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:

वृद्धांश्च नित्यं सेवेत विप्रान् वेदविदः शुचीन् ।
वृद्धसेवी हि सततं रक्षोभिरपि पूज्यते ॥ ३८ ॥

vṛddhāṃśca nityaṃ seveta viprān vedavidaḥ śucīn |
vṛddhasevī hi satataṃ rakṣobhirapi pūjyate || 38 ||

Every day he shall wait upon elderly persons, Brāhmaṇas, pure and learned in the Vedas; he who constantly waits upon elderly persons is honoured even by Rākṣasas.—(38)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

Elderly’—aged—Brāhmaṇas. This alone is something new enjoined here; all the rest of it, ‘Brāhmaṇas’ and so forth, is what has been already declared before.

‘Pure’—free from defects. This also is something new; the meaning being that ‘purity’ is as good a reason for being honoured as ‘knowledge and learning.’

The second half of the verse is purely commendatory.

By Rākṣasas’—As a rule, Rākṣasas are pitiless, very powerful and devoid of all virtues; and yet. even these honour the person who waits upon elderly men.—(38).

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Rājanīti, p. 119), which adds the following notes:—‘vṛddhān’ as ‘advanced in age, be they Brāhmaṇas or non-Brāhmaṇas’;—‘viprān’ and ‘vedavidaḥ’ have been already explained ‘śucīn’ is ‘free from guile’;—Medhātithi adds that this qualification also is one that has not been mentioned elsewhere; but Kullūka Bhaṭṭa holds that all the rest are only qualifications of ‘viprān’ [so that Brāhmaṇas alone are meant];—the meaning of the second line is that ‘the king is respected also by those reckless, merciless ruffians who are devoid of all virtues, not say by ordinary people.’

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Kāmandaka (1.60).—‘A king serving elderly persons is held in high esteem by the pious; though induced by vile men, he commits no vile deeds.’

Viṣṇu (3.77).—‘He should honour the aged.’

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