Verse 2.110

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

नापृष्टः कस्य चिद् ब्रूयान्न चान्यायेन पृच्छतः ।
जानन्नपि हि मेधावी जडवल्लोक आचरेत् ॥ ११० ॥

nāpṛṣṭaḥ kasya cid brūyānna cānyāyena pṛcchataḥ |
jānannapi hi medhāvī jaḍavalloka ācaret || 110 ||

One should not instruct any one unless he is asked; nor any one who asks in an improper manner. even though knowing (the truth), the wise man should behave, among men, as if ignorant.—(110)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

If a person, who is not his regular pupil, but is reading near him, should murder the text, or omit certain letters, or read with a wrong accent,—the learned man should not, unless he is asked to (correct), instruct the student and tell him ‘you have murdered the text, you should read it thus.’ If the reader happen to he his own pupil, then he should instruct him, even without being asked. If again the student were to ask, but ask in an improper manner,—then also he should not instruct him. The ‘proper manner’ of asking is to ask with due humility, in the manner of a pupil, with such words as—‘in this matter I have a doubt, pray instruct me on this point.’ In cases other than this, ‘even though knowing the truth, the wise man should behave’—continue to live—among men, ‘as if ignorant,’—as if he were dumb; i.e., he should remain silent, as if he did not know anything.

This prohibition regarding the explaining of doubts without being asked refers to scriptural matters; as regards temporal matters, the author is going to declare that—‘Employed or not employed (by the king) the man knowing the law should expound it.’ Others have held that the prohibition contained in the present verse applies equally to both scriptural and temporal matters.—(110)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

‘Jaḍavat.’—‘Jaḍa’ is ‘dumb’ here (Medhātithi and Kullūka);—an ‘idiot’ (according to others).

This verse is quoted in Yatidharmasaṃgraha (p. 107).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Vaśiṣṭha-Smṛti (2.18).—‘The Veda should not be taught to one who is not prepared to render such respect as lies within his power.’

Baudhāyana-Dharmasūtra (2.50).—‘If a question regarding the Veda is asked without due respect, it destroys the questioner, as fire burns straw; therefore the Veda should not be expounded to those who do not render proper respect.’