Know about Grihya Sutra In Hinduism

In Hinduism, Grihya Sutras deal with the Vedic traditional practices relating to the domestic field and prescribe the rituals pertaining to daily life and activities of the householder.

The various daily rituals of the Brahmins, Samskaras (rites of purification), including rites of birth, marriage, and death, rites of longevity and prosperity, customs and practises, deity worship, and social life and livelihood, as described herein, provide a vivid picture of Vedic traditional life.

Texts from the Grihya Sutra

There are three Rig Vedic Grihya Sutra texts available: Sankhayana, Kaushitaki, and Asvalayana.

There are nine Yajurvedic Grihya Sutra texts available: Baudhayana, Bharadwaja, Apastamba, Hiranyakeshi (Satyasadha), Vaikhanasa, Agnivesha, Manava, Kathaka, and Varaha. These illustrate the Vedic tradition’s various sakhas (recensions).

For Sama Veda practitioners, four Grihya Sutra texts are available: of Gobhila, Khadira, Jaiminiya, and Kauthauma.

Kaushika is a single Grihya Sutra work related to Atharva Veda. The above texts portray in a revealing manner, the domestic, ritualistic and social life of the Vedic people as nothing else can.