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 10.98 [The Functions of the Vai艣ya in Abnormal Times]
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
啶掂啶多啶啶洁啷�啶掂え啷� 啶膏啶掂ぇ啶班啶啶� 啶多啶︵啶班さ啷冟い啷嵿い啷嵿く啶距そ啶た 啶掂ぐ啷嵿い啶啶む 啷�
啶呧え啶距啶班え啷嵿え啶曕ぞ啶班啶ぞ啶｀た 啶ㄠた啶掂ぐ啷嵿い啷囙い 啶� 啶多啷嵿い啶苦ぎ啶距え啷� 啷� 啷ギ 啷�vai艣yo'j墨van svadharme峁嘺 艣奴drav峁泃ty膩'pi vartayet |
an膩carannak膩ry膩峁噄 nivarteta ca 艣aktim膩n || 98 ||The Vai艣ya, unable to subsist by his own occupations, may subsist by the occupations of the 艢奴诲谤补, avoiding all improper acts. But he shall desist from them as soon as he is able to do so.鈥�(98)
Medh膩tithi鈥檚 commentary (manubh膩峁a):
This verse permits the 艢奴诲谤补鈥檚 occupation for the Vai艣ya, when 鈥�unable to subsist by his own occupations鈥欌�� such as washing of the feet and so forth.
鈥�Avoiding all improper acts鈥欌�� The sweeping of offals and such acts are 鈥榠mproper鈥�; and all this should be avoided.
鈥�He shall desist as soon as he is able to do so.鈥欌�擳his is applicable to all.
Some people have remarked that the clear indication of the text is that what is said here is meant to apply to the 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 and the 碍峁迟谤颈测补 also.
And in regard to this another party raises the question鈥擧ow can the 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 ever have recourse to the occupations of the 艢奴诲谤补?
The answer given by the other party is that it has been declared that鈥斺�楬igh and low are the functions of the two castes; barring the two middle ones, the rest are common to all鈥�. (?)
This however is not right. The text does not mean that the occupations of the 艢奴诲谤补 are permitted for the 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺; the exact meaning of 鈥�desisting as soon as he is able鈥� b eing as we have explained it,鈥攖hat it is applicable to all.鈥�(98)
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
This verse is quoted in 惭补诲补苍补辫腻谤颈箩腻迟补 (p. 233).
Comparative notes by various authors
痴补艣颈峁ａ弓丑补 (2.22-23).鈥斺�楾hose who are unable to live by their own occupation may adopt that of the next inferior caste; but never that of a higher caste.鈥�
痴颈峁ａ箛耻 (2.15).鈥斺�業n times of distress, each caste may follow the occupation of that next below it in rank.鈥