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 ‘Dharma�, 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 3.29
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
एक� गोमिथुनं द्वे वा वरादादाय धर्मतः �
कन्याप्रदानं विधिवदार्ष� धर्म� � उच्यते � २९ �eka� gomithuna� dve vā varādādāya ٲ� |
kanyāpradāna� vidhivadārṣo dharma� sa ucyate || 29 ||‘When the maiden is given away in due accordance with rule, after taking, in odedience to law, from the bridegroom, one or two pairs of cow and bull,—this is called the “Āṣa� ڴǰ.’�(29).
Medhātithi’s commentary (Գܲṣy):
�Pair;Ũ�i.e., the cow (female) and the bull (male).—�one or two,’Ĕ�after taking’Բ—�from the bridegroom, ’�when the maiden is given away’—this is the �Āṣa� form.
�In obedience to law;’�i.e., with the idea that such receiving is sanctioned by law, and hot with the idea of receiving it in exchange for (price for) the girl. The sense is that what is received cannot be regarded as the price; as there is no possibility of any higher or lower demand being made (as there would be if it were a question of price).�(29)
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
Burnell is not right in remarking that ‘this is the most common form now.� Among the better classes of the Brāhmaṇas the ‘Brāhma� still continues to be the most common form; and among others, the form most common now is the Āsura.
This verse is quoted in īٰǻ岹ⲹ (Saṃskāra, p. 849), where �ٲ�� is explained as meaning ‘according to family-custom�; or ‘in obedience to the law governing the Āṣa marriage, not by way of a price for the girl.�
It is quoted also in Ѳ岹Բٲ (p. 155) as showing that it is not necessary that the number of ‘cows given should be always ‘two� as mentioned in other ṛt;—it adds that if the Father of the Bride accept this ‘pair of cow and bull� it becomes a ‘selling� of the girl;—in (Dana, p. 684);—in ṛsṃh岹 (Saṃskāra, p. 62a);—and in ṛtԻ (Saṃskāra, p. 228), which explains �Gomithunam� as ‘a milch cow and a bull.�
Comparative notes by various authors
Gautama (4. 8).—‘In the Āṣa form the bridegroom should present to the bride’s guardian a pair of cow and bull.�
ܻⲹԲ (1. 11).—‘After having made the first two offerings of fried grains, the bridegroom should present a pair of cow and hull to the bride’s guardian and then marry her; this is the Āṣa ڴǰ.�
Āpastamba- Dharmasūtra (2. 11. 18).—‘In the Āṣa form, two pairs of cow and bull should be given to the bride’s father.�
ղśṣṭ (1.32).—‘The Arṣa is accomplished by means of a pair of cow and bull.�
վṣṇ (2. 4. 21).—‘The Āṣa is accomplished by the acceptance of a pair of cow and bull.�
ñⲹ (1. 59).—‘By accepting a pair of cows, it is the Āṣa.�
ĀśⲹԲ-ṛhⲹūٰ (1. 6. 4).—‘If one marries the girl after presenting a pair of cow and bull, it is the Āṣa marriage: it purifies seven future and seven past generations on both sides.�
Devala (īٰǻ岹ⲹ-Saṃskāra, p. 851).—‘That wherein there is giving away of the girl, along with a pair of cow and bull, to a bridegroom, praiseworthy and not. belonging to the same gotra,—this they know as the Āṣa .�
Śṅk-ٲ (Do.).—‘The Āṣa is accomplished by means of a pair of cow and bull, or of a pair of clothes; but in every case ornaments and dowry should be given.