What is Grihya Sutra?

Question

I know that Grihya Sutras are part of Kalpa Sutras, which in turn part of Vedangas. However, I do not understand the purpose of the Grihyasutras. What exactly is the role of Grihyasutras? Is it something similar to Dharmasutras (Dharmashastras)? Is it social code or philosophical treatise? If it is social code (sounds like that), then we already have dharmasutras. Then what purpose it serves? What exactly is its domain?

Answer 1

The Vedangas have six divisions. One of the divisions of Vedanga is Kalpasutras, which has four subdivisions, namely, Srautasutra, Sulbasutra, Dharmasutra (also known as Dharmasastra) and Grihyasutra.

The first two deals with the srauta yajna. The detailed protocols of yajna or fire sacrifices mentioned in the Veda Samhitas (for example vajpeya yajna or ashwamedha yajna etc) are present in the Srautasutras. Sulbasutra deals with the mathematics of the shape of the altar of the sacrifice and how to construct it.

The Dharmasutras are known as smriti and these texts contain the social codes. However, the Grihyasutras have instructions on how to perform smarta yajnas (vedic domestic rituals). Smarta Yajna means the ten Samskaras starting from birth to death, such as annaprashanam, upanayan, marriage, shraddha or the last rite etc. These ten samskaras are performed by householders. The protocols for performing these samskaras are mentioned in Grihyasutras. Even today, we follow these protocols for our marriage and other rituals.

Each Veda has its own srautasutra and Grihyasutras. As an example, I will mention the Shukla Yajurveda. The srautasutra of Shukla Yajurveda is Katyana's srauta sutra and grihyasutra of Shukla Yajurveda is Paraskara's grihyasutra.

Each grihyasutra has its own commentaries known as paddhatis, which give an even more detailed account of how to perform the ritual. For example, the steps of marriage and all the mantras and the procedure, in short, are given in Paraskara grihyasutra (adhyaya I, kandika 3-8). A very detailed account strictly based on that is found in the Paddhati text.

For example, in Bengal, paddhati on Paraskara grihyasutra was written by Pashupati, who was the royal priest of the last sovereign Hindu king of Bengal Lakshmana Sena. Even today the marriages in Bengal (in yajuvedic way) are done following this text. Bengali translation of Dasha samaskara written by Pashupati was published by Pandit Shyamacharan Bhattacharya and Ashok Bandopadhyay. Local priests follow these Bengali translations of the marriage part of Pashupati's text to perform marriage rituals.

In other parts of India, there are paddhatis or commentaries on Paraskara's texts written by Harihara, Gadadhara, Karka Upadhyaya, Jayarama and Visvanatha. Dayanand Sarasvati in his Samaskar Vidhi book, which describes the protocol of Samaskaras performed by Hindu householders quoted the verses from Grihyasutras many times.

As an example, I will quote some parts of the marriage ritual written in Paraskara Grihyasutra (Adyaya I, Kandika 6).

1. The girl's brother pours out of his joined hands into her joined hands fried grain mixed with Śamī leaves.

2. This she sacrifices, with firmly joined hands, standing, (while the bridegroom recites the verses,)

'To the god Aryaman the girls have made sacrifice, to Agni; may he, god Aryaman, loosen us from here, and not from the husband. Svāhā!

'This woman, strewing grains, prays thus, "May my husband live long; may my relations be prosperous." Svāhā!

'These grains I throw into the fire: may this bring prosperity to thee, and may it unite me with thee. May Agni grant us that. N.N.! Svāhā!'

3. He then seizes her right hand together with the thumb, with (the verses),

'I seize thy hand for the sake of happiness, that thou mayst live to old age with me, thy husband. Bhaga, Aryaman, Sāvitrī, Purandhi, the gods have given thee to me that we may rule our house.

'This am I, that art thou; that art thou, this am I. The Sāman am I, the Ṛc thou; the heaven I, the earth thou.

'Come! Let us marry. Let us unite our sperm. Let us beget offspring. Let us acquire many sons, and may they reach old age.

'Loving, bright, with genial minds may we see a hundred autumns, may we live a hundred autumns, may we hear a hundred autumns!'

References-

1. Paraskara Grihyasutra English translation by Hermann Oldenberg
2. Paraskara Grihyasutra Hindi translation by Jagdishchandra Mishra
3. Paraskara Grihyasutra with five commentaries in Sanskrit
4. The Sanskar Vidhi by Dayanand Sarasvati
5. Gobhila Grihyasutra English online
6. Khadira Grihyasutra English online
7. Ashwalyayna Grihyasutra English Online
8. Sankhayana Grihyasutra English Online
9. The Grihya sutras English translation pdf (Vol1, Vol2)