What were Adi Shankaracharya's views on the Dharma Shastras?

Question

Did Adi Shankaracharya follow any of the Dharma Shastras like Manu Smriti.

And did he ask his followers (people who believe in Advaita Philosophy) to follow the Dharma Shastras?

Or did he reject Dharma Shastras?

Answer 1

Shankaracharya asserted the smritis, and uses them extensively throughout his different commentaries on the upanishads and other works. He deferred to quoting from the vedas, but would quote from the smritis when it would help his commentary. As the Brahma Sutras notes, when smriti and sruti are in conflict, sruti takes precedence. In his work, the Upadesa Sahasri, Sankara says in verse 1.1.9:

The disciple who has thus learnt the definition of the inner Self from the Srutis and Smritis and is eager to cross the ocean of transmigratory existence is asked, "who are you my child?"

and in 1.1.43:

"When ignorance is uprooted with the aid of the Sruti, Smriti and reasoning, the one-pointed intellect of the seer of the supreme Truth becomes established in the one Self which is of the nature of pure Consciousness like a (homogeneous) lump of salt, all pervading like the ether, which is without the interior and exterior, unborn and is within and without.