Which of the following can be considered a part of the ancient Indian Smriti Literature ? 1. Puranas 2. Ramayana 3. Kalpa-Sutra 4. Vedas Select the answer using the code given below :

Ancient Indian literature is broadly classified into Shruti and Smriti. Shruti refers to divinely revealed texts, primarily the four Vedas (Rig, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva), which are considered of divine origin and eternal [1]. In contrast, Smriti refers to 'remembered' literature composed by humans to explain and supplement the Vedas [1]. This category includes the Puranas, which contain genealogies and religious lore [2], and the Epics (Itihasa) like the Ramayana and Mahabharata [3]. Additionally, the Kalpa-Sutras, which encompass Shrauta, Grihya, and Dharma Sutras, are part of the Vedangas and are classified as Smriti because they provide practical codes of conduct and ritual instructions [3]. Since the Vedas are strictly Shruti, only the Puranas, Ramayana, and Kalpa-Sutra (statements 1, 2, and 3) belong to the Smriti tradition.

Sources

1. [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 7: The Guptas > Sanskrit Literature > p. 99
2. [2] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 2: Early India: The Chalcolithic, Megalithic, Iron Age and Vedic Cultures > Literature of the Vedic Age > p. 18
3. [3] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 5: Evolution of Society in South India > Literary > p. 64