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 9.75
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
विधाय प्रोषिते वृत्तिं जीवेन्नियममास्थिता ।
प्रोषिते त्वविधायैव जीवेत्शिल्पैरगर्हितैः ॥ ७५ ॥vidhāya proṣite vṛttiṃ jīvenniyamamāsthitā |
proṣite tvavidhāyaiva jīvetśilpairagarhitaiḥ || 75 ||When the husband has gone abroad after having provided for her subsistence, she shall live on, firmly devoted to restraint. When however he has gone without providing for it, she shall subsist by unobjectionable industries.—(75)
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
‘Restraint’—such as, avoiding the house of others, in the absence of her husband, as she does when he is present ‘Devoted’—fixed, observing.
When he has gone without making provision for her, she should subsist by industries;—such as, spinning, lace-making and the like. The ‘objectionable’ industries are the making of fans and such things.
These are the means of subsistence for widows, depending upon their own labour.—(75)
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
This verse is quoted in Vivādaratnākara (p. 438), which explains the construction as ‘vṛttim vidhāya proṣiie;’ and explains ‘jīvet’ as ‘should maintain herself by the means provided for her by her husband.’
Comparative notes by various authors
(verses 9.74-75)
See Comparative notes for Verse 9.74.