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:

गुरोर्गुरौ सन्निहिते गुरुवद् वृत्तिमाचरेत् ।
न चानिसृष्टो गुरुणा स्वान् गुरूनभिवादयेत् ॥ २०५ ॥

gurorgurau sannihite guruvad vṛttimācaret |
na cānisṛṣṭo guruṇā svān gurūnabhivādayet || 205 ||

When the Teacher’s teacher happens to be close by, he should adopt towards him the same behaviour as towards his own teacher; but until permitted by his teacher, he should not pay respects to his own elders.—(205)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The present verse permits the afore-mentioned behaviour towards one’s Teacher to be adopted in certain other cases.

Since the whole of the present deals with study, the term ‘guru’ should throughout be taken in the sense of ‘teacher.’ If the teacher of one’s Teacher happens to be near, he should behave towards him as towards his own teacher.

When he happens to be close by.’—This implies that it is not incumbent upon the pupil to go over to the house of his teacher’s teacher for the purpose of paying respects to him.

While living in the Teacher’s house,—‘until he is permitted by his Teacher’—allowed by him to do so,—he should not go to pay respects to his own ‘elders’;—to his father, mother, etc. This does not mean that when these elders come to his Teacher’s house, hc shall wait for the Teacher’s permission before he offers obeisance to them.

“Whence do you get this meaning?”

It follows from the fact that one’s parents are the highest objects of veneration; and as regards the paternal uncle, maternal uncle and other relations, if one salutes them, this does not stand in the way of his proper behaviour towards the Teacher. For after all, all his efforts are meant to win the Teacher’s favour.

As regards the order to be observed in saluting the mother, the father and the Teacher, when all these happen to be together,—it has already been declared that the Mother is superior to all; and as between the Father and the Teacher, there is option: In as much as the respect due to the Teacher is by reason of the position of the ‘Father’ having been imposed upon him, the Father should be regarded as superior; but since it has been declared (in 146) that ‘the father imparting the Veda is superior,’ it would follow that the Teacher is superior. It is for this reason that there is option.—(205)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

The first half of the verse is quoted in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 306), in support of the view that the ‘grand-teacher’ also is to be treated like the teacher;—in Vīramitrodaya (Saṃskāra, p. 462), where ‘ani sṛṣṭaḥ’ is explained as ‘aniyuktaḥ’, ‘not permitted’,—and ‘svāṅgurūm’ as ‘uncles and other relations

This verse is quoted in Aparārka (p. 54), which explains ‘anisṛṣṭaḥ’ as ‘not permitted—in Saṃskāramayūkha (p. 46);—and in Yatidharmasaṅgraha (p. 34).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Āpastamba Dharmasūtra (1.8.19).—‘When the Teacher and the Teacher’s Teacher are seated together, he should clasp the feet of the latter and then those of the former.’

Āpastamba Dharmasūtra (1.6.29).—‘In the presence of the Ācārya, he should not clasp the feet of other Teachers of the lower grade.’

Gautama (6. 3, 4).—‘Mother, father, relations, elders, intellectual teachers;—when all these are present, the preceding should be saluted before the succeeding.’

Viṣṇu (28.29, 30).—‘When the Teacher’s Teacher is present, behaviour towards him should be like that towards the Teacher;—until permitted by the teacher, he should not salute his elders.’

Vaśiṣṭha (13.22).—‘When the Teacher’s Teacher is present, the behaviour towards him is prescribed to be like that towards the Teacher.’

Like what you read? Consider supporting this website: