1. BRAHMIN :

   A Brahmin is entitled to preach various disciplines and discourses, help in performing the oblations and take donations. The occupation of the priest has greatest responsibility. He is the first person to bear the ill effects, if even the slightest fault creeps in the performance of rituals during religious ceremonies. Similarly a common man follows the instructions of a preacher. If his conduct has any flaw, he will not be held guilty for it. On the contrary the fault lies with the preacher.

2. KSHATRIYA :

   According to sage Gautam, it is the duty of the Kshatriya to protect his subjects and to bring them on the path of virtuosity by his justifiable punishments if they have strayed off.

3. VAISHYA :

   Sage Gautam is of the opinion that the Vaishyas should have any of the following as his occupation- Agriculture, commerce, animal husbandry and interest on loan. A Vaishya has also been instructed to give some part of his earnings to the state treasury as tax.

4. SHUDRA :

   Sage Gautam as instructed the fourth caste i.e. Shudra to devote himself in the service of the others without being angry and by taking refuge in truth and purity. He can also have handicrafts as his occupation.

Regarding the duties of a king, the supreme learned sage Gautam believes that a king should be powerful as well as kind. He should constantly immerse himself in the study of the Vedas and logic science. He says- " A king should eagerly study the three Vedas- Rigveda, Samveda and Yajurveda. He should be eager to apply his mind in contemplation. He should have a pure heart and should have complete control over his sensual desires."

Sage Gautam has also instructed the king to be loving towards his subjects and treat them affectionately just like his own proteges. Sage Gautam feels that in the court the subjects should sit at a lower level than the throne of a king. Even a Brahmin has been instructed to do so.

Elaborating the duties of a king sage Gautam says that "He should protect all the castes and ashrams (four stages of life) justifiably." Sage Gautam is of the opinion that since a king is the part of the divinity hence he is the supreme man on earth. A king should not be neglected, rather, he should be given full respect. According to Gautam Smriti, a king should select a Brahmin as his royal priest, who is learned and of good character. A king who rules according to the advice of such a Brahmin enjoys prosperity and never suffers adversities.

Sage Gautam feels that if a king is inclined towards religiousness and virtuosity then his subjects automatically follow him. Sage Gautam also says that it is the duty of the king to see to it that his subjects get proper employment and occupations.

According to sage Gautam, a death in the family causes impurity for the members. He says- "For a Brahmin the impurity caused by death remains for ten days, for a Kshatriya, it remains for twelve days, for a Vaishya, it remains for fifteen days and for a Shudra, it remains for a month."

Further sage Gautam has stated that if there occurs another 'impurity' (death in a family) during the earlier phase of impurity, a man should purify himself only after the completion of the phase of second impurity.

1. IMPURITY CAUSED BY DEATH OF A FRIEND :Gautam says that death of a friend causes impurity for one day.
   
   
2. IMPURITY CAUSED BY DEATH OF ONE'S PRECEPTOR HIS WIFE OR HIS SON :Impurity caused by the death of one's preceptor remains for three days. This also applies to his wife's or his son's death.
   
   
3. IMPURITIES CAUSED BY THE TOUCH :

   If a person accidentally touches a woman who has recently given birth to a child, then he should sprinkle water on him and also on his clothes to purify himself.

4. IMPURITY CAUSED BY A DEATH IN THE KING'S FAMILY : A king gets instantly purified of his impurity so that his administrative is affected.
   
   
5. 'NON-STUDY' PERIODS (ANADHAY) :

   During a period of time when the study of the Vedas has been prohibited is called Anadhyay. According to sage Gautam, Rigveda and Yajurveda should not be studied during the following times- " During the night, when a sound is made by a moving arrow, Shehnai (clarinet), Muraj (Drum), thundering clouds and crying are heard."

   Vedas should also not be studied when the sounds made by a jackal, a dog or a donkey is heard. Study of Vedas is also prohibited during a snowfall, sight of a red rainbow and during a calamity. Sage Gautam has prohibited the study of Samveda during an earthquake, sight of a meteor and comet, on the death of a king, dark moon day, on the day of purnima, in the month of Karthik, Phalgun and Ashad.

