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 10.6 [Mixed Castes]
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
स्त्रीष्वनन्तरजातासु द्विजैरुत्पादितान् सुतान् �
सदृशानेव तानाहुर्मातृदोषविगर्हितान् � � �strīṣvanantarajātāsu dvijairutpāditān sutān |
sadṛśāneva tānāhurmātṛdoṣavigarhitān || 6 ||The sons begotten by twice-born men on wives of the next lower castes, they declare to be equal, tainted as they are by the defect of their mothers.�(6)
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
Sons begotten,�in the natural order�on wives of the next lower caste’�i.e., the caste immediately lower—are to be regarded as �equal,’Ĕnot of the same caste. That is the son of a Brāhmaṇa father from a ṣaٰⲹ mother, or of a ṣaٰⲹ father from a ղśⲹ mother, is ‘equal� to the father, and not the very same.
And the reason for this is that they are �tainted with the defect of their mother.�
This declaration of ‘equality� implies that the sons are superior to the mother, but inferior to the father.
�By twice-born men.’ĔThe use of the plural number and the fact that the caste is determined with reference to the mothers, indicates that this is possible only in the case of marriages ‘in the natural order.� For in the case of marriages ‘of the inverse order,� the caste would be determined with reference to the father, who is of a lower caste than the mother. It is for this reason that the preceding verse has added the phrase ‘in the natural order.� What we said in the Bhāṣya on the preceding verse, that this phrase had been added ‘with a view to what follows,� did not refer to this, but to the forthcoming verses.�(6)
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
This verse is quoted in ʲś (Ācāra, p. 512), which explains the meaning to be that the child born to a Brāhmaṇa from a legally married ṣaٰⲹ wife, is �like the Brāhmaṇa�, not quite a Brāhmaṇa,—its inferiority being due to the inferior caste of the mother.
Comparative notes by various authors
(verses 10.6-41)
ٳśٰ (pp. 42-45).—‘Sons born to the Brāhmaṇa, ṣaٰⲹ and ղśⲹ fathers from wives of the next lower caste are of the same caste as their fathers;—t son born to the Brāhmaṇa from a ղśⲹ wife is the ṣṭ; on Śū wife, the ṣād or the ś; to the ṣaٰⲹ from a ղśⲹ wife, the Ugra; that born to a ղśⲹ from a Śū wife is the Śū. Sons born to these (Brāhmaṇa, ṣaٰⲹ and ղśⲹ) from wives of the same caste as themselves, hut married before Upanayana, are հٲⲹ. These are sons born in the regular mixtures. From the Śū father, on wives of the Brāhmaṇa, ṣaٰⲹ and ղśⲹ castes are born the 䲹ṇḍ, the ṣaٳ� and the ĀDz respectively; from the ղśⲹ father, on wives of the Brhāmaṇa and ṣaٰⲹ castes, the Vaidehaka and the 岵 respectively;—from the ṣaٰⲹ father, on a wife of the Brāhmaṇa caste, the ūٲ. These are the sons born of the irregular mixtures. From Ugra father and ṣād mother is born the ܰṭa첹; from ṣād father and Ugra mother, the Pulkasa; from ṣṭ father and Vaidehika mother is born the ղṇa; from Vaidehika father and ṣṭ mother is born the śī; from ṣaٳ� mother and Ugra father, is born Ś첹; by profession, the ղṇa is the chariot-maker. All these, with the exception of the 䲹ṇḍ, have the same duties as the Śū.�
ܻⲹԲ (1.16.7-12, 16; 1.17.7, 8, 11-14).—‘Sons born of wives of the second or third lower castes are ṣṭs, Ugras and ṣāds. Of females wedded in the inverse order are born ĀDzs, 岵s, ղṇas, ṣaٳṛs, Pulkasas, ܰṭa, Vaidehakas and 䲹ṇḍs. An ṣṭ begets on a woman of the first caste, a Ś첹; an Ugra on a woman of the second caste, a ղṇa; a ṣād on a woman of the third caste, a Pulkasa; in the contrary case, a ܰṭa첹 is produced. I may quote the following—“Those sons whom an uninitiated man begets, the wise call հṭy, who are excluded from the Ś屹ٰī.� A Brāhmana begets on a woman of the Ksatriya caste, a Brāhmaṇa; on a woman of the ղśⲹ caste, an ṣṭ; on a woman of the Śū caste, a ṣād,—according to some, a ś. A ṣaٰⲹ begets on a female of the ղśⲹ caste, a ṣaٰⲹ; on a female of the Śū caste, an Ugra. A ղśⲹ begets on a female of the Śū caste, a 鲹ٳ. A Śū begets on a female of the ղśⲹ caste, a Magadha; on a female of the ṣaٰⲹ caste, a ṣaٳ�; but on a female of the Brāhmaṇa caste, a 䲹ṇḍ. A ղśⲹ begets on a female of the ṣaٰⲹ caste, an ĀDz; on a female of the Brāhmaṇa caste, a ūٲ. If among these a n ṣṭ male and an Ugra female unite, their son shall be born in the regular order; if a ṣaٳ� male and a Vaidehaka female unite the son born shall be in the inverse order. An Ugra begets on a female of the ṣaٳ� caste, a Ś첹; a Vaidehaka on a female of the ṣṭ caste, a ղṇa; a ṣād on a female of the Śū caste, a Pulkasa; a Śū on a woman of the ṣād caste, a ܰṭa첹.—The wise declare that those sprung from an intermixture of castes are հٲⲹ.�
