Verse 2.203

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

प्रतिवातेऽनुवाते च नासीत गुरुणा सह ।
असंश्रवे चैव गुरोर्न किं चिदपि कीर्तयेत् ॥ २०३ ॥

prativāte'nuvāte ca nāsīta guruṇā saha |
asaṃśrave caiva gurorna kiṃ cidapi kīrtayet || 203 ||

When sitting in the company of his teacher, uk should not sit either to the lee-ward or to the wind-ward of him; nor should he say anything beyond the hearing of his teacher.—(203)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

When the wind comes from the side on which the Teacher is sitting to where the pupil sits,—and when it comes from where the pupil sits to when the Teacher is,—these are called ‘lee-ward’ and ‘wind-ward’; one being ‘lee-ward’ and the other ‘wind-ward.’ In either of these fashions one should not sit in the Teacher’s company; be should sit in such a fashion that he gets the wind sideways.

‘Beyond his hearing’;—i.e., wbat he cannot hear.

‘Nothing,’—with reference either to the Teacher or to other persons.

‘He should say’—nothing, what the Teacher cannot hear, but can see from the moving of the lips that the pupil is saying something.—(203)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Saṃskāra, p. 461), where ‘prativāte’ is explained as ‘that place to which wind reaches from the place where the Teacher is sitting’;—Anuvāte’ as ‘that place from where wind blows towards the Teacher’;—at neither of these places should the Student sit;—‘Asaṃśrava’ is that place from where anything spoken is not heard by the Teacher,—sitting in such a place, he should not say anything addressed to the Teacher.

This verse is quoted also in Madanapārijāta (p. 107), where the following notes are added:—‘Prativāta’ is ‘wind that blows from the teacher towards the pupil’; at such a place the Student shall not sit; as there is the danger of the fire of the teacher’s anger issuing forth that way;—‘Anuvāta’ is wind blowing from the pupil towards the teacher; there also he shall not sit; as he is likely not to hear the words of the teacher;—‘asambhave’ means unless permitted by him.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Āpastamba Dharmasūtra (1.6. 15, 23).—‘He should not be seated to the windward of the Teacher;—or to the leeward,’