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...

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

यस्मिनृणं संनयति येन चानन्त्यमश्नुते ।
स एव धर्मजः पुत्रः कामजानितरान् विदुः ॥ १०७ ॥

yasminṛṇaṃ saṃnayati yena cānantyamaśnute |
sa eva dharmajaḥ putraḥ kāmajānitarān viduḥ || 107 ||

That son alone to whom the man transfers his debt, and through whom he attains immortality, is the ‘duty-born son;’ others are known as ‘lust-born.’—(107).

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

Others, etc.’—This is purely declamatory. If it were taken in its literal sense, the younger brothers would never be entitled to any property at all; and this would be contrary to what follows.—(107)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

“This verse alludes to the Vedic text quoted, Vaśiṣṭha 17.1; Viṣṇu 15.43”—Buhler.

This verse is quoted in Vivādaratnākara (p. 457), which adds the following notes:—‘Sannayati’, concentrates,—‘ānantyam’, endless bliss,—‘aśnute’, obtains, i.e., becoming freed from debt,—‘Kāmajān’, this is a mere exaggerated statement, because it cannot be taken to mean that the younger sons have no share in the paternal estate, since it has been distinctly declared that they do have such share.

It is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Saṃskāra, p. 163);—in Vyavahāra-Bālambhaṭṭī (p. 656);—in Smṛticandrikā (Saṃskāra, p. 43);—in Vīramitrodaya (Vyavahāra 172a);—by Jīmūtavāhana (Dāyabhāga, p. 37);—and in Rājanītiratnākara (p. 40b).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 9.105-110)

See Comparative notes for Verse 9.105.

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