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 3.255 [Essentials of 艢谤腻诲诲丑补]
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
啶呧お啶班ぞ啶灌啶｀じ啷嵿い啶ムぞ 啶︵ぐ啷嵿き啶� 啶掂ぞ啶膏啶む啶膏ぎ啷嵿お啶距う啶ㄠ 啶むた啶侧ぞ啶� 啷�
啶膏啶粪啶熰た啶班啶啶粪啶熰た啶班啶︵啶掂た啶溹ぞ啶多啶氞ぞ啶椸啶班啶ぞ啶� 啶多啶班ぞ啶︵啶о啶班啶じ啷� 啶膏ぎ啷嵿お啶︵ 啷� 啷ㄠカ啷� 啷�apar膩h峁嘺stath膩 darbh膩 v腻蝉迟耻samp膩dana峁� til膩岣� |
s峁涐梗峁璱rm峁涐梗峁璱rdvij膩艣c膩gry膩岣� 艣r膩ddhakarmasu sampada岣� || 255 ||The afternoon, Ku艣a-Grass, setting up of the dwelling, sesamum grains, liberality, cleaning and superior Br膩hma峁嘺s;鈥攖hese are the essentials of 艢谤腻诲诲丑补-rites.鈥�(255)
Medh膩tithi鈥檚 commentary (尘补苍耻产丑腻峁补):
The 艢谤腻诲诲丑补 should be performed in the afternoon.
鈥�These are the essentials of 艢谤腻诲诲丑补 rites,鈥欌赌�i.e., attempt should be made to bring about all these things.
Though the present text mentions the 鈥榓fternoon鈥� without reference to any particular 艢谤腻诲诲丑补, yet it is not to be observed in connection with all 艢谤腻诲诲丑补s: for we have another Sm峁泃i-text to the effect that鈥斺�榬ites in honour of the gods shall he performed in the forenoon; that in honour of the Pit峁泂 in the afternoon; the 艢谤腻诲诲丑补 offered to a single person shall be performed at mid-day, while that in connection with auspicious rites shall be performed in the morning.鈥�
鈥�Dwelling鈥欌�攈ouse; the 鈥�setting up鈥� 鈥榦f this consists in the white-washing of the walls with lime etc., the smearing of the floor with cowdung; having its slope to wards the south.
鈥�Liberality鈥欌赌攃丑补谤颈迟测; i.e., unstinted giving away of food and vegetables.
鈥�Cleaning鈥欌赌攚补蝉丑颈苍驳; i.e., a particular maimer of preparing the food.
Others have explained this verse to mean that these things constitute the 鈥榚xcellence鈥欌�攖he superiority鈥攐f the rites,鈥攁nd not that they shall not be performed without these.鈥�(255)
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
This verse is quoted in 础辫补谤腻谤办补 (p. 474), which explains 鈥�厂峁涐梗峁璱鈥� as connoting 鈥榩lenty鈥�, and 鈥�惭峁涐梗峁璱鈥� as connoting 鈥榙eliciousness鈥�;鈥攁nd in 贬别尘腻诲谤颈 (艢谤腻诲诲丑补, pp. 111 and 72), which adds the following notes:鈥斺��V 腻蝉迟耻鈥�, the house built for the 艢谤腻诲诲丑补-performance,鈥攊ts 鈥�厂补尘辫腻诲补苍补鈥� means 鈥榖uilding or acquiring by purchase, making it slope towards the South, levelling, washing and besmearing with cow-dung鈥欌�斺��厂峁涐梗峁璱鈥� means 鈥榞iving away鈥� i.e., freely giving away vegetables and other things,鈥斺��惭峁涐梗峁璱鈥�, cleanliness or sweetness,鈥斺��补驳谤测腻岣�鈥�, those equipped with Vedic learning,鈥攖hese are 鈥�艢谤腻诲诲丑补sampada岣�鈥� i.e., excellences of things used at the 艢谤腻诲诲丑补; this implies that all these should be got together.
Comparative notes by various authors
笔谤补箩腻辫补迟颈 (70.71).鈥斺�楾he following Br膩hma峁嘺s are conducive to the accomplishment of the 艢谤腻诲诲丑补:鈥擳hose that are devoted to the Vedic duties, those that are of calm disposition, sinless, devoted to the fires, firm in their duties, firm in their austerities, conversant with the meaning of the Veda, born of noble families, devoted to their parents, living by the methods prescribed for Br膩hma峁嘺s, teachers, those conversant with Brahman.鈥�
驰补尘补-贬腻谤墨迟补-艢腻迟腻迟补辫补 (quoted in Caturvargacint膩ma峁噄-艢谤腻诲诲丑补, p. 1172).鈥擺Reproduce Manu.]