In the ancient Rig Veda, justice is deeply intertwined with *Rta* (cosmic
and moral order) and *Dharma* (righteousness). Rather than being enforced
by a rigid judicial system, justice was achieved when human actions and
cosmic forces were in perfect harmony.
Justice in this era revolved around maintaining social equilibrium and
fulfilling cosmic duties. The framework can be broken down into the
following core concepts. The fundamental law of the universe. It dictates
that truth, natural phenomena, and human morality are all connected. Unjust
acts were considered an offense against this universal order. The moral
compass guiding both rulers and the community. It demanded ethical conduct,
truthfulness, and social cooperation. The King (*Raja*) was not an absolute
ruler, but rather a protector of the people and the guardian of justice.
His power was accountable to the people through democratic assemblies like
the *Sabha* (council of elders) and *Samiti* (general assembly). The Rig
Veda emphasizes collective decision-making and preventing social
disparities over harsh punitive systems. However, crimes like theft (*Steya*),
highway robbery (*Taskara*), and breach of promises were acknowledged, with
wrongdoers expected to face penance (*Vrata*) or restitution.
- *Deities of Justice:* Gods like *Varuna* were revered as the enforcers
of Rta, often acting as the moral judge who maintained universal order and
punished falsehood, while *Mitra* governed contracts and alliances.
2 The concept of justice shifted from the cosmic, abstract
principles of the Rig Veda into a highly structured, codified legal system
during the era of the Dharma sutras (around 600 BCE to 200 BCE).
The following key transitions define how justice evolved into formal legal
procedures:
*1. From Cosmic Order to Human Law* The Rig Vedic concept of
*Rta* (universal order) evolved into *Dharma* as a concrete code of
conduct. Texts like *Gautama*, *Baudhayana*, *Apastamba*, and *Vashistha*
Dharma sutras explicitly laid down every day civic duties. Laws
transitioned from religious rituals to governing property rights,
marriages, inheritances, and contracts.
*2. Formalization of the Court System (Vyavahara) * The King
became the supreme judge, replacing the older democratic assemblies (*Sabha*
and *Samiti*). The King could no longer rule by whim; he was legally
required to consult learned Brahmins and ministers. A structured system of
local courts emerged to handle small disputes before they reached the royal
court.
*3. Rules of Evidence and Procedure * Cases relied heavily
on *Manusa
Pramaṇa*, which required checking material documents (*Lekhya*) and
listening to eyewitness testimony (*Saksin*). If human evidence was
completely unavailable, courts resorted to *Daiva Pramaṇa* (divine
evidence), using sacred oaths or physical trials by fire or water. Strict
eligibility rules were introduced to determine who could qualify as a
trustworthy witness.
*4. Categorization of Crime and Punishment (Danda) * Punishment (*Danda*)
was codified as a tool to maintain social peace. Courts enforced standard
fines (*Artha-danda*), corporal punishment (*Sari-danda*), and social
banishment. Justice became stratified; punishments and civil privileges
varied strictly based on an individual's caste (*Varna*) and gender.
*5. Recognition of Local Customary Law y:* The Dharma sutras
officially recognized *Samay achara* (customary laws of specific regions,
guilds, and castes). If a local trade guild or regional tradition did not
openly violate sacred texts, the King's court upheld it as valid law.
3 The possibility of Dharma that ruled Indian human advancement,
from Vedic length as much as Muslim intrusion from King to his residual
worker everybody transformed into jump through Dharma, The expression
Dharma is gotten from "dhr" to intend to maintain, keep up or support. The
Seers normally use it in close connection with 'rta' and 'satya'. Sri
Vidyaranya characterizes 'rta' as the psychological recognition and
acknowledgment of God. The Taittiriya Upanishad furthermore utilizes it
with 'satya' and 'dharma'. It admonishes understudies to talk reality and
exercise dharma into development. In such manner, the clarification given
by method for Sri .K.Balasubramania Aiyar is pertinent: "An examination of
the significance of these three words (rta, satya and dharma) conveys out
really to us the major establishment of dharma as the best for a character.
