Verse 2.196

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

आसीनस्य स्थितः कुर्यादभिगच्छंस्तु तिष्ठतः ।
प्रत्युद्गम्य त्वाव्रजतः पश्चाद् धावंस्तु धावतः ॥ १९६ ॥

āsīnasya sthitaḥ kuryādabhigacchaṃstu tiṣṭhataḥ |
pratyudgamya tvāvrajataḥ paścād dhāvaṃstu dhāvataḥ || 196 ||

He should do (these) standing, when the teacher is seated; advancing towards him, when he is standing; going forward to him, when he advances; and running after him, when he runs;—(196)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

[The question arising ]—“How then is he to listen to and converse with the Teacher?”—the Text answers:—When the Teacher gives his directions seated, then the pupil should rise from his seat, and do the ‘listening and conversing’ while standing.

‘Advancing towards him, when he is standing’;—when the Teacher gives his orders standing, the pupil should advance towards him a few steps.

‘Going forward to him, when he advances’;—i.e., going up to the teacher. The prefix ‘prati’ has the sense of being face to face.

‘When he runs’—moves with force; he should run behind him.

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Madanapārijāta (p. 106), where ‘abhigacchan’ is explained as ‘Sammukham gacchan’ ‘going forward towards him’,—and ‘pratyudgamanam’ as paścādgamanam, ‘following behind’;—and in Aparārka (p. 56).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Viṣṇu (28.19)—(reproduces Manu).

Gautama (2-34).—‘While the teacher is walking, he should follow him.’

Āpastamba-Dharmasūtra (1.6.G.9).—‘When addressed, he should not answer seated; while the teacher is standing, he should not answer him without standing up; he should walk behind him while he is walking; when he is running, he should run behind him.’

Pāraskara Gṛhyasūtra (2-5-30).—‘If the teacher is lying down, he should be seated^; if he is seated, he should stand; if he is standing, he should be moving; if he is moving, he should be running.’