Kalpa sutras
Also called: Shrauta, Grihya and Dharma sutras, Kalpasutra · Topic: The Vedic Age · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Kalpa sutras are short, rule-by-rule manuals on ritual and conduct. They belong to kalpa ('ritual'), which is one of the six Vedāngas, the supporting subjects for studying the Vedas. They were written after the main Vedic texts. They are usually divided into four kinds:
- shrauta sutras: the great public sacrifices
- grihya sutras: household rites such as birth, marriage and death
- dharma sutras: duty, law and social conduct
- shulba sutras: measuring and building fire altars
Example
The Āpastamba Kalpa Sutra is a rare full set. It has its own shrauta, grihya, dharma and shulba sections. Its dharma sutra is one of the early sources on the duties of the varṇas and the āśhramas (stages of life).
Don't confuse with
- Brāhmaṇa texts: long prose explanations of rituals that are part of the Vedas themselves. The Kalpa sutras are brief rule-books that came later and stand outside the Vedas.
- Dharmaśhāstras / smṛitis (such as the Manusmṛiti): later, fuller law books written in verse. Dharma sutras are their earlier, shorter, prose forerunners.
Related concepts
- Vedas
- Rigveda
- Rig Veda family books
- Yajurveda
- Samaveda
- Atharvaveda
- Brahmana texts
- Aranyakas
- Upavedas
- Vedangas