Verse 2.148

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

आचार्यस्त्वस्य यां जातिं विधिवद् वेदपारगः ।
उत्पादयति सावित्र्या सा सत्या साऽजराऽमरा ॥ १४८ ॥

ācāryastvasya yāṃ jātiṃ vidhivad vedapāragaḥ |
utpādayati sāvitryā sā satyā sā'jarā'marā || 148 ||

But the “birth” which the Preceptor, well-versed in the Veda, brings about for him, in the lawful manner, by means of the Sāvitrī,—that is real, imperishable, immortal.—(148)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The ‘birth’ that the Boy obtains from his Preceptor is however indestructible. When the Veda has been got up and its meaning duly comprehended, then alone is one enabled to perform religious acts, by which he obtains Heaven and Final Release; and since all this is due to the Preceptor, he is superior.

‘That birth which the Preceptor brings about’—i.e., the sacramental rite called ‘Upanayana’ ‘initiation,’ which is called the ‘second birth,’ which he accomplishes—‘by means of the Sāvitrī’—i.e., by the expounding of it;—‘that’—birth—‘imperishable, immortal.’ Though all these words mean the same thing, yet they have been used with a view to pointing out that the ‘birth’ named ‘Initiation’ is superior to that which one obtains from his mother. As a matter of fact, ‘perishing’ and ‘death’ are not possible for ‘birth,’ as they are in the case of living beings; if mere ‘indestructibility’ were meant, this could have been expressed by means of a single word; and yet this is not what is done (which shows that the meaning is as explained above).

The construction of the sentence is as follows:—‘Vedapāraga ācāryo yāñjātim vidhivat sāvitryā—i.e., by means of the full details of the Initiatory Rite, which is what is indicated by the term sāvitrī—utpādayati—is what is superior.’ ‘Jāti’ stands for ‘janma,’ birth.—(148)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

It is also simply quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Saṃskāra, p. 480).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Viṣṇu-smṛti, 30.5.—(Reproduces Manu.)

Āpastamba-Dharmasūtra, 1.1-17.—‘That is the highest birth; therein he gives him birth in knowledge.’

Gautama Dharmasūtra, 1.10.—‘That is the second birth.’