Yajnavalkya Smriti

The Yājñavalkya Smṛti is a classical Dharmaśāstra text attributed to sage Yājñavalkya. It deals with conduct, law, social duties, penance, inheritance, judicial procedure, kingship, property, and spiritual discipline. More concise and systematic than many earlier dharma texts, it became influential in medieval legal commentary, especially through the Mitākṣarā. It reflects the smṛti tradition’s effort to organize ethical, legal, and ritual life.