Verse 9.7

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

स्वां प्रसूतिं चरित्रं च कुलमात्मानमेव च ।
स्वं च धर्मं प्रयत्नेन जायां रक्षन् हि रक्षति ॥ ७ ॥

svāṃ prasūtiṃ caritraṃ ca kulamātmānameva ca |
svaṃ ca dharmaṃ prayatnena jāyāṃ rakṣan hi rakṣati || 7 ||

He who carefully protects his wipe preserves his offspring, his character, his family, his own self, and also his religion.—(7).

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The wife has to be protected, not only because the scriptures prescribe it as a duty; but also because it serves many useful purposes, such as the following.

‘Offspring’—Progeny, in the shape of sons and daughters. The ‘preservation’ of this means that one’s progeny is kept pure, free from the amalgam of castes. ‘Character’—cultured habits.

‘Family’—described above. If a single woman of a family loses her chastity, the ill-fame attaches to the whole family, the idea among the people being that ‘the women of such and such a family are not chaste’.

Or, the meaning may be that the said guarding is necessary in view of the fact that, if the purity of the progeny were not secured, there would be no proper fulfilment of the after-death rites performed in honour of one’s ancestors.

‘His own self’.—It is well known that men are often murdered by their wife’s paramours, or poisoned by their wives.

‘His religion’—An unchaste woman not being entitled to being associated in the performance of religious rites.

For these reasons, if a man guards his wife, he preserves all these—(7).

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

‘Kulam’—‘Ancestors who can obtain offerings only from legitimate descendants’ (Medhātithi, Govindarāja and Kullūka);—‘relatives, who are dishonoured by ladies of the family misbehaving’ (Medhātithi, alternatively, and Rāghavā nanda);—‘position of the family’ (Nārāyaṇa);—‘property’ (Rāghavānanda).

‘Ātmānam’—‘Himself,’ ‘as only legitimate children can offer Śrāddhas’ (Govindarāja, Kullūka and Rāghavānanda);—‘because an adultress and her paramour may attempt his life’ (Medhātithi).

‘Dharmam’—‘Tending of the sacred fires, to which the husband of an adultress is not entitled’ (Govindarāja, Kullūka and Rāghavānanda);—‘the duties of the Householder’ (Nārāyaṇa).

This verse is quoted in Vivādaratnākara (p. 411);—in Parāśaramādhava (Vyavahāra, p. 323);—in Kṛtyasārasamuccaya (p. 987);—and in Nṛsiṃhaprasāda (Vyavahāra, 32a).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 9.5-7)

See Comparative notes for Verse 9.5.