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:

त्रींस्तु तस्माद् हविःशेषात् पिण्डान् कृत्वा समाहितः ।
अउदकेनैव विधिना निर्वपेद् दक्षिणामुखः ॥ २१५ ॥

trīṃstu tasmād haviḥśeṣāt piṇḍān kṛtvā samāhitaḥ |
audakenaiva vidhinā nirvaped dakṣiṇāmukhaḥ || 215 ||

Having made these balls out of the remnant of the said sacrificial material, he should, with collected mind and facing the South, offer them in the manner of the water-libations.—(215)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

From out of the material that had been held in the vessel, and out of which the fire-oblations have been offered,—‘having made three bails,’ turning bis face towards the South, he should ‘offer them’—i.e., throw them on the kuśa-grass, with reference to the Pitṛs.

The term ‘piṇḍa,’ ‘ball,’ stands for something solid; hence, one should not, in this connection, offer disintegrated articles of food.

In the manner of the water-libations’—i.e., the manner of offering water-libations, which has been just pointed out (in the preceding verse).

In this connection, the following question arises:—“Should the purificatory rites necessary for the sacrificial material be performed over the substance taken out of the food that has been cooked for feeding the Brāhmaṇas?—or, should separate rice be cooked?—and also what should be the quantity of that sacrificial material? The rule laying down ‘four handfulls’ cannot apply to this case.”

This question has been already discussed; in the absence of any specific rules on the subject, one is free to do what one likes; and the quantity should be just what may be necessary for the purpose in view.

Inasmuch as ‘the manner of the water-libations’ is laid down as applicable to the offering of balls, it follows that this latter offering is to be done with ‘hands in the apasavya position,’ and not with silver implements.

With collected mind’—this has been added for the purpose of filling up the metre.—(215)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Madanapārijāta (p. 601), without any comment;—and in Hemādri (Śrāddha, p. 1427), which adds the following notes:—‘Tasmāt haviḥśeṣāt’, out of the remnant of the substance offered into the Fire,—‘audakavidhi’ stands for the method by which an offering of water is made with hands in the Apasavya form, as laid down in the preceding verse.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Viṣṇu (73.17-19).—‘Near the food-remnant, upon kuśa-blades pointing southwards, he shall deposit one ball for his father, with the mantra Pṛthivī darvirakṣitā, etc.;—the second to the grand-father, with the mantra Antarikṣam darvirakṣitā, etc.; the third to the great-grand-father, with the mantra Dyaurdarviraksiṭā, etc.’

Yājñavalkya (1.241-242).—‘Taking up all the food and mixing it up with sesamum, he shall offer the balls near the food-remnant, in the manner of the Pitṛyajña.’

Laghu-Āśvalāyana (13.74).—(See above.)

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