Ā貹ٲ (2.13.1-5).—‘If a man approaches a woman who had been married to another man, or was not legally married to himself, they both commit sin;—through their sin, their son also becomes sinful.�
Gautama (4.16, 21).—‘Children born in the regular order of wives of the next second or third lower castes are of the same caste as the father, and these are ṣṭs, Ugras, ṣāds and ٲśⲹԳٲ or śs.—Children born in the inverse order of wives of higher castes, are ūٲs, 岵s, ĀDzs, ṣaٳṛs, Vaidehakas and 䲹ṇḍs. Some declare that a woman of the Brāhmaṇa caste bears respectively to the husband of the four castes, sons who are Brāhmaṇas, ūٲs, 岵s and 䲹ṇḍs; and that a woman of the ṣaٰⲹ caste bears to the same, ūṣiٲ, ṣaٰⲹs, ٳī, Pulkasas;—a woman of the ղśⲹ caste to the same, ṛjⲹ첹ṇṭ, ṣy, ղśⲹs, and Vaidehas;—ad a woman of the Śū caste, to the same, śs, Yavanas, Karanas and Śūs.�
ղśṣṭ (18.19).—‘They declare that the offspring of a Śū father and Brāhmaṇa mother is 䲹ṇḍ,—that of Śū father and ṣaٰⲹ mother, the ղṇa,—that of Śū father and Vaisya mother, the Ա屹⾱;—ty declare that the son of a Vaisya father and Brāhmaṇa mother is the 峾첹; that of Vaisya father and ṣaٰⲹ mother, the Pulkasa; that of ṣaٰⲹ father and Brāhmaṇa mother is the ūٲ. They quote the following—“One may know by their deeds those who have been begotten secretly, and to whom the stigma of springing from unions in the inverse order of the castes attaches; because they are destitute of virtue and good conduct.”—Children begotten by Brāhmaṇas, ṣaٰⲹs and Vaisyas on females of the next lower, second lower and third lower castes become respectively, the ṣṭ, the Ugra and the ṣād.—The son of a Brāhmaṇa father and Śū mother is the ś.
ñⲹ (1.91-95).—‘From Brāhmaṇa father and ṣaٰⲹ mother is born the ūṣiٲ; from Brāhmaṇa father and ղśⲹ mother, the ṣṭ; and from Brāhmaṇa father and Śū mother, the ṣād or ś.—Fdz ṣaٰⲹ father and ղśⲹ or Śū mother is born the ṣy or the Ugra respectively. From ղśⲹ father and Śū mother, the ṇa. Such is the law regarding children of married wives.—Fdz ṣaٰⲹ father and Brāhmaṇa mother is born the ūٲ; from ղśⲹ father and Brāhmaṇa mother, the Vaidehaka; from Śū father and Brāhmaṇa mother is born the 䲹ṇḍ, who is outside the pale of all righteousness.—Fdz ղśⲹ father and ṣaٰⲹ mother is born the 岵; from Śū father and Kṣatriy a mother, the ṣaٳ�; from Śū father and ղśⲹ mother, the ĀDz.—Fdz ṣy father and ṇa mother is born the 鲹ٳ. The sons born in the inverse order of castes are declared to he bad and those in the regular order, good.�
վṣṇ (16.4.-7, 17).—‘The son of a Śū from a ղśⲹ woman is called ĀDz;—t Pulkasa and 岵 are sons of a ղśⲹ and Śū respectively from a ṣaٰⲹ woman.—The 䲹ṇḍ, Vaidehaka and ūٲ are the sons of a Śū, ղśⲹ and ṣaٰⲹ respectively, from a Brāhmaṇa woman.—Besides these there are innumerable other castes produced by further intermixture among those that have been just mentioned.... All members of mixed castes, whether their descent has been kept secret or is generally known, may be found out by their deeds.�
Ѳٲ (13.48.14-28, 49).�(On lines similar to Manu.)
岹 (12.103-113).—‘There are Anantara, Գٲ and Dvyantara sons, both in the direct and inverse order of the castes. Of this description are the Ugra, ś, and ṣād, who are begotten in the direct order; as well as ṣṭ, 岵 and ṣaٳ�, who spring from a ṣaٰⲹ woman. One of these latter is begotten in the direct order; of the two others, it must be known that they are begotten in an inverse order. The ṣaٳ� and the rest are begotten in an inverse order; the three mentioned first, in the direct, order. The son of a Brāhmaṇa father and Brāhmaṇa mother is equal in caste to the father. The son of a Brāhmaṇa from a ṣaٰⲹ woman is an Anantara;—a ṣṭ and an Ugra are begotten in the same way by ṣaٰⲹ men and on ղśⲹ women respectively. An ṣṭ is an Գٲ, the son of a Brāhmaṇa father from a ղśⲹ woman. The son called ṣād springs from the union of a ṣaٰⲹ with a Śū woman. A Śū woman obtains from a Brāhmaṇa a son called ś, who is superior to the ṣād. The ūٲ, the 岵, the ĀDz, the ṣaٳ� and the Vaidehaka are begotten in the inverse order of castes. The ūٲ is an Anantara begotten by a ṣaٰⲹ on a Brāhmaṇa woman. Similarly the 岵 and ĀDz are respectively the sons of ղśⲹ and Śū fathers from a Brāhmaṇa mother. A Brāhmaṇa woman obtains from a ղśⲹ father an Գٲ son, called the Vaidehaka. A ṣaٰⲹ woman obtains from a Śū, an Գٲ son, called the ṣaٳ�. A Dvyantara son in the inverse order, the most abject of men, being the fruit of sinful intercourse, by name 䲹ṇḍ, is born of a Śū when a Brāhmaṇa woman forgets herself with him.�
Śܰīپ (4.4, 71-72).—‘Sons born of ղśⲹ women and ṣaٰⲹ or Brāhmaṇa fathers should be treated as Śū; also those born of Śū mothers.