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:

हत्वा छित्त्वा च भित्त्वा च क्रोशन्तीं रुदतीं गृहात् ।
प्रसह्य कन्याहरणं राक्षसो विधिरुच्यते ॥ ३३ ॥

hatvā chittvā ca bhittvā ca krośantīṃ rudatīṃ gṛhāt |
prasahya kanyāharaṇaṃ rākṣaso vidhirucyate || 33 ||

The forcible abduction of the maiden from her home, while she is crying out and weeping, after having beaten and wounded and pierced,—is called the “Rākṣasa” form.—(33).

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

Forcibly;’—i.e., having subdued the guardians of the girl, if one carries her away by force, this is called the ‘Rākṣasa’ form. This is all that is meant to be stated here. ‘Having beaten,’ etc., is a mere descriptive re-iteration; for it is always understood that, while the bridegroom is forcibly taking away the girl, if some one seeks to stop him, he shall beat them and do the rest of it. But if, knowing the great strength of the abductor, her guardians, through fear, let her go,—then also it is a Rākṣasa form of marriage; and it is not a necessary condition of this form that the beating, etc., must be done.

Having beaten’—by means of sticks, etc.

Wounded’— cutting limbs by strokes of the sword and other weapons.

Pierced’—walls and forts.

Crying out and weeping;’—i.e., unwilling girl. This is what distinguishes this from the ‘Gāndharva’ form. ‘Crying out’ stands for such loud wailings as—‘there is none to protect me, I am being taken away, save me,’ and so forth: while ‘weeping’ stands for shedding tears, which is the characteristic of all frightened women.—(33)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in ‘Vīramitrodaya’ (Saṃskāra, p. 856), where the following explanation is given—‘Hatvā’—‘having beaten, those obstructing him’;—‘Chittvā’—having cut off, the heads of the obstructors’;—‘Bhittvā’—‘having pierced, with strokes of weapons’;—‘Krośantīm’—calling for her relations;—all this indicates fighting.

The second half is quoted in Smṛtitattva (II, p. 129) in support of the view that what distinguishes the Rākṣasa form is forcible abduction.

The verse is quoted in Hemādri (Dāna, p. 685);—and in Smṛticandrikā (Saṃskāra,:p. 229), which explains ‘prosahya’ as ‘by force’.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Gautama (4. 12).—‘When there is taking away by force, it is the Rākṣasa.’

Baudhāyana (1. 11. 8).—(Same as above.)

Āpastamba-Dharmasūtra (2.12.2).—‘When the girl is taken away after attacking her guardians, it is the Rākṣasa.’

Vaśiṣṭha (1. 34).—‘When they suddenly attack with force and take away the girl, it is the Kṣātra form of marriage.’

Viṣṇu (24.24).—‘Taking away by fighting constitutes the Rākṣasa.’

Yājñavalkya (1. 61).—‘It becomes the Rākṣasa, if there is taking away by fight.’

Āśvalāyana- Gṛhyasūtra (6.15).—'When one wrests the crying girl from her crying guardians after having killed and maimed them, it is the Rākṣasa.’

Hārīta (Vīramitrodaya-Saṃskāra, p. 856).—‘It is the Rākṣasa form of marriage when, with the king’s support, the girl is obtained by attacking and chastising her guardians.’

Hārīta (Vīramitrodaya-Saṃskāra, p. 857).—‘It is th e Kṣātra form when the decked girl is won in battle.’

Devala (Vīramitrodaya-Saṃskāra, p. 857).—‘If the girl is taken away by force, it is Rākṣasa, the seventh form of marriage, based upon bravery.’

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