dharma shaastraas

[Kadiri, Krishna]

Respectable members,

I have a couple of questions -

1. smR^itis and other dharma shaastras are said to derive their strength by
being ancilliary to the Vedas. How true is this? S.Dasgupta, in his five
volumes on Indian philosophy, denies this (Sorry, I don't remember the
volume no.). I could find references for the caste system in some
upanishads, but nothing more.

2. I am sure you'll be aware of a practice in India, where a woman is not
touched/not allowed into kitchen during only the first three nights of her
menstrual periods. Is there any reference to this practice in any
smriti/shruti? What is surprising that this 'pollution' is considered valid
only for 3 nights. Manu smR^iti says that the husband should 'visit' the
wife on the 4th day, but he does not say anything about the code of conduct
on the earlier 3 days. Another interesting reference to this is in
Kalidaasa's Uttara kalAmR^ita (apparently a book on Indian astrology)- he
reasons that for the first three nights, the woman's psyche is quite
different (something like 'on the second day, she is a hater of Vishnu).

Regards,
Krishna