Verse 2.242

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

नाब्राह्मणे गुरौ शिष्यो वासमात्यन्तिकं वसेत् ।
ब्राह्मणे वाऽननूचाने काङ्क्षन् गतिमनुत्तमाम् ॥ २४२ ॥

nābrāhmaṇe gurau śiṣyo vāsamātyantikaṃ vaset |
brāhmaṇe vā'nanūcāne kāṅkṣan gatimanuttamām || 242 ||

A pupil, desiring an unsurpassable state, shall not be in life-long residence with a non-Brāhhaṇa teacher; or with a Brāhmaṇa-teacher who is not an expounder.—(242)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The foregoing verse might create the impression that the Life-long Student may live in residence with his non-Brāhmaṇa teacher, for the purposes of study; and it is this that is particularly interdicted here.

‘Ātyantikam vāsam’—means life-long residence.

‘Should not live’—should not do. The phrase ‘vāsam vaṣet,’ ‘live in residence,’ may be construed by regarding one (‘vāsa,’ ‘residence’) as the particular and the other (‘vaset,’ ‘live’) as the general (form of the same act of living). The meaning being ‘he should not live that particular kind of living which is done in the teacher’s house,’—‘he should go elsewhere after having finished his studies.’

“All that the preceding verse has permitted is learning from a non-Brāhmaṇa; how could there be any possibility of life-long residence?”

There is no force in this objection. It has been said above that one should reside with his preceptor; and the teacher has been called the ‘preceptor,’ hence the said possibility arises.

‘Or, with the Brāhmaṇa who is not an expounder.’—‘Or’ here stands for ‘also.’

The Brāhmaṇa also, if he happen to be a non-expounder,—i.e., if he is not equipped with good character and nobility, nor capable of studying and teaching,—all these qualifications should be taken as indicated by ‘expounding’; for if ‘expounding’ itself were meant, then the non-residence with a teacher who does no expounding would be only natural, [and would not need to be strictly emphasised, as it is here].

‘State’ here stands for the attainment of bliss;—‘Unsurpassable’—to which nothing else is superior;—‘denting’—such state,—i.e., Deliverance in the form of Highest Bliss—(242)

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 241-242)

See Comparative notes for Verse 2.241.