A fundamental Question abt Dharmic question

[vidya S Jayaraman]

I read a translation of the dharma sutras, manu smriti
and yagnavalkya smriti.
And I have some other related basic questions :

1.What exactly is this dharma ie according to the
smritis.If so Why do they contradict each other so
much.One case in point is Manu's statement about the
difference in age between a husband and a wife.
Who decides which one holds good amongst the million
laws and bylaws.

2.As far as the terms "brahmana" or "kshatriya" is
concerned How many would qualify as per the definition
of the smritis.
All it can mean now is the people who are offsprings
of some who were brahmanas several hundred years back.



Vidya

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! GeoCities - quick and easy web site hosting, just $8.95/month.
http://geocities.yahoo.com/ps/info1