Verse 7.94

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

यस्तु भीतः परावृत्तः सङ्ग्रामे हन्यते परैः ।
भर्तुर्यद् दुष्कृतं किं चित् तत् सर्वं प्रतिपद्यते ॥ ९४ ॥

yastu bhītaḥ parāvṛttaḥ saṅgrāme hanyate paraiḥ |
bharturyad duṣkṛtaṃ kiṃ cit tat sarvaṃ pratipadyate || 94 ||

But the Kṣatriya who, frightened and turned back, is slain by the enemies, takes upon himself all the sin that there may be of his master.—(94)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

It should not be thought that ‘if the man is killed after having turned back, he does not die after having committed a sinful deed’; because the offence lies in his having turned back. Further, the man should not entertain the notion that ‘by becoming wounded I have repaid my debt to the master; and have fulfilled my duty towards him’; because such wounds serve no useful purpose at all. This is what is indicated by pointing out the gravity of the offence involved. What is said in the present verse regarding the master’s sins falling upon the servant, as also what follows in the next verse regarding the master taking off the merit of the servant,—all this is purely commendatory; for the acts of one man, either good or bad, cannot accrue to another; nor can there be a total annihilation of a meritorious act. All that is possible is that, when there is an obstruction caused by a grievous sin, the fruition of the meritorious act is delayed. This is all that is meant in the present context.—(94)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

Nowhere in Medhātithi do we find any indication of the explanation that is attributed to him by Hopkins.

This verse is quoted in Nītimayūkha (p. 80).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 7.94-95)

Āpastamba (2.26.3)—(See under 89.)

Yājñavalkya (1.324).—‘The king takes away all the merit that had been acquired by those who are killed while fleeing away from battle.’