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 7.189

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

सेनापतिबलाध्यक्षौ सर्वदिक्षु निवेशयेत् ।
यतश्च भयमाशङ्केत् प्राचीं तां कल्पयेद् दिशम् ॥ १८९ ॥

senāpatibalādhyakṣau sarvadikṣu niveśayet |
yataśca bhayamāśaṅket prācīṃ tāṃ kalpayed diśam || 189 ||

The Commander-in-Chief and the General he shall station in all directions; the quarter from which he apprehends danger, that he shall regard as the ‘East’ (Front).—(189)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The ‘Commander-in-Chief’, the controller of the entire force and its supplies, and the ‘General’—each of these being one only, and not many, it would be impossible to station them ‘in all directions’; hence the two names should be taken as standing for the subordinates of the two officers; and when their subordinates have been stationed and put in charge of all directions, the two officers themselves become so ‘stationed.’

Thus having stationed them in battle-array, with distinct army-corps—each consisting of elephants and horses—alloted to each of them, and having placed a mountain or a ditch in his rear, kept in charge of a separate officer,—he shall regard that direction as the ‘East’ or ‘front’ from where he apprehends danger. In this manner he shall arrange his camp, prepared to march forward, in the manner ot learned men moving forward.—(189)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 402);—and in Vīramitrodaya (Rājanīti, p. 400).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Kāmandaka (15.18).—‘When a foe must he marched upon, the energetic king should not he afraid of the difficulties that may be at his roar; to the front he should depute the commander-in-chief or the Prince, with a portion of the army.’

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