1266 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
Vedas differ and smritis also differ. There is no sage whose word can be taken as final. The secret of Dharma is very deep, follow the path traversed by the great.
Which means—One Veda gives one dictum, while the other shows a difference of opinion. In Vedas there are certain things where people can have doubts. Likewise, there are smritis and Dharmashastras. All of them are of the same opinion, it cannot be said so. Some Dharmashastra gives one thing, while the other gives something else. There also is difference of opinion—“ Naiko Muniyarasya Vachah Pramanam” —“There is not a single sage whose word can be taken as final” ; No such sage has born, whose dictum could be authoritative and, hence, to be taken as complete truth, and the rest to be discarded. Not even so. But after this those of us who make of a mention of Manu Maharaj—some amongst them say likewise, that Dr. Ambedkar is Manu of the day………
Dr. Ambedkar : I have not accepted that title.
Babu Ramnarayan Singh : do not accept, please. They say it wrongly, as you, in fact, do not deserve it: this is not a thing to be accepted. Those who confer this title upon you do it by way of flattery. It you are called ‘Manu’, all of us, too, would like to be called so ; why you alone.
And whatever were the dictates of Manu, whatever were his orders, were automatically followed by everybody. They were not propagated at the point of sword. Whenever he were to sit to make a law no police and military were kept on guard. I go to the extent and say that we should feel ashamed that when such a subject is being discussed we are encircled and guraded by police and military lest somebody should come and interrupt us. Furthermore, it has been said :” Dharamsya Tatvam nihitam guhayam” —The secret of Dharma is very deep it is hidden in the caves. Sir, everybody does know that these people must have thought at times that the subject of Dharma was so difficult that it could not be understood. Its secret, which is said to be lying in some cave, is very difficult to find out. How beautifully has, therefore, been said : “ Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah ”—“That, indeed, is the path which was followed by great men.” In such circumstances, when Vedas say something, Shastras uphold something else, conduct rules ordain something else and it may become difficult to make a right choice then what should be done ? It is, therefore, said : “ Mahajano yena gatah Sa panthah ”