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:

सङ्ग्रामेष्वनिवर्तित्वं प्रजानां चैव पालनम् ।
शुश्रूषा ब्राह्मणानां च राज्ञां श्रेयस्करं परम् ॥ ८८ ॥

saṅgrāmeṣvanivartitvaṃ prajānāṃ caiva pālanam |
śuśrūṣā brāhmaṇānāṃ ca rājñāṃ śreyaskaraṃ param || 88 ||

Not shrinking from battle, protecting the people, and attending on brāhmaṇas,—is the best means of securing happiness for kings.—(88)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

This verse is meant to show that the three duties here mentioned bring equal rewards.—(88)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 413).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Viṣṇu (3.44).—‘There is no higher duty for men of the military caste than to risk their life in battle.’

Yājñavalkya (1.322).—‘There is no higher duty forkings than to give to the Brāhmaṇas whatever is obtained in war, and to grant fearlessness to their people.’

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