While 'rta' signifies the scholarly conviction and acknowledgment of truth
and 'satya' means the exact valid articulation in expressions of reality as
seen by utilizing the brain, dharma is the recognition, in the conduct of
ways of life, of the real world. As a general rule, dharma is the way of
life which converts into movement the truth saw with the guide of the
individual of understanding as communicated by utilizing him without a
doubt. To put it plainly, 'rta' is reality in idea, 'satya' is actuality in
words and 'dhrama' is certainty in deed." Manusmriti composed through the
notable sage Manu endorses ten imperative guidelines for the recognition of
Dharma: Patience (dhriti), absolution (kshama), devotion or discretion
(dama), genuineness (asteya), sacredness (shauch), control of faculties
(indraiya-nigrah), reason (dhi), aptitude or learning (vidya), honesty
(satya) and deficiency of indignation (krodha). Manu likewise expresses,
"Peacefulness, truth, non-pining for, virtue of edge and contemplations,
oversee of faculties are the quintessence of Dharma". In this way dharmic
laws administer now not least difficult the individual anyway all in the
public arena. Dharma is regularly signify 'statute of exemplary nature's or
'commitment', statute of sacredness and furthermore the statute of
attachment. Yudhishthira says in his directions to Bhishma that whatever
makes war is Adharma, and something puts a quit to war and realizes
solidarity and accord is Dharma. Anything that encourages to join all and
grow unadulterated heavenly love and far-reaching sibling hoodness is
Dharma. Dharma advocates if the Paramatman is to draw us unto himself we
should, no matter what; do our obligations to him just as to the field. It
is these obligations that speak to what's called dharma. Once more, it is
dharma that serves us while we live in our body and while we stop to dwell
in it. It serves us in presence and the great beyond. There need be supreme
certainty or perplexity around the dharma we should pursue. We are
altogether soaks inside the dharma that our, awe inspiring folks have
sought after from innovation to age. They have deep down acknowledged
everlasting blessedness and we perceive for constructive that they lived
with none consideration, rather than people in our own age who're normally
malcontented and are entangled in tumults and exhibitions of a wide
assortment. We should simply to watch the dharma that they rehearsed. On
the off chance that we attempted to appropriate or whether it'd supply
upward pushed to insidious. It is quality for us to conform to the dharma
drilled by method for the mind blowing folks of the past, the dharma of our
progenitors. It doesn't recommend that 'Dharma' is unchanging; 'Dharma'
needs to two parts one 'Sanatana Dharma' each other is 'Yuga Dharma' later
is real one for an age. The Smiritis themselves capture this statute of
social exchange, Manu says, "There is one lot of dharma for men in the
kritayuga; an exceptional set for everything about, dvapara and kaliyugas;
the dharma interchange in accordance with the substitute of yuga.‖The Hindu
(i.ESanatana Dharma) see accounts for basic changes. There must be no
savage ruin with social heredity, but then the fresh out of the box new
anxieties, clashes and perplexities will should be gone up against and
survive; in the meantime as the facts of soul are perpetual the standards
trade from forever. Dharma is explicit combo of unbending nature and
adaptability it ensures everlasting standards and acknowledges drove
forward legitimate conventions, Shurtis represents normal, unceasing, and
key standards and Smiritis represents a gathering of qualities got from
these standards and finding their appearance in kept, transient and
relative control of social presence. Swami Vivekananda expressed, "We
realize that, in our books, a reasonable distinction is made among two
arrangements of certainties. The one set is what tolerates constantly,
being based on the idea of man, the nature of soul, the spirits' connection
to God, etc. The diverse set contains the minor legitimate rules, which
