The laws of Manu

"The Laws of Manu", 200 BC - 200 AD, is a central text of Hinduism. Its religious importance for both Hinduism and ideology easily rivals that of the Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita, as it provides a document of social life and ideals. The text is primarily concerned with the Hindu view of life and how it should be lived, about "Dharma", which subsumes the English concepts of "law", "duty", "rightiousness", "religion" and "practice". It is the basic text on caste, on marriage, on most elements of human behaviour, and it continues to be basic reading for anyone undertaking a study of India.