Conclusion

The opening and the concluding stanzas of Gautami Smrita are as follows: Vedo Dharma mulam tadvidaancha mahataam, na tudrushtortho varadorbalyaat tulya balavirodhe vikalpah/(Those who know and practise Dharma as per the precepts in Vedas and Smritis do transgress Dharma. Yet, basically those who on balance veer back to Dharma resisting the powerful pulls otherwise do return back in course of time and do opt for Dharma in the long run) Anaajnaate dashaavaraih shishtairu havadbhiralubdhaih prashastam kaaryam, Chatvaaraschaturnaam paaragaa Vedaanaam praaguttamaatraya ashraminah prutthugdharma vidasastraya etaan dashaavaran parishadityaa chakshate/ Asambhave tweteshaam shrotriyo Veda vicchishto vipratipattou yadaaha yatoyamapramavo bhutaanam himsaanugraha yogeshu Dharminaam visheshana swarga lokam dharma vidaapnoti jnaanaabhi niveshaabhyaamiti Dharmo Dharmah/ (In respect of that which is not properly absorbed, intelligent persons who cogitate well should decide by the opinion of Chaturvedis, vidwans, the learned ones of the Chaturashramas of Brahmacharya, Grihasta etc. together constituting a Parishad. Alternatively, the majority of the opinion of Shrotriya, Vedavid, Sishtaas must prevail especially in controversial matters related to sins and their correctives; these are the steps to Swarga; that is Dharma indeed!)

Om Purnamadah purnamidam purnaatpurnamuchyate,

Puransya purnamaadaaya purname4vaavashishyate,

Om Shantih shantih shantihi/

Sri V.D.N.Rao and Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham

Kamakoti.org presents the Essence of Puranas in English, condensed by Sri. V.D.N.Rao, devotee of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. Compiled, Composed and Interpreted by V.D.N.Rao, Former General Manager, India Trade Promotion Organisation, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi Ministry of Commerce, Govt. of India The author can be contacted at [email protected]