Manusmriti with the Commentary of Medhatithi
by Ganganatha Jha | 1920 | 1,381,940 words | ISBN-10: 8120811550 | ISBN-13: 9788120811553
This is the English translation of the Manusmriti, which is a collection of Sanskrit verses dealing with 鈥楧harma鈥�, a collective name for human purpose, their duties and the law. Various topics will be dealt with, but this volume of the series includes 12 discourses (adhyaya). The commentary on this text by Medhatithi elaborately explains various t...
Verse 2.148
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
啶嗋啶距ぐ啷嵿く啶膏啶む啶掂じ啷嵿く 啶ぞ啶� 啶溹ぞ啶むた啶� 啶掂た啶оた啶掂う啷� 啶掂啶︵お啶距ぐ啶椸 啷�
啶夃い啷嵿お啶距う啶い啶� 啶膏ぞ啶掂た啶む啶班啶ぞ 啶膏ぞ 啶膏い啷嵿く啶� 啶膏ぞ啶洁啶班ぞ啶洁ぎ啶班ぞ 啷� 啷оオ啷� 啷�膩c膩ryastvasya y膩峁� j膩ti峁� vidhivad vedap膩raga岣� |
utp膩dayati s膩vitry膩 s膩 saty膩 s膩'jar膩'mar膩 || 148 ||But the 鈥渂irth鈥� which the Preceptor, well-versed in the Veda, brings about for him, in the lawful manner, by means of the S膩vitr墨,鈥攖hat is real, imperishable, immortal.鈥�(148)
Medh膩tithi鈥檚 commentary (尘补苍耻产丑腻峁补):
The 鈥榖irth鈥� that the Boy obtains from his Preceptor is however indestructible. When the Veda has been got up and its meaning duly comprehended, then alone is one enabled to perform religious acts, by which he obtains Heaven and Final Release; and since all this is due to the Preceptor, he is superior.
鈥�That birth which the Preceptor brings about鈥欌赌�i.e., the sacramental rite called 鈥�Upanayana鈥� 鈥榠nitiation,鈥� which is called the 鈥榮econd birth,鈥� which he accomplishes鈥斺��by means of the S膩vitr墨鈥欌赌�i.e., by the expounding of it;鈥斺��that鈥欌赌攂irth鈥斺��imperishable, immortal.鈥� Though all these words mean the same thing, yet they have been used with a view to pointing out that the 鈥榖irth鈥� named 鈥業nitiation鈥� is superior to that which one obtains from his mother. As a matter of fact, 鈥榩erishing鈥� and 鈥榙eath鈥� are not possible for 鈥榖irth,鈥� as they are in the case of living beings; if mere 鈥榠ndestructibility鈥� were meant, this could have been expressed by means of a single word; and yet this is not what is done (which shows that the meaning is as explained above).
The construction of the sentence is as follows:鈥斺��Vedap膩raga 膩c膩ryo y膩帽j膩tim vidhivat s膩vitry膩鈥�i.e., by means of the full details of the Initiatory Rite, which is what is indicated by the term 蝉腻惫颈迟谤墨鈥攗迟辫腻诲补测补迟颈鈥攊s what is superior.鈥� 鈥�闯腻迟颈鈥� stands for 鈥�janma,鈥� birth.鈥�(148)
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
It is also simply quoted in 痴墨谤补尘颈迟谤辞诲补测补 (Sa峁僺k膩ra, p. 480).
Comparative notes by various authors
痴颈峁ａ箛耻-蝉尘峁泃颈, 30.5.鈥�(Reproduces Manu.)
膧辫补蝉迟补尘产补-顿丑补谤尘补蝉奴迟谤补, 1.1-17.鈥斺�楾hat is the highest birth; therein he gives him birth in knowledge.鈥�
Gautama Dharmas奴tra, 1.10.鈥斺�楾hat is the second birth.鈥