Verse 4.145

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

मङ्गलाचारयुक्तः स्यात् प्रयतात्मा जितेन्द्रियः ।
जपेच्च जुहुयाच्चैव नित्यमग्निमतन्द्रितः ॥ १४५ ॥

maṅgalācārayuktaḥ syāt prayatātmā jitendriyaḥ |
japecca juhuyāccaiva nityamagnimatandritaḥ || 145 ||

He shall be intent upon auspicious customs, with his mind under control and the senses subjugated; and he shall, untired, daily recite prayers and offer oblations into the fire.—(145)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Auspiciousness’ consists in the accomplishment of such desirable things as long life, wealth, and so forth;—the ‘custom’ is conducive to this—such as the wearing of the gorocanā -mark on the forehead, the touching of good fruit, and s o forth;—on such custom he shall be ‘intent’; i.e., he shall always follow such customs.

“The authority of customs has already been asserted before.”

True. But what is asserted here is custom pertaining to non-physical ends. If those acts were done with a view to visible results, then it would so happen that the acts would sometimes fail to bring about the desired result, and this would lead the man to neglect them. It is for this purpose that the thing is reiterated here. Just as in connection with the time of starting on a journey, we shall have the reiteration of such acts as the saluting of cows and other similar things, looking at white garments, the singing of kapiñjala- birds to the right, the crowing of the crow to the right on a fruit-laden tree. All these acts shall be done for the sake of one’s welfare; and acts contrary to these shall be avoided.

‘With senses subjugated’—without hankering for the objects of sense. Though this has been often repeated, us being something desirable for man, yet it is mentioned here with a view to save the man from falling into sin.

Since oblation may be offered elsewhere also, the text has specially mentioned the ‘fire.’

‘Untired.’—This only reiterates what has been said before.—(145)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Aparārka (p. 229).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Vyāsa (quoted by Gautama).—‘One shall do what is commended, and avoid what is not commended; this is what has been declared by sages to he the auspicious custom.’

Gautama (10, 71).—‘The accomplished student, who, desirous of saving from evil his parents and relations, senior as well as junior, behaves in this manner, never falls off from the eternal Brahman.’

Atri-Saṃhitā (16-19).—‘This Dharma has been expounded by men for the religious students, when by having acquired honour in this world, they reach the highest conditions. Those who, deviating from their own Dharma, betake themselves to that of others, them the king shall punish, and thereby rejoice in heaven. he who is linn in his own Dharma, even if he he a Śūdra, obtains heaven; the Dharma of others should be always shunned, like the beautiful wife of another man.’

Āpastamba Dharmasūtra (2.2.27).—‘For all castes, there is high and immeasurable happiness in the performance of their own Dharma. On re-birth, by virtue of the residue of his Karma, he acquires his caste, body, complexion, strength, memory, intelligence, riches and meritorious behaviour.’

Baudhāyana (2.2.1).—‘The Brāhmaṇa who bathes daily, constantly wears the sacred thread, reads the Veda daily, avoids the Śūdra’s food, approaches his wife only during

the period and offers oblations according to law, never falls off from the Brāhmic region.’

Yājñavalkya (3.205).—‘Even the Householder becomes liberated, if he has acquired property rightfully, has been devoted to truth and fond of guests, has performed Śrāddhas and has always spoken the truth.’

Do. (3. 220).—‘By omitting what has been enjoined, by doing what has been forbidden, and by omitting to control the sense-organs, the man falls.’