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 8.360
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
भिक्षुका बन्दिनश्चैव दीक्षिताः कारवस्तथा ।
सम्भाषणं सह स्त्रीभिः कुर्युरप्रतिवारिताः ॥ ३६० ॥bhikṣukā bandinaścaiva dīkṣitāḥ kāravastathā |
sambhāṣaṇaṃ saha strībhiḥ kuryuraprativāritāḥ || 360 ||Mendicants, bards, persons initiated for a rite and craftsmen may converse with women, unchecked.—(360)
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
‘Mendicants,’— those living on alms; these may talk to women, in the act of begging, if they are not ‘checked’ by their husbands.
Or, the meaning may be that they shall not be checked or forbidden in this.
‘Bards,’—those who sing the praises of kings.
‘Initiated at a rite,’—These persons would have to speak to women in the course of the response that they have to make in acceptance of their appointment.
‘Craftsmen,’—cooks and others.
These should not be prevented even at such places as the watering-place and the like.—(360)
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
This verse is quoted in Vivādaratnākara (p. 386), which adds the following notes ‘Vandinaḥ,’ bards singing the praises of people,—‘dīkṣitāḥ,’ persons initiated for a sacrificial performance,—‘kāravaḥ,’ professional artisans;—and in Vyavahāra-Bālambhaṭṭī (p. 1002).