Verse 2.199

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

नौदाहरेदस्य नाम परोक्षमपि केवलम् ।
न चैवास्यानुकुर्वीत गतिभाषितचेष्टितम् ॥ १९९ ॥

naudāharedasya nāma parokṣamapi kevalam |
na caivāsyānukurvīta gatibhāṣitaceṣṭitam || 199 ||

Even behind the Teacher’s back, he should not pronounce his mere name; nor should he mimic his gait, speech or deportment.—(199)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘He should not pronounce’—should not utter—‘the teacher’s name.’

‘Mere’—i.e., bereft of such honorific titles as ‘Upādhyāya,’ ‘Ācārya,’ ‘Bhaṭṭa’ and the like;—‘even behind his back.’

‘Nor should he mimic’—should not imitate him, like an actor;—‘gait'—(saying) ‘thus does my teacher walk’;—‘speech’—i,e., swiftly, slowly, at a medium pace and so forth;—‘deportment’—‘thus he eats,’ ‘thus he hinds his turban,’ ‘thus he roams about,’ and so forth.

What is prohibited here is imitating the teacher in a joking spirit.—(199)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

‘Kevalam’—Such titles are always to be added as ‘Upādhyāya’ or ‘Bhaṭṭa’ or ‘Ācārya’ (Medhātithi),—‘ācārya’ (Kullūka),—‘caraṇa’ (Nārāyaṇa).

This verse is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Saṃskāra, p. 492) in support of the view that whenever the teacher’s name has got to he pronounced, it should he accompanied with such honorific titles as ‘upādhyāya’ and the like;—also in Madanapārijāta (p. 1 06);—in Aparārka (p. 56);—in Saṃskāramayūkha (p. 42), which says that the name should not be uttered by itself (kevalam), it should always he accompanied by some such title as ‘upādhyāya’ and the like;—and in Smṛticandrikā (Saṃskāra, p. 121).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Gautama (2. 24).—‘One should avoid uttering the name of the teacher, of the teacher’s son and of one initiated for a sacrifice.’

Gautama (Vīramitrodaya-Saṃskāra, p. 492).—‘The teacher’s name and gotra should be uttered with respect.’

Āpastamba Dharmasūtra (1. 8. 15).—‘Poking with the finger, whispering at the ear, laughing, addressing loudly, uttering the name, and directing—these should be avoided, in regard to the teacher.’

Viṣṇu (28. 24. 25).—‘He should not pronounce his mere name;—nor should he mimic his gait, speech or deportment.’

Smṛti (Vīramitrodaya-Samskâra, p. 492).—^e One should not address by name—the Ācārya, the teacher’s son, one initiated at a sacrifice, the guru, father’s sister, mother, maternal uncle, one’s well-wisher, a learned man, father-in-law, husband, and the mother’s sister.’