Dharma means the righteous way of living and sutra refers to the key or code. The Dharma-sutras originated from the voluminous Kalpa-sutras that were a compilation of verses from the four Vedas (Rig, Yajur, Sāma, and Atharva). These verses carry suggestions on the government, economics, warfare, castes and their assigned duties, social behavior and etiquette, code of conduct, duties of a householder and wife throughout a life, religion, and the food to be taken, and so on. Specific do’s and don’ts were also written for the king and the commoner.
The original set of text was found to be elaborate, complex and confusing. The four main sutras that have survived are Apastamba (450-350 BCE), Gautama (600-200 BCE), Baudhayana (500-200 BCE), and Vasistha (300-100 BCE).
Some of the strong recommendations of Dharma-sutras include:
- Walk the path of truth
- Carry oneself like a true Aryan
- Take only the most virtuous, as one’s disciple
- Exercise self-control
- Show kindness and generosity to everyone
- Become an expert in the Vedas and recite them with commitment
- Do not cause harm to any living being-animate or inanimate
- Maintain a calm and gentle demeanor
- Be gentle but steadfast
- Abide by the rituals and the purification of the mind and body
The Dharma-sutras were written in terse prose, often with incomplete sentences. This made them open to interpretation. The sutras gradually came to be transformed into verses that were much clearer in their message. These derivative works are known as Dharma-shastras.