6. ATONEMENT OF SINS AND ITS METHODS (CHANDRAYAN VRAT) - The sage Gautam has instructed to observe fasting of Vapan, during the period of 'Chandrayan-vrat'.
   
   

   In this 'Krichchra' fasting, one has to observe a fast for the whole day and it is broken at the end of the day with 'panchagavya' (a mixture of milk curd, ghee, cow dung and cow's urine). This fasting continues for one month. 'Vapan' means the commencement of fast i.e. the resolution one makes to continue this fasting for one month. Various rites are performed (tarpan, Gritahom and the gathering of fuels for the oblation) along with the chanting of Vedic 'Richas'(hymns).
   
   Only ghee is offered to the sacrificial fire. In the end 'Havan' is completed by offering other kinds of fuels. At the time of breaking the fast, rice-flour, oat-flour, green vegetables, milk, curd. Ghee and fruits etc. is used as diet.

On the first day of the fast, which begins on the day of full moon, only one morsel of food is eaten. The number of morsels are increased on successive days (i.e. two morsels on second day, three morsels on the third day and so on).

On the day of no moon, which is the fifteenth day, fifteen morsels of food are taken. From the next day onward the number of morsels is decreased by one everyday for fourteen days and a fast is observed on the day of full moon .

Sage Gautam says in his Phalshruti that observance of this Chandrayan fast for one month gives immense benefit and virtues by liberating the performer from all the sins committed in the past. It also liberates the sins of a man's twenty-one generations (ten generations of past, his present generation and ten future generations). Sage Gautam is also of the opinion that if this Chandrayan Vrat is continued for a year a man himself attains to the 'Chandraloka'. In today's circumstances this fast has become extinct because of its strict and severe rules.

The great sage Gautam has accepted the provision of distribution of wealth, among the sons after the demise of their father to maintain amicable atmosphere in the family. Sage Gautam says- " After the demise of father, the son should enjoy all his splendours and wealth."

Sage Gautam understood very well that if the wealth is not distributed properly among the sons after the death of their father, it leads to quarrels and enmity among them. Further he declares that the eldest son should get fifth part of his father's total wealth. He has also instructed that if there are quadruped animals in the family, the younger ones should get one each. The number of bullocks given to the eldest son should be more than that given to the younger sons.

Sage Gautam is of the opinion that if the deceased man had been survived by more than one wife, his wealth should be equally distributed between them and consequently among each of their sons. Sage Gautam also says that if a man had no sons, he can give his wealth not only to his adopted son but also to his adopted daughter. According to Gautam Smriti there are many classes of sons and hence each of them should get appropriate share in the distribution of wealth. -

1. AOURAS- Legitimate child begotten by wife who is of one's own tribe.
2. KSHETRAJ- Son begotten by one's wife with the help of other man than husband but by his permission.
3. DATTAK- Adopted son.
4. KRITIM- Artificial son who has all the qualities of an ideal son.
5. GUDHA- Son born in the home but the identity of parents remains obscure.
6. UPAVIDDHA- Son abandoned by his real parents but raised by foster parents.

Sage Gautam says that in each of the categories, the son should get an equal share of his father's wealth. Again Sage Gautam says that a son begotten from the following should be given one fourth of the total wealth.

1. KANINA :Son begotten by one's daughter out of wedlock.
2. SAHODHA: Son begotten after having sexual intercourse with a pregnant woman.
3. PAOUNARBHAV: Son begotten by an abandoned wife or widow with the help of another man.
4. GRANDSON: Daughter's son.
5. ANAATH: An Orphan.
6. KRITAK: Son begotten after paying a price.
7. SAGOTRIYA:Relative of same tribe.

Further sage Gautam opines that in absence of any category of the above mentioned sons. A Brahmin who has sons from his 'Kshatriya' wife should give the major share to the eldest among them. Similarly if there are sons from a Vaishya wife, the eldest son among them should be given the major share.

Sage Gautam also hated and abhored injustice. He has clearly said that if a son, begotten from the wife who hailed from the same caste, is unjust in behaviour towards his parents, does not deserve to receive any share from his father's wealth. So it is quite clear that the codes formulated by sage Gautam during the era of Treta went into every detail of human life and were considered as a sacred scripture during that particular era.