Verse 2.179

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

द्यूतं च जनवादं च परिवादं तथाऽनृतम् ।
स्त्रीणां च प्रेक्षणालम्भमुपघातं परस्य च ॥ १७९ ॥

dyūtaṃ ca janavādaṃ ca parivādaṃ tathā'nṛtam |
strīṇāṃ ca prekṣaṇālambhamupaghātaṃ parasya ca || 179 ||

From gambling, quarelling with people, calumniating, and also lying; prom gazing at and touching of women, and prom the injuring op others.—(179)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Gambling;’—playing with dice. Cock-fighting, etc., are also prohibited by this,—the term ‘gambling’ being used in its most general sense.

‘Quarelling with people’;—wordy dispute, without any reason, on common matters; or asking people at random for news.

‘Calumniating.’—Recounting the defects of other people through sheer ill-will.

‘Lying’—describing things otherwise than what is actually seen or heard.

Every one of these words has the Accusative ending, on account of its being governed by the verb ‘should abstain from’ (in the preceding verse).

‘The gazing at and touching of women’;—‘gazing at’ means looking intently with a view to observe the shape of limbs; ‘this part of her body is beautiful—that is not so,’and so forth.

‘Touching’ stands for embracing. These two are prohibited for fear of their leading up to sexual intercourse; and this is to be applied to the case of the young boy in some way or other.

‘Injuring of others,’—i.e., doing harm; obstructing the fulfilment of some purpose. For instance, if he is questioned on matters relating to the marriage of girls, he should not say that a certain bridegroom is unfit, even if he be really so; he should remain quiet (say nothing), as lying has been prohibited.—(179)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

‘Janavādam’—‘Quarelling with people’ (Medhātithi, Govindarāja, Kullūka and Rāghavānanda);—‘asking people at random for news’ (alternative suggested by Medhātithi, and Nārāyaṇa).

This is quoted in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 456);—in Madanapārijāta (p. 39);—in Vīramitrodaya (Saṃskāra, p. 495);—in Saṃskāramayūkha (p. 42), which notes that ‘prekṣanālambhana’ of women is forbidden, lest they lead on to intercourse;—in Smṛticandrikā (Saṃskāra, p. 125), which has the same notes and adds that in ordinary crowds and other places, the seeing and touching cannot be avoided;—and in Saṃskāraratnamālā (p. 292), which explains ‘dyūta’ as gambling with dice, and ‘janavāda’ as talking of the people in general.

 

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 177-179)

Include Comparative notes for Verse 2.177.

Gautama (2.22.24).—‘Looking at and touching of women should be avoided, for fear of the intercourse proceeding further; also gambling, service of low people, appropriating what is not given, killing;—also harsh words.’

Baudhāyana (1.2.23-24).—‘Truthful in speech, modest, free from egotism;—conversing with women, only to the extent that may be necessary.’

Āpastamba-Dharmasūtra (1.3.11, 23).—‘He should not see any dancing; he should not talk ill of people.’

Viṣṇu (28.26).—‘He should not stay at a place where calumniating is going on.’