Sastras generally refer to Dharma sastras, the code of conduct for various situations , different stages of life of a Hindu and refer to austerities or spiritual practices.

Sastraic Injunctions
The flowers used for Puja should be fragrant, without stems , and not spoilt by worms and insects.

Authors of Dharmasastras:
Manu, Brihaspati, Daksha, Gautama, Yama, Angiras, Yaagnyavalkya, Prachetas, Saataatapa, Paraasara, Samvarta, Sukra, Sankha, Likhita, Atri, Vishnu, Apastamba, Haarita are the 18 authors of smritis.

Bilwa patra and Tulasi should not be plucked on a Tuesday or a Friday. Thulasi should not be plucked for pooja from the plant being worshipped.

Pooja performed during Margazhi month bestows the benefit of performing it for the whole year.

Chanting of stotras, mantras etc. on the banks of sacred rivers, in temples, cow-sheds and in the presence of Acharyas will bestow unlimited benefits.

QUOTABLE QUOTES FROM MANU SMRITI

The Manu Smriti is a work on Hindu Law and ancient Indian Society. It is also known as the Laws of Manu. These laws cover every aspect of human life including day to day activities and relations with parents, elders, teachers and other members of society. It is one of the nineteen Dharmasastras which are part of the Smriti literature. It is considered the oldest and one of the most important texts of this genre. Some of these codes of conduct pertain to the caste system and discuss the stages of life (varnaashrama dharma). There are 2,684 verses divided into twelve chapters. What follows is a selection under different heads from this ancient text.

Attitude towards food

Poojaye-dashanam nityam adyaachchaina-makutsayan
drushtwaa hrushyet praseedechcha pratinandechcha sarvashah
2.54

Poojitam hyashanam nityam balamoorjam cha yachchati
Apoojitam tu tadbhuktam ubhayam naashayed idam
2.55

Anaarogyam anaayushyam aswargyam cha atibhojanam
Apunyam lokavidvishtam tasmaat tat parivarjayet
2.57

Food should always be worshipped and taken with the utmost reverence. The sight of food should delight one's heart and fill it with joy. Food should be always be cherished by all means.

Food thus honoured gives one strength and energy. Food taken irreverently destroys both strength and energy.

Over-eating is unhealthy, shortens one's life and is an impediment to swarga meaning it prevents you from ahieving higher levels of happiness and joy. It is a sin and looked down upon by people. It is therefore good to abstain from over-eating.

[Note: It is scientifically accepted that a conducive frame of mind is essential for the proper digestion and assimilation of food. The state of mind certainly influences hormonal secretions and the metabolism. There is also the vedic injunction 'annam na nindyaat' meaning food is not be despised]

Control of the senses

Indriyaanaam vicharataam vishayeshu apahaarishu
Samyame yatnam aatishthet vidwaan yanteva vaajinaam
2.88

Indriyaanaam prasamgena dosha-mruchchaty-asamshayam
Samniyamya tu taaneva tatah siddhim niyachchati
2.93

Na jaatu kaamah kaamaanaam-upabhogena shaamyati
Havishaa krishnavartmeva bhooya eva abhivardhate
2.94

Vedaas tyaagashcha yagnaashcha niyamaashcha tapaamsi cha
Na vipradushta bhaavasya siddhim yachchanti karhichit
2.97

The five senses chase the objects of their desire which powerfully attract them. Wise men should endeavour to keep them under control like a horseman controls his horses.

There is no doubt that, ultimately, only something bad comes out of the attachment of the senses to their objects. By controlling the very same senses one is able to achieve the ultimate goal of one's life.

Desire itself never subsides by enjoyment of the objects of desire. It only flares up again like a fire into which ghee is poured while performing havan.

Study of vedas, sacrifices, performance of yagnas, niyamas (ahimsa, truth in thought word and deed, non-stealing, non-acceptance of gifts etc) and penances can never lead a person of impure to self-realisation which is the ultimate goal of life.

