Twenty different kinds of scripture

Expressions researched:
"twenty different types of scripture" |"twenty types of religious scriptures" |"twenty kinds of religious scripture" |"twenty kinds of dharma-sastra" |"twenty different types of religious scriptures" |"There are twenty kinds of sastras"

SB Canto 6

There are twenty types of religious scriptures called dharma-śāstras, beginning with the Manu-saṁhitā and parāśara-saṁhitā.

SB 6.2.11, Translation and Purport: By following the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies or undergoing atonement, sinful men do not become as purified as by chanting once the holy name of Lord Hari. Although ritualistic atonement may free one from sinful reactions, it does not awaken devotional service, unlike the chanting of the Lord's names, which reminds one of the Lord's fame, qualities, attributes, pastimes and paraphernalia. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura comments that the chanting of the holy name of the Lord has special significance that distinguishes it from the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies of atonement for severe, more severe or most severe sinful actions. There are twenty types of religious scriptures called dharma-śāstras, beginning with the Manu-saṁhitā and parāśara-saṁhitā, but herein it is stressed that although one may become free from the reactions of the most sinful activities by following the religious principles of these scriptures, this cannot promote a sinful man to the stage of loving service to the Lord. On the other hand, chanting the holy name of the Lord even once not only frees one immediately from the reactions of the greatest sins, but also raises one to the platform of rendering loving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is described as uttamaśloka because He is famous for His glorious activities.

SB Canto 7

There are twenty different types of scripture for following religious principles, and among them the scriptures of Manu and Yājñavalkya are considered to be all-pervading authorities.

SB 7.11.7, Purport: Vedic knowledge means to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, whether one speaks of the Vedas, scriptures, religion or the principles of everyone's occupational duty, all of them must aim at understanding Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.6) therefore concludes:

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo

yato bhaktir adhokṣaje

ahaituky apratihatā

yayātmā suprasīdati

In other words, religious principles aim at learning how to render transcendental loving service to the Lord. That service must be unmotivated and unchecked by material conditions. Then human society will be happy in all respects. The smṛti, the scriptures following the principles of Vedic knowledge, are considered the evidence of Vedic principles.

There are twenty different types of scripture for following religious principles, and among them the scriptures of Manu and Yājñavalkya are considered to be all-pervading authorities. In the Yājñavalkya-smṛti it is said:

śruti-smṛti-sadācāraḥ

svasya ca priyam ātmanaḥ

samyak saṅkalpajaḥ kāmo

dharma-mūlam idaṁ smṛtam

One should learn human behavior from śruti, the Vedas, and from smṛti, the scriptures following the Vedic principles. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu says:

śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-

pañcarātra-vidhiṁ vinā

aikāntikī harer bhaktir

utpātāyaiva kalpate

[Brs. 1.2.101]

The purport is that to become a devotee one must follow the principles laid down in śruti and smṛti. One must follow the codes of the purāṇas and the pāñcarātrikī-vidhi. One cannot be a pure devotee without following the śruti and smṛti, and the śruti and smṛti without devotional service cannot lead one to the perfection of life.

Therefore, from all the evidence the conclusion is that without bhakti, devotional service, there is no question of religious principles. God is the central figure in the performance of religious principles. Almost everything going on in this world as religion is devoid of any idea of devotional service and is therefore condemned by the verdict of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Without devotional service, so-called religious principles are only cheating.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

There are twenty kinds of religious scripture.

Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Allahabad, January 16, 1971: There are twenty kinds of religious scripture, out of which, Manu is considered to be the greatest. So they have prescribed many methods for getting oneself released from the reaction of sinful activities. Every one of us, anyone who is engaged in karma... Karma means pāpa, sinful activities. And karma means one who is working for his own benefit. He is karmī. The whole world is working so hard not for others' benefit but his personal benefit. That is called karma. Try to understand what is karma. Karma means anyone who is working very hard day and night for his own benefit. That is called karma. And whenever you perform karma for your personal interest there must be some sinful activity. Therefore every karmī is a sinful man. It is clear understanding. No karmī can be without being sinful. Every karmī is. Therefore how to work? Just like government gives you license, say for... One is... Every businessman is given some license. The municipality gives license. The sales tax department gives license, certificate. There are so many licenses a businessman has to follow, income tax licenses. But there are rules and regulations because all these departments know it very well that any businessman or karmī, he is sure to commit sinful activities. Therefore there are so many regulations just to stop him as far as possible from sinful activities. Similarly, there are twenty kinds of viṁśati-prakāśa-dharma-śāstra. How one can live faithfully, religiously, the directions are there in twenty kinds of scriptures made by Parāśara, Manu, and many other sages. There are different types.

There are twenty kinds of dharma-śāstra composed by Manu, Parāśara and others.

Lecture on SB 6.3.25-26 -- Gorakhpur, February 18, 1971: There are twenty kinds of dharma-śāstra composed by Manu, Parāśara and others. They are very difficult. All of them are meant for counteracting our sinful life. This, as we have explained, material life is so arranged that even you do not like to commit some sin, in course of your life there will be sinful reaction.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

There are twenty different types of religious scriptures.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972: There are so many different opinions, different philosophers, different religious system, according to the modes of nature. But actually every system must be targeted towards realization of Kṛṣṇa, or God. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. That is Bhāgavata-dharma. Bhāgavata-dharma means realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Prahlāda Mahārāja recommended culture of this Bhāgavata-dharma from the very beginning of life: kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha [SB 7.6.1]. That is the success of human form of life, to execute Bhāgavata-dharma. The, the process... And dharma, as we have several times explained, dharma means the codes of Bhagavān. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19]. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is directly touching the point. Not step by step. There is no time. In the Kali-yuga there is very little time to go step by step. Otherwise, there are twenty different types of religious scriptures, viṁśati-prakāśa, dharma-śāstra. So who will read, and who will try to understand? There is no time. Prāyeṇa alpāyuṣaḥ kalāu asmin yuge janāḥ. People who are very short-living and they are not very enthusiastic for self-realization. Manda. Even they, somebody becomes interested in self-realization, they accept some wrong path. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo [SB 1.1.10]. They have got different mataḥ, opinion or path. And the so-called swamis, they also support that "Whatever opinion you have got about religious system, that is all right." Yata mata tata patha. But actually, the fact is different. The fact is that one should take simply to the devotional path, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg. 18.55]. If you are actually serious to know God, or Kṛṣṇa, then you must take to this process of devotional service.

General Lectures

There are twenty kinds of śāstras.

Lecture -- Gorakhpur, February 17, 1971: Now argument may be forwarded that if the simple process, simply by chanting the holy name, one becomes liberated, then why there are so many śāstras, manyadini? Manu is supposed to be the leader of giving all śāstras. There are twenty kinds of śāstras, dharma-śāstra. Vimsati dharma-śāstra. So what is the necessity of these dharma-śāstras? Actually, there is no need of dharma-śāstra. Kṛṣṇa also says the same thing. Sarva-dharmān parityajya [Bg. 18.66]. There are twenty kinds of dharma-śāstras, religious principles, in the Vedic literature, beginning from Manu, Parāśara, and other great, great sages. So here, Śrīdhara Swami is also putting forward the argument that if simply by chanting the holy name of God, one becomes liberated—even mahātmās also, they have to take to this process—then why, what is the necessity of so many, twenty kinds of dharma-śāstras? So from the conclusion of various Vedic literatures, there is no need of studying even the dharma-śāstras. Otherwise, why Kṛṣṇa says that sarva-dharmān parityajya [Bg. 18.66]? Sarva-dharmān means the dharma-śāstra also. Simply surrender. But people are so rigid and so, I mean to say, doggish, that they do not like to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. For them only, so many different ways of convincing. Otherwise, the whole purpose is to induce him to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vidyam. Kṛṣṇa says. All these Vedic literatures, they are meant for bending the stubborn atheist to come to this point. Therefore there are so many ways of... Otherwise, the ultimate goal is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa and chant His holy name.