Verse 4.19

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

बुद्धिवृद्धिकराण्याशु धन्यानि च हितानि च ।
नित्यं शास्त्राण्यवेक्षेत निगमांश्चैव वैदिकान् ॥ १९ ॥

buddhivṛddhikarāṇyāśu dhanyāni ca hitāni ca |
nityaṃ śāstrāṇyavekṣeta nigamāṃścaiva vaidikān || 19 ||

He shall always pore over such treatises as quickly enliven the intelligence, are conducive to wealth and are beneficial,—as also over the Vedic Scriptures.—(19)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘As enliven the intelligence,’—e.g., Itihāsas, Purāṇas, Treatises on the Science of Reasoning, and also those written by Bṛhaspati, Uśanas and others.

‘Beneficial’—productive of benefit; i.e., leading to perceptible desirable results; such for instance, as the Sciences of Medicine and Astronomy;—the Science of Polity being mentioned separately (under those ‘conducive to wealth’).

‘Vedic Scriptures.’—This term stands here for those sciences that are helpful in understanding the meaning of the Veda; such sciences for instance, as those of Exegesis. Etymologies, Grammar and Interpretation,

If the term stood for the Vedic texts themselves, these would be conducive to imperceptible (and not perceptible) results.—(19).

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

‘Nigamas’—According to Medhātithi, the term Nigamas does not mean the Aṅgas, as stated by Buhler,—but it includes Nigama—Nirukta—Vyākaraṇa—Mīmāṃsā;—Kullūka explains the term as ‘works, called Nigama, explanatory of the meaning of the Veda’

This verse is quoted in Aparārka (p. 127), which explains ‘Nigamān’ as ‘the Nighaṇṭu and other works that help in ascertaining the meanings of words’;—in Vīramitrodaya (Saṃskāra, p. 509) as laying down what should be studied;—in Vīramitrodaya (Āhnika, p. 155), which explains ‘buddhivṛddhikarāṇi’ as ‘Tarka, Mīmāṃsā and the rest,’—dhanyāni’ as ‘the Arthaśāstras, which are conducive to the acquisition of wealth,’—‘hitāni’ as ‘the Ayurveda and so forth,’—and ‘nigamāḥ’ as ‘the Nighaṇṭu and other works that help in the understanding of the meanings of words’;—in Saṃskāramayūkha (p. 71);—and in Smṛticandrikā (p. 132).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 4.19-20)

Kūrmapurāṇa (Parāśaramādhava, p. 246).—‘One shall teach the Veda, the Purāṇas and the subsidiary sciences to the person who is equipped with character, is of strong mind and is free from hypocrisy.’

Dakṣa (Parāśaramādhava, p. 34).—‘The getting-up of the Veda, the pondering over it, its continuous study, Japa, and imparting it to pupils,—thus fivefold is Vedic Study.’

Dakṣa (p. 71).—‘For these reasons, one shall continuously study the Veda.’

Yājñavalkya (1.99).—‘He should acquire a knowledge of the meaning of the Veda and also the various sciences.’

Āpastamba (Vīramitrodaya-Āhnika, p. 154).—‘If there is any science in which he does not shine, that he should acquire by going to the teacher again.’

Āpastamba (Vīramitrodaya-Āhnika, p. 154).—‘Śvetaketu has declared that even after settling down in the house, the man shall reside for two months in the year with the Teacher, seeking for further knowledge. This however is forbidden by the scriptures.’