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 3.238
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
啶う啷� 啶掂啶粪啶熰た啶むざ啶苦ぐ啶� 啶啶權啶曕啶む 啶う啷� 啶啶權啶曕啶む 啶︵啷嵿し啶苦ぃ啶距ぎ啷佮啶� 啷�
啶膏啶ぞ啶ㄠい啷嵿啶多啶� 啶う啷� 啶啶權啶曕啶む 啶むう啷� 啶掂 啶班啷嵿し啶距啶膏た 啶啶炧啶溹い啷� 啷� 啷ㄠォ啷� 啷�yad ve峁ａ弓ita艣ir膩 bhu峁卥te yad bhu峁卥te dak峁峁嚹乵ukha岣� |
saup膩natka艣ca yad bhu峁卥te tad vai rak峁Ｄ佱箖si bhu帽jate || 238 ||What the guest eats with his head wound up, what he eats with his face towards the south, what he eats with shoes on, all this verily the demons eat.鈥�(238)
Medh膩tithi鈥檚 commentary (尘补苍耻产丑腻峁补):
鈥�Wound up鈥欌�攚ith turban and such other things. The Northerners cover their heads with cloth.
Some people explain that this refers also to persons who cover their heads with their hairs Arranged in the form of a top-knot. Rut what they say is not reasonable; as, in this case, it is the hair that is 鈥榳ound up,鈥� not the head; and the hairs do not form the head; in fact, they are on the head. The prohibition does not apply to threads and such things; as such things are not regarded as 鈥榗overing鈥� the head.
What is meant by indicating the facing of the south as defective is that, when there is want of space, eating with face towards all directions except the south is permissible. If this were not meant, where would there be any possibility of anyone eating with face to the south, when it has been distinctly enjoined that one should eat facing the north?
鈥�Shoes鈥欌�攆oot-guards made of leather. Some people explain this as sandals of leather.
鈥�The demons eat,鈥欌�攁nd not the Pit峁泂.
This is deprecatory of the conditions described.鈥�(238)
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
This verse is quoted in 艢谤腻诲诲丑补办谤颈测腻办补耻尘耻诲墨 (p. 169);鈥攁nd in 贬别尘腻诲谤颈 (艢r膩ddha, p. 1021), which explains 鈥�惫别峁ａ弓颈迟补尘鈥� as wrapped up by turban etc.;鈥攖he specific prohibition of facing the south implies that when there is scarcity of room one may eat facing any other quarter but the south,鈥斺��耻辫腻苍补丑补耻鈥� are foot-covers of leather (shoes).
鈥淭he same verse in the 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补 ends: Sarvam vidy膩t tad膩suram (13.90.19), 鈥榖elonging to the Asuras鈥�.鈥濃�擧opkins.
Comparative notes by various authors
痴颈峁ａ箛耻 (81.12-13).鈥斺�楴ot people with covered heads; nor those with shoes on.鈥�
惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补 (13.237, 19).鈥擺Reproduces Manu, but reading 鈥�sarvam vidy膩t tad膩suram鈥� for 鈥�tadvai rak峁Ｄ佱箖si bhu帽ja峁璭.鈥橾