Yājñavalkya-smrti (English: Yājñavalkya-smrti)

An ancient Indian legal code. It was written by a Brahmin (priestly class) in the 2nd or 3rd century and is said to have been preached by the sage Yajnavalkya. After the Manu Code, it was half the length of the original code and prescribed rules on dharma (law). It was divided into three parts, religious duties, justice, and penance, and was written clearly and concisely and arranged rationally. The justice section in particular contains many detailed rules and legally advanced rules compared to the Manu Code. Later, commentaries were written on this book, and the Mitākarā, written in the Deccan in the first half of the 12th century, is famous. The laws written there were respected as judicial norms in all areas except Bengal during the British colonial period and are still in existence today.

[Toshio Yamazaki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

古代インドの法典。2、3世紀ごろのバラモン（祭祀(さいし)階層）の著作で、聖仙ヤージュニャバルキヤが宣(の)べ伝えたとされた。『マヌ法典』のあと、その半分の分量でダルマ（法）に関する規定を定め、その規定は宗教的義務、司法、贖罪(しょくざい)の三編に分かたれ、明瞭(めいりょう)で簡潔に記され、合理的に配列された。とくに司法の編には、『マヌ法典』に比べて、詳細な規定や法的に進歩した規定が多くみられる。後世この書には注釈書がつくられ、そのなかで12世紀前半にデカンでつくられた『ミタークシャラー』Mitākarāは有名であって、そこに記された法はイギリス植民地時代にはベンガルを除く全地域で裁判規範として尊重され、今日も存続している。

［山崎利男］

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