Dharmaśāstra

Dharmaśāstra are Sanskrit Puranic Smriti texts on law and conduct, and refer to treatises (śāstras) on Dharma.

Quotes

• The written law of the śāstras and the customary laws of the different groups of humanity thus existed side by side, equally respected though often in notable disagreement with each other. The former acted upon the latter and restricted its mobility; but the latter also acted upon the former through the medium of interpretation. The result was an extremely variable and diverse law.
  • Lingat, Robert (1973). The Classical Law of India (tr. J. D. M. Derrett). University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, California. page 141-2. quoted in (Reclaiming Sanskrit Studies) Ed. Dr. K. S. Kannan - Western Indology & Its Quest for Power_ Proceedings of Swadeshi Indology Conference Series-Infinity Foundation India (2017)