control the working of our ordinary presence. They have a place more
noteworthy well with the puranas, to the Smiritis, and no longer the shruti
Custom of 1 age, of 1 yuga, have never again been the traditions of
another, and as yuga comes after yuga they'll should trade". Henry Maine
ordered Indian Society and its legitimate machine as 'Static', this is a
direct result of his articulate absence of information he may have depended
his partner's clarification (misshaped) in inclination to learning Indian
Society since it remained, in India the King himself moved toward becoming
worry to the guideline; that self-assertive power wound up obscure to
Indian political idea and law and the ruler's entitlement to control
changed into subject to the satisfaction of duties the rupture of which
brought about relinquishment of authority; that the judges had been
fair-minded and circumstance best to the law; that memorable India had the
most noteworthy in vogue of any nation of classical times as respects the
limit, examining, honesty, fairness, and autonomy of the legal executive,
and those measures have now not been given until these days; that the
Indian legal executive comprised of a choice of the Courts underneath; that
question were chosen basically agreeing with similar thoughts of regular
justice which oversee the legal way inside the forefront State these days:
that the approaches of strategy and verification were like those pursued
nowadays; that otherworldly methods of proof simply like the difficulty had
been debilitate; that amid hoodlum preliminaries the blamed couldn't be
rebuffed aside from his blame was demonstrated in accordance with law; that
amid common cases the preliminary comprised of four degrees like each
bleeding edge preliminary – plaint, answer, hearing and announcement; that
such teachings as Res Judicata (prang nyaya) had been familiar to Indian
statute; that every one preliminaries, common or convict, had been heard
with the guide of a seat of a few judges and once in a while by utilizing a
judge sitting separately; that the declarations of all Courts with the
exception of the King were issue to offer or audit in accordance with
steady norms; that the principal obligation of the Court swung into to do
justice "without need or dread.
4 Early Vedic Period
The antiquated people had legal rules and customs however without lawyers
and judges. Later on the dependency of composing arrangements at the palm
leaves, earthenware, cutting pix on dividers began. Amid the early Vedic
span the customs and the conventions have been taken on the grounds that
the law of the land In the primitive days disciplines were given like tit
for tat, teeth for teeth and throughout wergild the disciplines have been
given through fines. Such fines had been given as reimbursement to the
family units of the person in question.
Vedic Period
The justice changed into offered by the guideline, which even the ruler
couldn't disregard. A portion of the violations alluded to inside the Rig
veda the most punctual printed substance of that time include robbery,
housebreaking, high-way burglary, etc., Smritis ordinarily enumerate 18
reasons of debate comprehensive of obligations, deals without sufficient
name, fixing of impediments, parcel, non-payment of wages, break of
settlement, organization, infidelity, viciousness, criticize, robbery,
robbery etc4. We went over reality that, those blamed or suspected for
burglary expected to demonstrate their guiltlessness by means of pledge or
difficulty or occasionally both had been blended. Manu makes reference to
best two assortments of experience, hearth and water. It has been expressed
that if an indebted person did not satisfy his advance he needs to serve a
length of bondage to the leaser. The arrangement of discretion and the
machine of making vows in recollect of uncertainty was likewise practically
speaking. Among the differing violations noted in the Smritis and the
inverse scholarly works, 'Steya' or theft was the most ordinary. The Rig
Veda regularly noted roughly the cheats (Tayu or Steya) and burglars
(Taskara) in various psalms.