Vidya (learning, more specifically vedic or sacred knowledge)

Vidyaa brahmanametyaaha shevadhistesmi raksha maam
Asooyakaaya maam maa daastathaa syaam veeryavattamaa
2.114

Yameva tu shuchim vidyaa niyata brahmachaarinam
Tasmai maam broohi vipraaya nidhipaaya apramaadine
2.115

Vidya (Learning personified) came to the Brahamana (Teacher) and said, "I am your treasure. Protect me. Do not give me to some one whose tendency is to find fault even in good things. (asooyaa = doshaaropo guneshwapi - Amarakosam) . This way I will become the most potent and effective.

Give me to one who is pure in body and mind, who has control over his senses, who is of sattwic temperament, who will guard me as a treasure and who is always alert and careful.

Abhivaadana sheelasya nityam vruddhopa sevinah
Chatwaari tasya vardhante ayurvidyaa yasho balam
2.121

Na haayanair na palitair na vittena na bandhubhih
Rushayah chakrire dharmam yo anoochanah sa no mahaan
2.154

Na tena vruddho bhavati yenaasya palitam shirah
Yo vai yuvaapyadheeyanah tam devaah sthaviram viduH
2.156

One who is respectful towards elders and wise men and who always serves the old will have longer life and increase in learning, fame and physical and mental strength.

It is not the number of years or the number of white hairs on one's head or one's wealth and relations that make one great.
The rishis have laid down the dictum that only that one is great who is well-read and learned in the sacred texts.

One does not become a venerable vruddha simply because his hairs have turned white One who is young but is well-read in the sacred texts and is still learning is really a sthavira meaning a venerable person, not by his age, but by his learning or knowledge.

Shraddadhaanah shubhaam vidyaam aadadeeta avaraadapi
Antyajaadapi param dharmam stree ratnam dushkulaadapi
2.238

Striyo ratnaany atho vidyaa dharmah shaucham subhaashitam
Vividhaani cha shilpaani samaadeyaani sarvatah
2.240

Auspicious knowledge shall be received with humble respect even from one who is inferior in age or status. Virtues shall be imbibed even from one who is of an inferior social status. A gem of a woman who is virtuous shall be accepted even if she comes from an infamous clan.

Women, diamonds, knowledge, virtue, physical and mental purity, wise sayings and different arts and skills shall be gathered and accepted whatever their source.

Greatness of the grihasthashrama

Yathaa vayum samaashritya vartante sarva jantavah
Tathaa grihasthamaashritya vartante sarva ashramah
3.77

Yasmaattrayopi aashrmino daanenaannena cha anuaham
Gruhasthenaiva dhaaryante tasmaat shreShthaashramo grihee
3.78

Just like all living beings depend on air for living, those in the three stages of life, namely, the brahmachari (student), the vanaprastha (the one who has retired into the forests for a life of meditation) and the sanyaasi (the one who has renounced the world and has cut all his bonds with worldly things) depend on the householder for their sustenance.

Because those in the other three aashramas depend on the grihastha (householer) for their sustenance, the grihasthaashrama is considered the highest of all the aasharmas.

[Note: In ancient society, life was organised into four stages, namely, the brahmachari (student), the grihastha (householder), the recluse (vanaprastha) and one who has renounced the world ( sanyaasi).

Treatment of women

Yatra naaryastu poojyante ramante tatra devataah
Yatraitaastu na poojyante sarvaastatraaphalaa kriyaah
3.56

Shochanti jaamayo yatra vinashyaty aashu tatkulam
Na shochanti tu yatraitaa vardhate taddhi sarvadaa
3.57

Tasmaadetaah sadaa poojyaah bhooshana achchaadana ashanaih
Bhootikaamair narair nityam satkaaryeshu utsaveshu cha
3.59

Santushto bhaaryayaa bhartaa bhaaryaa bhartraa tathaiva cha
Yasminneva kule nityam kalyaanam tatra vai dhruvam
3.60

Where women are propitiated and respected there the devatas (celestials) abide happily. Where they are not honoured no sacrifices or rituals (kiriyaah) will bear fruit.

