Verse 4.163

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

नास्तिक्यं वेदनिन्दां च देवतानां च कुत्सनम् ।
द्वेषं दम्भं च मानं च क्रोधं तैक्ष्ह्ण्यं च वर्जयेत् ॥ १६३ ॥

nāstikyaṃ vedanindāṃ ca devatānāṃ ca kutsanam |
dveṣaṃ dambhaṃ ca mānaṃ ca krodhaṃ taikṣhṇyaṃ ca varjayet || 163 ||

He shall, avoid atheism, cavilling at the Vedas, abusing of the gods, hatred, haughtiness, pride, anger and hastiness.—(103)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Atheism’ consists in thinking, as untrue, of things that are spoken of in the Veda.

‘Cavilling’ is giving verbal expression to such ideas as—‘the Veda is full of needless repetitions and self-contradictions,’ ‘there is nothing true in it,’—with an evil intent, and not merely by way of propounding a discussion on these points.

‘Gods’—i.e., Agni and the rest; the ‘abusing’ of these stands for ‘talking ill of them.’ E.g. people are found to make such assertions as—‘we have been struck by the wretched gods.’

‘Hatred’—ill-feeling aroused by jealousy, etc.

‘Haughtiness’—want of humility, due to pride.

‘Pride’—Vanity regarding oneself: ‘I am very learned,’ ‘I am very rich,’ and so forth.

‘Anger’—wrath.

‘Harshness’—cruelty; i.e., anger preceded by hatred, (163)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

‘Stambham’—‘Want of modesty’ (Medhātithi, Govindarāja and Nārāyaṇa);—‘want of energy in the performance of duties’ (Kullūka).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Āpastamba Dharmasūtra (1.31.5).—‘He shall avoid harshness towards the gods and the king.’

Do. (1.31.23).—‘He shall avoid anger and other bad feelings painful to living beings.’

Vaśiṣṭha (12.38).—‘Disbelief in the Vedas, reviling of the works of sages, absence of restraint in all things,—all this is destructive of the soul.’

Viṣṇu (71.83).—‘He shall avoid the reviling of the gods, Brāhmaṇas, scriptures and great men.’

Mahābhārata (Anuśāsana, 161.37).—(Same as Manu, but reading ‘paranindāñca’ for ‘devatānāñca.’)