Later Vedic Period
In later Vedic length the idea of colonialism came into ways of life. It is
demonstrated by method for the utilization of the terms Adhiraj,
Rajadhiraj, Samrat, Ekarat, etc. At the equivalent time a few circumstances
were forced at the ruler. Dharma transformed into contemplated to be the
genuine sovereign of america and the lord have turned out to be obviously
required to authorize the equivalent. The ruler end up made to depend on
his pastors. At that point each unique investigate changed into put on the
ruler by method for the arrangement of sabha and samiti. The sabha
additionally went about as a court of justice. The legal instrument develop
to be progressed past the crude gadget of 'tit for tat and tooth for
finish'. The charged had been grant off with punishments like the cost of a
hundred dairy animals (sata-daya,). The town decide come to be known as
Gramyavadin (T aittiriyasamhita). As inside the early Vedic length the King
develop to be the origin everything being equal. Be that as it may, the 2
gatherings 'Sabha' and 'Samiti' had well ordered strange their
significance. In a couple of refrains of Jivagribh of Rig Veda and the
Ugras of the Upanishads there can be a point out about the presence of a
very much administrated police gadget. The King is the wellspring of
justice. He have to possess the revel in of unprejudiced nature; else he
will never again have the capacity pick with the help of his court8. Old
Indian law specialists committed a top notch arrangement important to
advancing a guideline administer ing the organization of justice. A code of
conduct for judges stressed inside the control of justice, further to
arrangements for discipline of officers submitting offenses inside the way
of such administration of justice, were prepared vided by utilizing the
utilization of legislators alongside Brahaspati, Narad and Manu. In
contrast to the Vedic Age, the Brahmanic or the Epic Age had the Justice
formally controlled. Urban communities had been multiplied for the length
of India and had their judges, government officers and police. The
correctional facility imbalance turned out to be furthermore natural in
light of the station system10. Different styles of legal organizations were
available in some unspecified time later on of the antiquated time of which
the court headed with the asset of the lord have turned into the top notch
court. Other guideline creators like Katyayana have likewise said the ways
of life of cheats inside the memorable society. The Lawgivers had made a
couple of arrangements to help the awful who stole for fiscal reasons. As
indicated by those laws any traveler in lack of suppers have turned out to
be approved to take from another's property sugarcane stalks, two mulakas
or tubers, two cucumbers or melons, five mangoes or pomegranates and a
bunch of dates, corn or rice, wheat or steed gram.
ORGANIZATION OF JUSTICE IN ANCIENT INDIA
Organization of justice changed into now not part of the commitments of the
States in early occasions. There isn't any association with any legal
associations in Vedic writing. Afterward, justice moved toward becoming
directed through the clan and more distant family congregations and the
legal system transformed into entirely straightforward. Be that as it may,
with the augmentation of the capacities of the State and the expansion of
the regal forces, the ruler arrived grade by evaluation to be appeared to
be because of the reality the dream of justice and a more or significantly
less troublesome gadget of legal administration arrived into reality. The
Dharma Shastras, NitiShastras and Arthashastra offer us records about the
very much propelled legal executive. As per these written works the lord
turned into the wellspring leader of all justice and he changed into
required to go through consistently about various hours in arbitration. The
foremost obligation of the ruler turned into the security of his concern
which included the discipline of the culprit. The law to be directed end up
the Dharma Shastras venture to adjacent and different utilizations having
consistency with the Shastras. Brihaspati talks about four assortments of
Courts -Courts getting expert from the ruler and Courts managed by means of
the lord himself.
As indicated by Bhrigu there were fifteen styles of Courts. A portion
of the unmistakable Courts conveying justice had been;
1. The king's Court - At the zenith of the legal gadget stood the ruler's
court on the capital and directed by method for the lord himself. Be that
as it may, all the more routinely a found Bhrahmana changed into delegated
for the reason and he become alluded to as Adhyaksha or Sabhapati. Prior
the Adhyaksha changed into settled on for each particular occasion and in
course of time have turned into a lasting officer of us of an and held the
position of the Chief Justice (Pradvivaka). Aside from the lord, this court
docket comprised of the Pradvivaka and three or 4 attendants.
2. Court directed by methods for method for the Chief Justice-The Court
managed by methods for the Chief Justice selected through method for the
ruler called Pradvivakawas the second one sort of court docket.
3. Principal Courts-Another Court of essentialness have been the Principal
Courts in huge city in which illustrious authorities helped using watched
individual directed justice. They have been managed through the utilization
of Adhyakshas named by means of the Central Government.
4. Popular Courts-One unique capacity of chronicled Indian legal gadget is
the life of well known courts. Yajnavalkya, out of the blue alludes to a
couple of sorts of mainstream courts.
