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 2.153
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
啶呧啷嵿啷� 啶さ啶むた 啶掂 啶ぞ啶侧 啶た啶むぞ 啶さ啶むた 啶え啷嵿い啷嵿ぐ啶︵ 啷�
啶呧啷嵿啶� 啶灌た 啶ぞ啶侧ぎ啶苦い啷嵿く啶距す啷佮 啶た啶む啶む啶啶� 啶む 啶え啷嵿い啷嵿ぐ啶︵ぎ啷� 啷� 啷оカ啷� 啷�aj帽o bhavati vai 产腻濒补岣� pit膩 bhavati mantrada岣� |
aj帽a峁� hi 产腻濒补mity膩hu岣� pitetyeva tu mantradam || 153 ||The ignorant person is verily a 鈥渃hild,鈥� while the imparted of mantras is the 鈥渇ather.鈥� They have called the ignorant man 鈥渃hild,鈥� and the imparter of mantras, 鈥渇ather.鈥濃��(153)
Medh膩tithi鈥檚 commentary (尘补苍耻产丑腻峁补):
It is not by reason of his younger age that one is known as 鈥榗hild鈥� it is the 鈥�ignorant鈥欌赌攗neducated person鈥攚ho, even though old in age, is called 鈥榗hild.鈥�
鈥�Importer of mantras鈥欌赌攊s used figuratively; the sense being that 鈥榟e who imparts,鈥�i.e., teaches and expounds,鈥�the Mantras鈥攊.e., the Vedas鈥攂ecomes the father.鈥�
The particle 鈥�vai,鈥� 鈥榲erily,鈥� indicates the support of other scriptures; and these scriptures (thus referred to) must have been regarded by the said gods as ancient and authoritative. Hence it is that we have the term 鈥�they have called.鈥� which points to a traditional belief.
鈥�The ignorant鈥欌赌攗苍别诲耻肠补迟别诲鈥斺赌�person,鈥欌赌斺赌�they鈥欌赌�i.e., even the ancients鈥攈ave called 鈥�child鈥�; 鈥�and 鈥�the importer of mantras, the father.鈥� The particle 鈥�iti,鈥� occurring after the term 鈥�产腻濒补,鈥� points to the exact form of the traditional belief;鈥攖he construction being鈥斺��aj帽am 产腻濒补 iti etena 艣abdena 膩hu岣�,鈥� 鈥榯he ignorant person they have called by the name child.鈥� It is on account of the presence of this 鈥�iti鈥� that the accusative ending is absent in the term 鈥�产腻濒补.鈥�
This story about the child (膧峁単irasa) occurs in the Ch膩ndogya, and the author of the 厂尘峁泃颈 (Manu) has reproduced it here only in sense.鈥�(153)
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
This verse is quoted in 笔补谤腻艣补谤补尘腻诲丑补惫补 (膧c膩ra, p. 305)鈥攊n 痴墨谤补尘颈迟谤辞诲补测补 (Sa峁僺k膩ra, p. 480);鈥攁nd in 厂尘峁泃颈candrik膩 (Sa峁僺k膩ra, p. 93).
Comparative notes by various authors
(verse 150-154)
See Comparative notes for Verse 2.150.