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...

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

जगतश्च समुत्पत्तिं संस्कारविधिमेव च ।
व्रतचर्यौपचारं च स्नानस्य च परं विधिम् ॥ १११ ॥

jagataśca samutpattiṃ saṃskāravidhimeva ca |
vratacaryaupacāraṃ ca snānasya ca paraṃ vidhim || 111 ||

The coming into existence of the world,—the rule relating to the sacramental Rites,—the method of keeping observances,—as also the excellent rules bearing upon the Final Ablution.—(111).

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The ‘Virtues’ expounded in the Treatise are here specified in detail. With a view to attract the attention of the hearers, it has been described in Verse 50, et. seq., that the results of ‘Virtue’ are endless. But it is passible that hearers might become discouraged by the idea that ‘Virtue’ is interminable, without end; hence with a view to encourage them, the Author is now providing a summary of the institute, in the shape of a list of contents:—the sense being—‘only so many are the subjects dealt with, not too many, and they can certainly be learnt by people who are endowed with due regard and amount of confidence the idea is that if the path traversed is one that has been described briefly, it is not unbearable.

The coming into existence of the world,’—i.e. the measure of time, the delineation of the characteristics of principles and things, the praise of the Brāhmaṇa, and so forth,—all these are included under the ‘coming into existence of the world’; this subject has been dealt with in the Treatise as a commendatory description, and not as something to be actually accepted as absolutely true.

The rates relating to sacramental rites,’ ‘the method of keeping observances.’ By ‘sacramental rites’ are meant those connected with ‘Impregnation’ and the rest; the ‘rules’ i.e., procedure—relating to these;—the keeping of ‘observances’—i.e., by the Initiated Student,—of these the ‘method,’ the actual performance, the procedure;—this sums up what has been proclaimed in Discourse II.—‘Final Ablution,’—i.e. the particular ceremony performed by one who is returning from the house of his Preceptor (after finishing his course of study).—(111)

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