5. Kula-The Kula has been characterized by method for the utilization of
the Mitaksharaas comprising establishment of people of the family, close or
remote. The Kula or joint families were entirely striking in recorded
India. On the off chance that there has been a squabble between givers the
older folks used to endeavor to settle it. This Kula Court turned into an
easygoing body of claim family older folks.
6. Sreni-When the exertion on the family discretion fizzled, the issue
transformed remarkable normal for the monetary life in old India from 500
B.C. Sreni had their own official boards of 4 or 5 individuals and it may
be that they may have worked because of the reality the Sreni Court besides
for settling the question among their kin. This becomes a get together of
individuals following a particular vocation like betel-vendors, weavers,
shoe producers and such like.
7. Puga-This turned into a connection of people drawn from various
positions and following unique callings anyway remaining inside the
indistinguishable town or city. The sabha or the town meeting of the Vedic
span and Gramavriddha court docket of the Arthasastra had been the
harbinger of the Puga Court. In spite of the fact that the ones courts have
been fundamentally non-genuine and well known, that they'd the regal
specialist in the again of them. The Government would not engage any fit as
a fiddle aside from in claims toward their longing. It additionally offered
impact to their pronouncements. In notable India town Panchayats and
organizations have been held for various thought processes They diminished
the heaviness of the Central administration.
The members of a town Panchayat or an organization had more or
significantly less reliable skill of reality in question in light of the
fact that the occasions had a place with their society or area. It could be
intense for an observer to lie inside the nearness of his own kin and
consequently lose his regard. There changed into no limit to the purview
of the outstanding courts in common subjects. In any case, they couldn't
endeavor criminal cases of an extraordinary sort. The notable courts played
out a recognized position in old India. The ordinary courts met a few times
every day regularly toward the beginning of the day and evening and were
available to all. Preliminaries had been always held out in the open.
Justice moved toward becoming controlled as per arrangements which fell
under one or distinctive of the accompanying four heads.
* Sacred Law (Dharma), Secular Law (Vyavaharika),Custom (Charitra)
and** common law relied on proof*. Custom wound up chose by means of the
sentiment of the general population and imperial decisions comprised the
govt. guideline. Among the divisions of law, Manu and almost the majority
of the guideline providers of old India mulled over custom on the grounds
that the most extreme fundamental statute inside the administration of
justice and with regards to them debate must be chosen by utilizing method
for giving top significance to the customs of countries and areas, of
positions, of organizations and of families.
The declaration of the Arthi/Purvapaksha (offended party) who had
documented a Prathinga (grievance) pronouncing precisely his case and
announce.
The Prathyarthi/Uttarapaksha (respondent) changed into gathered with a know
and changed into required to post his composed assertion in answer.
The genuine preliminary had started when the pick called upon the
gatherings to cite Pramana (confirmation/proof) which were of two
sorts-manushik
(human) and daivik (divine). The manushikpramana comprised of narrative
proof, oral verification and assets. Daivik pramana become turned to least
difficult without manushikpramana. Davikpramana become of five kinds²ordeal
by utilizing balance, through chimney, water, poison and by utilizing
drinking water.
