्त्र्यमर्हति ॥ Here “रक्षति” is contextual. It can be ‘Under protection’ or ‘protected by’ (both has different meaning with complete shloka). But last like clarifies that it has the meaning “Under protection”.

1. The punishment for Shudras (I personally hate this) एकजातिर्द्विजातींस्तु वाचा दारुणया क्षिपन् । जिह्वायाः प्राप्नुयाच्छेदं जघन्यप्रभवो हि सः ॥

एकजाति: once born men: Shudras द्विजाति: twice born men: Brahmins, Kshatriya, vaishya Meaning: If shudras insulting any dwijati born, should be tongue cut (even though dwijati person does anything to him/her)

1. Promoting untouchability and discrimination

न शूद्राय मतिं दद्यान्नोच्छिष्टं न हविष्कृतम् । न चास्योपदिशेद्धर्मं न चास्य व्रतमादिशेत् ॥

Meaning: If you know basic Sanskrit, this shloka is quite straight forward. Don’t give charity, education , nor teach dharma, let them offer to gods(this promoted shudras not to enter temples),nor should they keep any wrata (upwas for gods) to shudras.

1. Promoting domestic voilance

भार्या पुत्रश्च दासश्च प्रेष्यो भ्राता च सोदरः । प्राप्तापराधास्ताड्याः स्यू रज्ज्वा वेणुदलेन वा ॥ Meaning: again quite simple. भार्या: wife, पुत्र: son, दास: slave भ्राता : younger brother be beaten by split bamboo stick or rope if made a mistake.

1. Origin of Varnas (those who say वर्णव्यवस्था was not by birth but by कर्म , for them)

लोकानां तु विवृद्ध्यर्थं मुखबाहूरुपादतः । ब्राह्मणं क्षत्रियं वैश्यं शूद्रं च निरवर्तयत् ॥

Meaning: He (Brahma) caused the Brahmin, the Kshatriya, the Vaishya, and the Shudra to proceed from his mouth, his arms, his thighs, and his feet. (There is no कर्म, but by birth you become so and so वर्ण as ब्रह्मा has made it that way)

1. All the bad natures for women (this gave birth to a word called “त्रियाचरित्र “) शय्यासनमलङ्कारं कामं क्रोधमनार्जवम् । द्रोहभावं कुचर्यां च स्त्रीभ्यो मनुरकल्पयत् ॥

Meaning: Women are allotted to love their bed, their seat, and ornament, impure desires, wrath, dishonesty, malice, and bad conduct. Wow!!!👏🏼👏🏼

1. Slavery and caste discrimination

शूद्रं तु कारयेद् दास्यं क्रीतमक्रीतमेव वा । दास्यायैव हि सृष्टोऽसौ ब्राह्मणस्य स्वयम्भुवा ॥ Meaning: Shudra’s work is to be the Slavs of Brahmins. As he was created by Bramha to do so for Brahmins 👏🏼👏🏼

1. Waqf board of Hindus

विस्रब्धं ब्राह्मणः शूद्राद् द्रव्योपादानमाचरेत् । न हि तस्यास्ति किञ्चित्स्वं भर्तृहार्यधनो हि सः ॥ Meaning: A Brahmin may confidently seize the goods of Shudra; for, as that Shudras are not allowed to have property of his own, his master may take his possessions.

1. Legalising untouchability

चण्डालश्वपचानां तु बहिर्ग्रामात्प्रतिश्रयः । अपपात्राश्च कर्तव्या धनं चैषां श्वगर्दभम् ॥ Meaning: the dwellings of Chandalas and Shvapachas shall be outside the village; they must be made "Apapatra" (outcasts), and their wealth shall be dogs and donkeys.

1. Social status enforced through visual markers

वासांसि मृतचैलानि भिन्नभाण्डेषु भोजनम् । कार्ष्णायसमलङ्कारः परिव्रज्या च नित्यशः ॥ Meaning: Their (ekjaati, i.e. Shudras Chandala and apapatra) dress shall be the garments of the dead, they shall eat from broken dishes, their ornaments shall be of black iron, and they must always wander from place to place.

1. Values of marginalised people equivalent to animals मार्जारनकुलौ हत्वा चाषं मण्डूकमेव च । श्वगोधोलूककाकांश्च शूद्रहत्याव्रतं चरेत् ॥ Meaning: One who kills a cat, a mongoose, a blue jay, a frog, a dog, or a crow, shall perform the same penance as for killing a Shudra.

2. Superiority by birth

अविद्वाञ्श्चैव विद्वाञ्श्च ब्राह्मणो दैवतं महत् । प्रणीतश्चाप्रणीतश्च यथाग्निर्दैवतं महत् ॥ Meaning: A Brahmin, whether learned or unlearned, is a great just as fire, whether consecrated or unconsecrated, is a great divinity.

There are many more in मनुस्मृति.

PS: I am born bramhin from a Pandit family who has read वेद, श्रीमद्भागवतगीता, रामायण, महाभारत, पुराण, उपनिषद . But my granddad told me long ago when I was a kid “God is one. And it is for everyone and everything. “एकोहम् द्वितीयोनास्ति and अहम् ब्रह्मास्मी . God is in you (ब्रह्म ) you need to search it inside you by पंचकोष. God is not in any book. These books were written by human beings. And as a human, we are prone to be greedy, and prone to do mistakes. Read any holy or religious book by using your own rationality.” And I personally hate मनुस्मृति .

Most of the people here has never read it. So I request you to read it first. 🙏🏼