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 10.74 [Functions of the Castes]
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
बà¥à¤°à¤¾à¤¹à¥à¤®à¤£à¤� बà¥à¤°à¤¹à¥à¤®à¤¯à¥‹à¤¨à¤¿à¤¸à¥à¤¥à¤¾ ये सà¥à¤µà¤•रà¥à¤®à¤£à¥à¤¯à¤µà¤¸à¥à¤¥à¤¿à¤¤à¤¾à¤ƒ à¥�
ते समà¥à¤¯à¤—à¥à¤ªà¤œà¥€à¤µà¥‡à¤¯à¥à¤� षटà¥� करà¥à¤®à¤¾à¤£à¤� यथाकà¥à¤°à¤®à¤®à¥� à¥� à¥à¥ª à¥�brÄhmaṇÄ� brahmayonisthÄ ye svakarmaṇyavasthitÄá¸� |
te samyagupajÄ«veyuá¸� á¹£aá¹� karmÄṇi yathÄkramam || 74 ||µþ°ùÄå³ó³¾²¹á¹‡a²õ of pure µþ°ùÄå³ó³¾²¹á¹‡a-²ú¾±°ù³Ù³ó, intent upon their duties, should duly perform the six acts in due order.â€�(74)
MedhÄtithi’s commentary (manubhÄá¹£ya):
This is meant to serve as an introduction to the subject of ‘Duties in abnormal times.�
�Yoni� is source, birth.
µþ°ùÄå³ó³¾²¹á¹‡a²õ of pure µþ°ùÄå³ó³¾²¹á¹‡a-²ú¾±°ù³Ù³ó should perform the six acts:—the root â€�³Ü±è²¹-ÂáÄ«±¹²¹â€� denoting performance here.
�In due order’—in accordance with their rights and capacities; i.e., each one doing the act to which he is entitled.
Some of the acts serve spiritual purposes, while others fulfill only material purposes.�(74)
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
â€�µþ°ù²¹³ó³¾²¹²â´Ç²Ô¾±²õ³Ù³óÄåá¸�.’—‘Intent upon the source of the Vedaâ€�(MedhÄtithi),—‘Intent upon the means of union with Brahmanâ€� (KullÅ«ka);—‘of pure Brahmanical raceâ€� (NÄrÄyaṇa and RÄghavÄnanda);—‘who abide by what springs from the Veda, i.e. the sacred law,—or who are the abode of the Vedaâ€� (Nandana).
Comparative notes by various authors
(verses 10.74-76)
³Õ²¹Å›¾±á¹£á¹³ó²¹ (2.13-14).—‘The lawful occupations of the BrÄhmaṇa are six: studying the Veda, teaching, sacrificing for himself, sacrificing for others, giving gifts and accepting gifts.â€�
Gautama (10.1-3).—‘The lawful occupations common to all twice-born men are—studying the Veda, offering sacrifices for themselves and giving gifts.—Teaching, offering sacrifices for others and accepting gifts are the additional occupations for the BrÄhmaṇa.—But the former three are obligatory.â€�
µþ²¹³Ü»å³óÄå²â²¹²Ô²¹ (1.18.2).—‘Brahman forsooth, placed Its majesty in the µþ°ùÄå³ó³¾²¹á¹‡a²õ, together with the duties and privileges of studying, teaching, sacrificing for themselves, sacrificing for others, giving gifts and accepting gifts,—for the protection of the Vedas.â€�
Ä€±è²¹²õ³Ù²¹³¾²ú²¹ (2.10.4-5).—‘The lawful occupations of the BrÄhmaṇa are—studying, teaching, sacrificing for himself, sacrificing for others, giving gifts, receiving gifts, inheriting and gleaning corn in the fields; and he may live by taking other things that belong to nobody.â€�
³Õ¾±á¹£á¹‡³Ü (2.5, 9, 11).—‘For a BrÄhmaṇa, to teach the Veda,—to sacrifice and to study the Veda,—for a BrÄhmaṇa, to sacrifice for others and to receive gifts.â€�
³ÛÄåÂáñ²¹±¹²¹±ô°ì²â²¹ (1.118).—‘Sacrificing, studying and giving gifts are common to the BrÄhmaṇa, the Ká¹£atriya and the VaiÅ›ya; for the BrÄhmaṇa there are in addition to these, accepting gifts, sacrificing for others and teaching.â€�
Åš³Ü°ì°ù²¹²ÔÄ«³Ù¾± (4.3.31-32).—‘Sacrificing, studying, giving gifts,—these are the functions of the twice-born;—the additional special functions of the BrÄhmaṇa are—receiving gifts, teaching and sacrificing for others.â€�
°Äå³¾²¹²Ô»å²¹°ì²¹ (2.18-19).—‘The celebration of sacrifices, the study of the Vedas, and the giving away of wealth to others, according to the rules of the ÅšÄstras,—these are considered to be the common customary observances of the three castes, BrÄhmaṇa, Ká¹£atriya and VaiÅ›ya.—The holy acts of teaching, of conducting sacrifices for others, and of accepting gifts from the pious—these have been enumerated by the sages to be the means of livelihood for those belonging to the highest caste.â€�
´¡°ù³Ù³ó²¹Å›Äå²õ³Ù°ù²¹ (p. 29).—‘The special duty of the BrÄhmaṇa is to study, to teach, to sacrifice for himself, to sacrifice for others, to give gifts and to receive gifts.â€