The "practice of
knowledgeable [people]," which was one of the traditional sources for
judging religious obligation (dharma) for subjects not covered in the dharma
literature or in circumstances when the liter ature itself presented different
judgments.
Despite the fact that Shishtachara was the least
authoritative source of dharma after the Vedic scriptures and dharma
literature, making it an authority acknowledges that life is full of
ambiguities and uncertainties while also providing a resource for determining
the appropriate course of action by using the practice of established and
knowledgeable people as a model.
Sadachara, or "good [people's] practice," was
another title for this kind of power.