Those clans will perish whose women grieve and where they do not grieve such clans will prosper always.

Therefore one who wishes to prosper should please women of the household by means of ornaments, fine clothes and good food on auspicious occasions and during festivals.

Those clans will definitely prosper and be full of joy where the husbands are content with their wives and the wives are content with their husbands. l

Sharing of food

Agham sa kevalam bhungkte yah pachati aatmakaaranaat
3.118

The one who cooks food exclusively for one's own consumption is a sinner and what he consumes is not food but only sin.

Self-deprecation

Naatmaanam avamanyeta poorvaabhir asamnruddhibhih
Aa mruthyoh shriyamanwichchan nainaam manyeta durlabhaam
4.157

One should not underrate oneself or indulge in self-deprecation because of failures encountered in earlier periods of one's life. One should, until one's death, endeavour to achieve prosperity and should not consider this impossible.

Speech

Satyam brooyat priyam brooyaat na brooyaat satyam apriyam
Priyam cha naanrutam brooyat esha dharma sanaatanah
4.138

It is an age old dharma which says that one should speak the truth. One's speech should be pleasing to others. One should avoid speaking about some thing which is true but which is likely to displease or hurt others. Also, one should not utter lies just to please some one.

Good conduct

Aachaaraat labhate hyaayuh aachaaraat eepsitaah prajaah
Aaacharaat dhanamakshayyam aachaaro hantyalakshanam
4.156

One who is of good conduct begets long life, desired progeny and inexhaustible wealth. Good conduct also wipes out one's physical unattractiveness, meaning people ignore one's unattrativeness because of one's exceptionally good conduct.

Acting according to one's conscience

Yatkarma kurvatosya syaat paritosho antaraatmanah
Taan prayatnena kurveeta vipareetam tu varjayet
4.161

One should endeavour to engage oneself in such acts as will give one's inner conscience great joy and satisfaction. One should abstain from actions which are repugnant to one's inner conscience.

Daana (gifting)

Sarveshaameva daanaanaam brahma daanam vishishyate
Vaaryanna go mahee vaasas tila kaanchana sarpishaam
4.233

Gifting vedic knowledge or knowledge of the self is superior to gifting water, food, cow, land, clothing, mustard, gold or ghee

Na datwaa parikeertayet
4.236

After gifting one should not go about trumpeting the gift one has given

Cleanliness ( Purity)

Sarveshaameva shauchaanaam artha shaucham param smritam
Yo arthe shuchihr sa shuchih na mridwaari shuchih shuchih
5.106

Adbhir gaatraani shudhyanti manah satyena shudhyati
Vidyaa tapobhyaam bhootaatmaa buddhir gnaanena shudhyati
5.109

Of all cleanliness, cleanliness of one's wealth ( meaning wealth earned by good and fair means) is of the greatest value. One whose wealth is clean is really clean, not the one who has merely washed himself with mud and water.

The physical body is cleaned by water, the mind is purified by truth in thought, word and deed, the inner self is purified by learning and penance and the intellect is purified by knowledge.

Greatness of tapas

Yaddustaram yadduraapam yaddurgam yachcha dushkaram
Tatsarvam tapasaa saadhyam tapohi duratikramam
11.228

That which cannot be crossed, that which cannot be attained, that which cannot be reached and that which cannot be done is made possible by tapas. But tapas itself cannot be trascended by any thing.

Importance of putting knowledge into practice

Ajnebhyah granthinah shreshthaah granthighyo dhaarino varaah
Dharibhyo gnaaninah shreshthaah gnaanibhyo vyavasaayinah
12.103

One who has read on a subject is better than the one who is ignorant about the subject. The one who remebers what he has read is better than the one who has merely read. The one who has understood the meaning of what he has read is better than the one who merely remembers. The one who actually puts into practice what he has understood is the best of all.