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 4.149
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
啶啶班啶掂た啶曕啶� 啶膏啶膏啶ぐ啶ㄠ 啶溹ぞ啶むた啶� 啶啶班す啷嵿ぎ啷堗さ啶距き啷嵿く啶膏啶い啷� 啶啶ㄠ 啷�
啶啶班す啷嵿ぎ啶距き啷嵿く啶距じ啷囙え 啶氞ぞ啶溹じ啷嵿ぐ啶え啶ㄠ啶む 啶膏啶栢ぎ啶多啶ㄠ啶む 啷� 啷оオ啷� 啷�paurvik墨峁� sa峁僺maran j膩ti峁� brahmaiv膩bhyasyate puna岣� |
brahm膩bhy膩sena c膩jasramananta峁� sukhama艣nute || 149 ||Recollecting his former births, the twice-born person continues to study the Veda; and by his continuous study of the Veda, he obtains absolute, endless bliss.鈥�(149)
Medh膩tithi鈥檚 commentary (尘补苍耻产丑腻峁补):
鈥淓very man undertakes an action only when he desires to accomplish thereby something desirable. The recollection of former births, however, cannot be entirely pleasant. Why then is this described as the result following Vedic Study and the other three acts?鈥�
In view of this question, the Author says鈥斺��Recollecting his former births, he continues to study the Veda,鈥� i.e., he acquires faith in it; the idea being鈥斺�榁edic study is such a good thing that it has enabled me to remember my other births.鈥� Hence, recollecting his other births, he again betakes himself to that study; and from this continuous Vedic study extending over several lives, 鈥�he obtains鈥欌赌攁肠辩耻颈谤别蝉鈥斺赌�bliss鈥欌赌攊n the form of the 鈥榓ttainment of Brahman鈥�:鈥斺��absolute鈥欌赌�i.e., without the chance of returning. The term 鈥�endless鈥� indicates a particular kind of bliss,鈥攖he self-sufficient complete satisfaction of the Soul; and the eternal character of this bliss is what is expressed by the term 鈥�ajasram,鈥� 鈥�absolute;鈥� the meaning being that 鈥榮uch and such a bliss is attained, and it never perishes.鈥� Though the two terms (鈥榓bsolute鈥� and endless鈥�) are synonymous, yet they are not entirely tautological. Just as, in the case of the expression, 鈥�惫峁泃迟补办补尘 vahata岣� 辫耻谤墨峁尘,鈥� or 鈥�惫峁泃迟补办补尘 udakam 辫耻谤墨峁尘,鈥欌赌攚here one (the term 鈥�惫峁泃迟补办补尘鈥�) is the conventional and the other (鈥�辫耻谤墨峁尘鈥�) the literal or etymological name of the thing; 鈥�辫耻谤墨峁尘鈥� denotes, literally, that which fills, so that this latter stands for the soli d, and the former for the liquid, ordure.鈥�(149)
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
This verse is quoted in 础辫补谤腻谤办补 (p. 229);鈥攁nd in 痴墨谤补尘颈迟谤辞诲补测补 (膧hnika, p. 320), which explains 鈥�Brahma鈥� as 鈥榁eda,鈥欌赌攁nd 鈥�anantam鈥� as 鈥榯o be enjoyed for a long time.鈥