Verse 2.117 [Rules regarding Salutation]

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

लौकिकं वैदिकं वाऽपि तथाऽध्यात्मिकमेव वा ।
आददीत यतो ज्ञानं तं पूर्वमभिवादयेत् ॥ ११७ ॥

laukikaṃ vaidikaṃ vā'pi tathā'dhyātmikameva vā |
ādadīta yato jñānaṃ taṃ pūrvamabhivādayet || 117 ||

One should first salute him from whom he receives knowledge, either temporal or scriptural or spiritual.—(117)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The subject taken up having been finished, rules regarding salutation are next taken up.

‘Laukika,’ ‘temporal is that which, pertains to worldly affairs; i.e., the teaching of popular usage and custom; or it may mean the teaching of the arts of singing, dancing and playing upon musical instruments; or, it may mean the knowledge of what is contained in works dealing with the Arts, such as those of Vātsyāyana, Viśākhin and others.

‘Vaidika,’ ‘scriptural,’ is that which is expressed by Vedic injunctions; that is the knowledge of the Veda, the Vedāṅgas and the Smṛtis.

‘Knowledge spiritual’ stands for the esoteric science of the spirit or soul; or figuratively, it may stand for that pertaining to the Body, i.e., the science of medicine.

From whom one learns all this knowledge, such a teacher, he should salute first of all; when one meets him for the first time (in the day) he should invite his attention to himself, by means of words indicated later on, for the purpose of obtaining from him words of blessing.

‘First,’—I.e., the pupil should address him first; he should not wait for being addressed by the teacher; it is only in this way that he would be a ‘saluter.’

Objection.—“If this is what is implied by the root salute itself, the term ‘first’ becomes superfluous.”

Not so; it is only by virtue of the term ‘first’ that we deduce the said meaning. If we took only the root and the prefix (in the verb) ‘abhirādayet’), we could only get the sense of speaking (‘vadanam’) in front (‘ābhimukhyena’); and this speaking in front is possible also when the speaker has been previously addressed by another person.

Some people have explained the term ‘first’ to mean ‘before saluting one’s parents.’ But this does not deserve consideration, as this relative precedence bears no relation to the context.—(117)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Madanapārijāta (p. 25);—in Vidhānapārijāta (p. 501);—in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 296), as mentioning the person to whom, among a number of people, the salutation is to be offered first;—and in Vīramitrodaya (Saṃskāra, p. 460); where ‘laukikam’ is explained as arthaśāstrīyādi, and ‘ādhyātmikam’ as brahmapratipādakaśāstrīyādi;—‘pūrvan’ as bahumānyasamavāye prathamam;—and it proceeds to point out that among the teachers enumerated, the succeeding one is to have priority over the preceding one;—also in Aparārka (p. 54) without comment;—and again on p. 142;—also in Smṛticandrikā (Saṃskāra, p. 97) as laying down the order in which salutation has to be offered when there are a number of Brāhmaṇas assembled;—and in Nṛsiṃhaprasāda (Saṃskāra, p. 44a).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Āpastamba-Dharmasūtra, (1.2,15).—‘He should never bear malice towards him.’

Āpastamba-Dharmasūtra (5.19-20).—‘He should be always saluted; some people hold that the Teacher’s feet should he clasped.’

Āpastamba-Dharmasūtra (14.7-9)—‘When one has completed his study he should clasp the feet of all his superiors;—also when he meets them on returning from a journey;—there should he clasping of the feet of brothers and sisters, in the order of seniority.’

Vaśiṣṭha-Smṛti (13.12).—‘The feet should be clasped of one who is superior either in Vedic learning or in birth.’

Viṣṇu-Smṛti (27. 14-17).—‘Having offered the Twilight Prayers, he should salute the Teacher:—he should touch his feet with reverent hands, the right with the right and the left with the left;—at the salutation, he should also announce his name, ending with the term bhoḥ.’

Gobhila-Gṛhyasūtra (3.1.27).—‘Wearing of the girdle, begging alms, fetching fuel, water-sipping, morning-salutation,—these are obligatory daily duties.’

Śānkhyāyana-Gṛhyasūtra (Vīramitrodaya-Saṃskāra, p. 460).—‘Daily, one shall salute the Teacher, as also his elders—of these, the Vedic scholar whenever one meets him; and one who is not learned in the Veda, only when one meets him on returning from a journey.’

Paiṭhīnasi (Do.).—‘One should salute, first of all, that person from whom one acquires knowledge, either temporal or scriptural or related to Dharma.’