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...

Verse 3.183 [The Sanctifiers of Company]

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

अपाङ्क्त्योपहता पङ्क्तिः पाव्यते यैर्द्विजोत्तमैः ।
तान्निबोधत कार्त्स्न्येन द्विजाग्र्यान् पङ्क्तिपावनान् ॥ १८३ ॥

apāṅktyopahatā paṅktiḥ pāvyate yairdvijottamaiḥ |
tānnibodhata kārtsnyena dvijāgryān paṅktipāvanān || 183 ||

Now listen to the full description of those chief of twice-born men, the sanctifiers of company, by which best of the twice-born a company defiled by men unworthy of company becomes purified.—(183)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

By men unworthy of company’—as described above—‘defiled’—rendered defective,—‘company’—assembly—by which Brāhmaṇasbecome purified’—rendered free from defilement,—to those ‘listen’— as described in the coming verses;—‘full’—the description that is being given by me fully.

The remaining words are purely laudatory reiterations. What is meant is that the ‘sanctifier of company,’ by reason of the excellence of his qualities, removes the defects of other persons also by dining with them; just as the impure man, dining with others, makes even faultless men defective.

This verse does not sanction the feeding of men unworthy of company. All that it means is, that one should always seek for the ‘sanctifier of company;’ and that if one such person has been found, one might feed,—even though it he futile to do so,—those who have not been carefully examined to three degrees of ancestors, if they are not found to be marked by any perceptible disqualifications. It is with this end in view that the author provides the description of the ‘sanctifier of company.’—(183)

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Mahābhārata (13. 90, 24).—‘O chief of the Bharatas, these should be regarded as sanctifiers of company; these I am going to describe with reasons for the same; do please examine such Brāhmaṇas.’

Mahābhārata (37).—‘These sanctify the company so far as they see them; that is why they are called the sanctifiers of company.’

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