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 9.105 [The entire Property goes to the Eldest Brother]
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
啶溹啶啶粪啶� 啶忇さ 啶む 啶椸啶灌啶｀啶ぞ啶む 啶た啶む啶班啶 啶оえ啶ざ啷囙し啶む 啷�
啶多啶粪ぞ啶膏啶むぎ啷佮お啶溹啶掂啶啶班啶ぅ啷堗さ 啶た啶むぐ啶� 啶むぅ啶� 啷� 啷оウ啷� 啷�jye峁ａ弓ha eva tu g峁沨峁嚹珁膩t pitrya峁� dhanama艣e峁ta岣� |
艣e峁Ｄ乻tamupaj墨veyuryathaiva pitara峁� tath膩 || 105 ||The eldest brother alone may take the entire paternal property; the rest shall live under him, just as under their father.鈥�(105)
Medh膩tithi鈥檚 commentary (manubh膩峁a):
(No 叠丑腻峁补 available).
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
What is said here refers to eases where 鈥榯he eldest son is specially virtuous鈥� (K奴lluka and R膩ghav膩nanda),鈥攐r 鈥榩ossesses eminent qualities, and the others are less distinguished鈥� (N膩r膩ya峁嘺).
This verse is quoted in 惭颈迟腻办峁谤腻 (p. 117), where 叠腻濒补尘产丑补峁弓墨 has the following notes:鈥斺��Pitryam鈥�, inherited from the father,鈥斺��艢别峁Ｄ佱弗鈥�, brothers other than the eldest,鈥�鲍辫补箩墨 惫别测耻岣�, should follow him, like their father. 惭颈迟腻办峁谤腻 adds that such unequal division, even though sanctioned by the scriptures, should never be adopted, being opposed to popular sentiment, and also to Vedic texts.
It is quoted in 痴墨谤补尘颈迟谤辞诲补测补 (R膩jan墨ti, p. 35), in support of the view that the eldest son should succeed to the kingdom;鈥攊n 础辫补谤腻谤办补 (p. 722), which adds that this rule is meant for eases where the younger brothers are still in status pupillari, or are not entitled to any share by reason of being idiots and so forth, or are inexperienced;鈥攁nd in 痴颈惫腻诲补谤补迟苍腻办补谤补 (p. 457), which adds the following notes:鈥擶hat is meant is that in partition, the eldest brother, if he happens to be possessed of all the qualities of the superior brother, should be treated as the sole master, like the Father himself;鈥斺��tamupaj墨惫别测耻岣�鈥� means that 鈥榯hey should live on the subsistence provided by him.鈥�
It is quoted in 厂尘峁泃颈迟补迟迟惫补, (II, p. 170);鈥攁nti in 痴颈惫腻诲补肠颈苍迟腻尘补峁噄 (Calcutta, p. 125), as laying down an alternative course;鈥攊n 痴墨谤补尘颈迟谤辞诲补测补 (Vyavah膩ra, 171b);鈥攁nd by 闯墨尘奴迟补惫腻丑补苍补 (Dayabh膩ga, pp. 35 and 103).
Comparative notes by various authors
(verses 9.105-110)
Gautama (28.3-4).鈥斺�極r, the whole property may go to the first-born; and he shall support the rest as a father. But in partition there is an excess of spiritual merit.鈥�
叠补耻诲丑腻测补苍补 (2.3.13).鈥斺�楢 son who possesses specially good qualities becomes a protector of the rest.鈥�
膧辫补蝉迟补尘产补 (2.14.6).鈥斺�楽ome people declare that the eldest son alone inherits.鈥�
痴补艣颈峁ａ弓丑补 (17.1).鈥斺�楾he father throws off his debts and obtains immortality if he sees the face of a living son.鈥�
痴颈峁ａ箛耻 (15.45).鈥�(Same as 痴补艣颈峁ａ弓丑补.)
狈腻谤补诲补 (13.5).鈥斺�極r the senior brother shall maintain all like a father, if they wish it; or even the youngest brother, if able; the well-being of the family depends on the ability of the head.鈥�
贬腻谤墨迟补 (痴颈惫腻诲补谤补迟苍腻办补谤补, p. 459).鈥斺�榃hen the father has voluntarily handed over the property to the sons, or when he has gone abroad, or when he has died, the eldest son shall look after the property.鈥�
艢补峁卥丑补-尝颈办丑颈迟补 (Do., p. 460).鈥斺�榃hen the father has been disabled, the eldest son shall carry on the business of the estate, hut never without the father鈥檚 consent.鈥�
Mantra (Par膩艣aram膩dhava鈥斈�c膩ra, p. 501).鈥斺��(Same as 痴补艣颈峁ａ弓丑补.)