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:

क्षान्त्या शुध्यन्ति विद्वांसो दानेनाकार्यकारिणः ।
प्रच्छन्नपापा जप्येन तपसा वेदवित्तमाः ॥ १०६ ॥

kṣāntyā śudhyanti vidvāṃso dānenākāryakāriṇaḥ |
pracchannapāpā japyena tapasā vedavittamāḥ || 106 ||

Learned men become pure by tolerance; by liberality those who have done what should not be done; secret sinners by the repeating of sacred texts; and by austerity those who are well-versed in the Veda.—(106).

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

Those who are learned are purified by tolerance; ‘they are never affected by hatred, jealousy or ill-will; hence even when sin is rampant, they remain ever pure. ‘Tolerance’ is the property of the Mind which consists in having the same consideration for all.

Of ‘liberality’ also the efficacy in removing the sin of doing what sought not to be done has been described under 11.139, where it is declared that ‘murder is wiped off by charity’.

In the section dealing with ‘secret sins’ also it has been declared that for the expiation of secret sins, one should repeat the sacred texts.

For persons well-versed in the Veda, ‘austerity’; which, in their case, consists in repeating the Vedic texts and also cultivating knowledge; as it has been declared that—‘for the Brāhmaṇa, learning is the real austerity’ (11.235). As regards the ‘kṛcchra’ and other penances, they are, means of purification for all men, not only for those versed in the Veda.—(106).

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

(Verse 107 of others.)

This verse is quoted in Hemādri (Śrāddha, p. 792);—in Smṛtisāroddhāra, (p. 249);—in Nṛsiṃhaprasāda, (Śrāddha, p. 13b);—and in Śuddhikaumudī (p. 360).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Viṣṇu (22.90).—(Same as Manu.)

Yājñavalkya (3.32.33).—(See above, under 104.)

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