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:

गुरोः कुले न भिक्षेत न ज्ञातिकुलबन्धुषु ।
अलाभे त्वन्यगेहानां पूर्वं पूर्वं विवर्जयेत् ॥ १८४ ॥

guroḥ kule na bhikṣeta na jñātikulabandhuṣu |
alābhe tvanyagehānāṃ pūrvaṃ pūrvaṃ vivarjayet || 184 ||

He should not beg for food from his Teacher’s family; nor from the family of his paternal or maternal relations. But when other houses are not available, he should avoid the preceding in preference to the succeeding.—(184)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

Even though the Teacher’s family may fulfil the aforesaid conditions, yet ‘he should not beg for food’ from that family. ‘Kula,’ ‘family,’ stands for ‘relations’; hence one should not receive alms from the uncle and other relations of the Teacher.

Paternal relations’—from the family of those related to the student on his father’s side.—‘From his maternal relations’—i.e., from his maternal uncle and others.

This verse should not be construed in such a way as to connect the words ‘paternal relations, etc.,’ with the Teacher; since the Teacher’s relations have all been included under the term ‘Teacher’s family.’

“From whom then is he to beg for food?”

From houses other than those here mentioned.

When other houses are not available’—i.e., not possible;—when, for instance, the entire village is inhabited either by the Teacher’s family, or by his own paternal and maternal relations; and there are no other families;—or even though they are there, they do not give him alms;—then the student may beg from those just mentioned; when, others are uot available, he should first beg from his maternal relations; if these latter be not available, then from his paternal relations; and when even these arc not available, then from the Teacher’s family.—(184)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

Vihāyasi’—In the air, i.e. on the roof of the house (Medhātithi, Govindarāja and Kullūka);—‘on a platform’ (Nārāyaṇa);—‘in the open air (Nandana);—‘in any pure place except the ground’ (Rāghavānanda).

This verse is quoted in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 451), as laying down the method of ‘tending the fire’, and ‘explains it that ‘he should place the fuel somewhere in the open, not on the grouhd;’—in Smṛtitattva (p. 936) as laying down the morning and evening offerings into the Fire;—in Vīramitrodaya (Saṃskāra, p. 448), where ‘dūrāt’ is explained as from a spot not owned

 

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Gautama (2.44-45).—‘Food should be begged from the house of the Ācārya, or one’s relations, or the Guru; from one’s own family, only in the event of its not being obtained elsewhere,—the succeeding one of these being preferred to the preceding.’

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