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 4.255 [Control of Speech]
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
योऽन्यथा सन्तमात्मानमन्यथा सत्सु भाषते ।
स पापकृत्तमो लोके स्तेन आत्मापहारकः ॥ २५५ ॥yo'nyathā santamātmānamanyathā satsu bhāṣate |
sa pāpakṛttamo loke stena ātmāpahārakaḥ || 255 ||He, who describes himself to good men otherwise than what he is, is the worst sinner in the world, a thief stealing himself.—(255)
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
Being of one kind,;—i.e., unrighteous—if he describes himself to ‘good men’—to cultured people—‘otherwise’—describing himself as righteous;—or, when he goes to a man for one purpose, and represents it to be something else,—such a person is the worst of all sinners.
‘Thief’— stealer;—‘stealing himself.’ Other thieves steal things, while this person steals himself. This shows the despicable character of the man.—(255)