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 11.8
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
啶多啷嵿い啶� 啶ぐ啶溹え啷� 啶︵ぞ啶むぞ 啶膏啶掂啶ㄠ 啶︵啶冟啶溹啶掂た啶ㄠた 啷�
啶ぇ啷嵿さ啶距お啶距い啷� 啶掂た啶粪ぞ啶膏啶掂ぞ啶︵ 啶� 啶оぐ啷嵿ぎ啶啶班い啶苦ぐ啷傕お啶曕 啷� 啷� 啷�艣akta岣� parajane d膩t膩 svajane du岣haj墨vini |
madhv膩p膩to vi峁Ｄ乻v膩da岣� sa dharmapratir奴paka岣� || 8 ||If a wealthy man gives to other people, while his own people are living in distress,鈥攕uch counterfeit virtue would be like swallowing poison, which is sweet in the beginning.鈥�(8)
Medh膩tithi鈥檚 commentary (manubh膩峁a):
鈥�His own people鈥欌�擲ervants, councillors, mother, son, wife and so forth;鈥攚hile these 鈥�are living in distress,鈥欌�攊f the man 鈥�gives to other people鈥欌�攆or the purpose of acquiring fame,鈥攖his form would be like 鈥�swallowing poison,鈥欌赌斺赌�which is sweet in the beginning.鈥� The swallowing of poison, though apparently sweet in the beginning, leads to disastrous results, in the shape of death; exactly like that is the giving of gifts just described.
This same idea is otherwise expressed by calling the act 鈥�counterfeit virtue.鈥� It has the semblance of virtue and is not real virtue; just as the shell is like silver, not silver itself.鈥�(8)
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
This verse is quoted in 础辫补谤腻谤办补 (p. 283);鈥攁nd in 贬别尘腻诲谤颈 (D膩na p. 40).
[note: this either belongs to verse 8 or 9]