Verse 8.236

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

तासां चेदवरुद्धानां चरन्तीनां मिथो वने ।
यामुत्प्लुत्य वृको हन्यान्न पालस्तत्र किल्बिषी ॥ २३६ ॥

tāsāṃ cedavaruddhānāṃ carantīnāṃ mitho vane |
yāmutplutya vṛko hanyānna pālastatra kilbiṣī || 236 ||

When however, they are grazing together in the forest, duly protected,—if a wolf pounces upon one and kills it,—the keeper is not to blame.—(236)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

In the preceding verse the dual number in ‘ajāvike’ (‘goats and sheep’) is based upon the fact that two kinds of animals are meant; though in reality, being a copulative compound of the names of ‘animals,’ it should have taken the singular ending. In the present verse we have the feminine plural, in consideration of the individual animals concerned.

‘Duty protected,’ ‘together’;—kept together, flocked in one place; having their movements hitherto duly checked;—while grazing in the forest, before the eyes of the keeper;—if a wolf should suddenly emerge out of a thicket and pounce upon and kill one of them;—in this case the keeper is not to be blamed. Because it is absolutely impossible for a man to shut out every little opening in the forest, consisting as it does of endless trees and thickets and creepers; and wolves are always on the lookout for such openings.

The addition of the term ‘together’ shows that if they are allowed to roam about long distances, then if any is killed, the blame does lie with the keeper. The animals are in the hands of the keeper; so that if they come to harm through his carelessness, it should be made good by the keeper himself. It is for the purpose of making this simple fact easily understood that the author has had recourse to these detailed assertions.—(236)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Vivādaratnākara (p. 175), which explains ‘mithaḥ’ as ‘herded together’,—‘tatra’ i.e., on the death of the cow;—in Parāśaramādhava (Vyavahāra, p. 265), which explains ‘avaruddhānām’ as ‘herded together by the keeper’ and in Aparārka (p. 773).