RBSE VU Dharma Shastra study plan

Distinguish Shruti from Smriti and state, in writing, the classical criteria of textual authority (apaurusheya, smriti as remembered tradition, and the role of sadachara and conscience as supplementary sources).

Map the genre chain from Dharma Sutra to metrical Dharma Shastra: identify the Sutra authors (Apastamba, Baudhayana, Gautama, Vasishtha) and the principal Smriti compilers (Manu, Yajnavalkya, Narada, Brihaspati, Katyayana).

Build a comparative chart of the Manusmriti, Yajnavalkya Smriti, and Naradasmriti showing date range, structure (chapters and subject order), dominant theme, and typical commentarial tradition.

Explain how conflict of laws (virodha) is resolved in classical jurisprudence, using the concepts of kalpa, nyaya, and the priority rules cited in the texts.

Locate and note the standard editions and translations you will use for each primary text so later weeks do not stall on sourcing.

Outline the eighteen titles of vyavahara (civil and criminal causes) as listed in Manu and Yajnavalkya and match each title to a modern legal analogue.

Trace the procedural sequence of a classical lawsuit: plaint, reply, burden of proof, ordeals (divya), witnesses, documentary evidence, and the stages of judgment.

Differentiate substantive rules on debt, deposits, partnership, sale without ownership, and master-servant disputes, citing the text and chapter for each rule.

Draft a one-page glossary of technical legal terms (vyavahara, purva paksha, uttara, sadhya, pramana) with a precise definition and one textual example each.

Define varna and ashrama as two independent but intersecting frameworks, and explain the doctrine of svadharma that links them.

Sequence the four ashramas (brahmacharya, grihastha, vanaprastha, sannyasa) and state the duties, transitions, and disputed points (for example, whether ashrama order is obligatory or optional).

List the sixteen samskaras in order from garbhadhana to antyeshti, and classify each by purpose: purification, incorporation, instruction, or transition.

Analyze the legal and social effects of key samskaras, especially upanayana as the gateway to Vedic study and marriage as the formation of the household.

Compare how Manu and Yajnavalkya treat the duties of the householder relative to the other three ashramas.

Describe the four-layer structure of Vedic literature (Samhita, Brahmana, Aranyaka, Upanishad) and state what each layer characteristically does with ritual and speculation.

Identify the principal Samhitas and their ritual associations, and explain the distinction between mantra and brahmana portions.

Explain the shift from ritual exegesis in the Brahmanas to the internalized sacrifice and knowledge-oriented teaching of the Aranyakas and Upanishads.

State the doctrines of karma, rebirth (samsara), and the four purusharthas (dharma, artha, kama, moksha) and show how they interlock as a hierarchy of human aims.

Distinguish the karma-marga, jnana-marga, and bhakti-marga as soteriological orientations and note which texts foreground each.

Enumerate the core duties of the king (raja-dharma): protection, punishment (danda), appointment of ministers, and personal self-discipline as a condition of legitimate rule.

Explain the theory of danda, including its necessity, proportionality, and the claim that unjust punishment destroys the realm.

Outline the machinery of governance described in the texts: ministers, council, spies, fort, treasury, army, and the seven limbs of the state (saptanga).

Analyze taxation principles and limits, and the king's role as final court of appeal and fountain of justice.

Compare the treatment of kingship in Manu, Yajnavalkya, and the Arthashastra tradition, noting where they agree and diverge.

Distinguish prayashchitta (penance) from danda (state punishment) and from vyavahara remedies, and explain when each applies.

Classify prayashchitta by type (fasting, recitation, gifts, austerities) and by the graded severity attached to different offenses.

Explain the theory of atonement: how penance restores ritual and social standing, and the role of intention and confession.

Examine the interaction between varnashrama status and the scale of penance or punishment, including the critique of differential treatment.

Work through at least five hypothetical cases and assign the appropriate remedy under both vyavahara and prayashchitta.

State the Jain framework of ahimsa, the anuvratas, and the lay-versus-monastic discipline, and explain how it reshapes dharmic obligation.

Outline the Buddhist account of dhamma, the precepts, the sangha, and the relationship between royal patronage and monastic law.

Explain the Sikh conception of dharma through the Guru Granth Sahib, the Khalsa, and the threefold discipline of nam, dan, and isnan.

Compare the three traditions with Brahmanical dharma on at least four axes: authority of scripture, caste and social order, violence and punishment, and the goal of liberation.

Identify genuine convergences and genuine incompatibilities, avoiding the claim that all traditions teach the same dharma.

Consolidate the source hierarchy and the resolution-of-conflict rules into a single decision tree that can be applied to any new textual question.

Re-drill the eighteen titles, the samskara sequence, the four ashramas, and the four purusharthas from memory with no notes.

Take two full-length timed practice sets and log every error by domain, then close the top three gaps with targeted re-reading.

Write a synthesis essay arguing how a classical Dharma Shastra court would decide a modern dispute, using correct citation practice throughout.