When the confirmation changed into over, the Judge gave his choice in
session with sabhyas or members of the jury. A proliferation of the
judgment was given to the occasions. The ineffective birthday festivity
could charm to the better courts. Indeed, even the King and the Chief
Justice couldn't start the preliminary of a case in the event that they
might be never again helped through a board of three, 5 or seven hearers
called sabhyas. They were relied upon to be fair and bold. A legal hearer
keeping quietness had been censured. They were to express their conclusion
regardless of the way that it transformed into in rivalry to that of the
lord. They were to limit a lord from going off to some faraway place or
giving a wrong determination. An amount of understood law specialists
safeguard that the ruler or pick is to be guided with the guide of the
decision of the jury and best while the members of the jury couldn't go to
a particular decision, the lord practiced his benefit to that as it may,
comprehension of holy guideline become no longer imperative while the case
stressed the debate the majority of the cultivators, shippers and forest
occupants. Dharmashastra authors themselves prescribed that the case must
be attempted with the help of the members of the jury chose from the
standings or the callings of the occasions themselves. Pleaders not
frequently figured in notable legal gadget. Sukrarefers to the activity of
naming distinguished advertisers in the law courts to watch a case while a
festival become himself unfit to accomplish this because of his distraction
or absence of comprehension of the law. Such advertisers had been known as
Niyogins and they have been foreseen to secure the enthusiasm of their
occasions all around cautiously. Their charge different from six to 1/2
rate, in venture with the expense of the property. On the off chance that
they conspired with the elective birthday party they had been rebuffed
through the State. Fines, detainment, expulsion, mutilation and biting the
dust sentence had been the discipline in vogue. Fines were most typical and
discipline regularly varied with the rank of the charged. The correctional
facility office moved toward becoming underneath the cost of an expert
called Sannidhata and the jailor transformed into known as
Bandhana-garadhyaksha. Male and young lady prisoners had been spared in
independent wards.
HOW JUSTICE SHALL BE:
The King's Judges The judges and advisors managing the ruler
throughout the preliminary of a case have been required to be impartial and
bold and spare you him from submitting any mistake or injustice. Says
Katyayana: "If the ruler needs to dispense upon the prosecutors (vivadinam)
an illegal or profane choice, it is the obligation of the pick (samya) to
caution the lord and avert him." "The select directing the lord must give
his supposition which he considers to be consistent with law, if the ruler
does never again tune in, the decide as a base has finished his
responsibility. When the pick understands that the lord has veered off from
value and justice, his duty isn't to satisfy the lord for that is no event
for delicate discourse (vaktavyam tat priyamnatra); if they choose flops in
his obligation, he's accountable. “Delegation of Judicial quality by means
of the King As human advancement propelled, the lord's abilities have
turned out to be additional several and he had considerably less and bounty
less time to listen suits in man or lady, and adjusted into constrained to
assign progressively of his legal feature to master judges. Katyayana says:
"If in view of worry of work, the ruler can't focus suits face to face he
should enlist as a choose a Brahmin saw out inside the Vedas. "The
capabilities endorsed for a select were extremely high. As per Katyayana;
"A pick need to be grim and confined, autonomous in demeanor, resolute,
God-dreading, diligent in his obligations, free from resentment, primary an
equitable life, and of well possess family. In bearing of time, a legal
progressive system rise as made which alleviated the ruler of masses of the
legal fine art, yet leaving immaculate his forces in light of the fact that
the exceptionally fine court docket of fascination.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
K RAJARAM IRS 7626
On Sun, 7 Jun 2026 at 06:23, Jambunathan Iyer <[email protected]> wrote:
> 🌟 Thought for the Day – Justice (7 June 2026)
> The rain falls on the just and unjust alike, yet fairness reminds us that
> justice must be gentle and true.
> 🌺 May this Sunday shower you with fairness and compassion. 🌺
> 🌟 இன்றைய சிந்தனை – நீதி (7 June 2026)
> மழை நீதிமான்களுக்கும் அநீதிமான்களுக்கும் ஒரேபோல் பொழிகிறது; ஆனால் உண்மையான
> நீதி மென்மையாகவும் நேர்மையாகவும் இருக்க வேண்டும் என்பதை நினைவூட்டுகிறது.
> 🌺 இந்த ஞாயிறு உங்களுக்கு நீதி மற்றும் கருணையை அருளட்டும். 🌺
>
> *N Jambunathan , Chennai " What you get by achieving your goals is not as
> important as what you become by achieving your goals. If you want to live a
> happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things "*
>
>
>
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"Thatha_Patty" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email
to [email protected].
To view this discussion visit
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CAL5XZorkRzM9OAtFsGy3C4Z9tuxhLV_ofTa4O98%3DQK6jXYrtOg%40mail.gmail.com.
