Verse 8.23 [The Commencement of Trials]

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

धर्मासनमधिष्ठाय संवीताङ्गः समाहितः ।
प्रणम्य लोकपालेभ्यः कार्यदर्शनमारभेत् ॥ २३ ॥

dharmāsanamadhiṣṭhāya saṃvītāṅgaḥ samāhitaḥ |
praṇamya lokapālebhyaḥ kāryadarśanamārabhet || 23 ||

Having occupied the Judgment-seat, with his body covered and mind collected, he shall salute the Guardian-Deities, and then proceed with the investigation of suits.—(23)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Judgment-seat,’— that seat upon which the pronouncing of judgments is the principal work done. When he is seated upon his royal throne, the king regards ‘wealth’ as conducive to the prosperity of the kingdom, to be the most important matter, even in preference to ‘morality’; but when he is engaged in deciding suits, he regards ‘morality’ or ‘Justice’ as the most important thing;—this is what is implied by the name ‘judgement-seat,’ which does not mean that ‘morality’ or ‘Justice’ is a quality of the ‘scat.’

‘With his body covered,’—i.e., having his body covered up with cloth and such other things.

‘He shall salute the guardian-deities,’—how down to the eight ‘Guardians of the People, Indra and the rest’;—‘he shall proceed with the investigation of suits.’

These two acts—covering up of the body and saluting the Guardian deities—are laid down with a view to some transcendental result.

‘With mind collected,’— with his mind concentrated, hot turning towards any other thing. This serves a visible purpose.

Or, the phrase ‘with collected mind’ may be taken as modifying the verb ‘salute.’

Though what is asserted here appears to have been already said before, yet, in as much as the treatise is a metrical one, repetition cannot he very strongly objected to.

In ‘Lokapālebhyaḥ’ ‘to the Guardian Deities,’ the Dative ending denotes the recipient of a gift; since under the Sutra dealing with the Dative, it has been held (by the Vārtika) that that also is a ‘recipient’ for whose sake a certain act is done; e.g., ‘śrāddhāya nigṛhṇate’ (‘He keeps himself in check for the sake of the performance of Śrāddhas’), ‘patye shete’ (‘Lies down for the sake of her husband’). Nor can the said assertion he regarded as restricted to the two roots here mentioned (in the two examples); as no such restriction is mentioned in the Bhāṣya.— (23)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Parāśaramādhava (Vyavahāra, p. 41) in Smṛtitattva (II, p. 200);—in Nṛsiṃhaprasāda (Vyavahāra, pp. 2a and 5b);—in Smṛticandrikā (Vyavahāra, p. 70);—and by Jimūtavāhana (Dāyabhāga, p. 4a).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Bṛhaspati (1.21-23).—‘The King having risen early in the morning and performed ablutions according to rule, and having shown due honour to elders, astronomers, physicians, deities, Brāhmaṇas and domestic priests,—should enter the Court-room, decorated with flowers, ornaments and fine clothes, with a cheerful countenance. Having entered the Court in the forenoon, together with the elders, ministers and attendants, he should try cases and listen to the exposition of Purāṇas, Law-Codes and Rules of Policy.’

Śukranīti (4.5.85-87).—‘The King should enter the Court modestly, together with the Brāhmaṇas and the Ministers versed in state-craft, with the object of investigating cases. He should proceed with the work after taking the seat of justice.’

Saṃvarta (Smṛticandrikā-Vyavahāra).—‘Bowing to the Guardians of the Regions, the King shall enter the splendid Court and carry on the work of protecting the people by looking into their suits.’