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:

सर्वेषामप्यभावे तु ब्राह्मणा रिक्थभागिनः ।
त्रैविद्याः शुचयो दान्तास्तथा धर्मो न हीयते ॥ १८८ ॥

sarveṣāmapyabhāve tu brāhmaṇā rikthabhāginaḥ |
traividyāḥ śucayo dāntāstathā dharmo na hīyate || 188 ||

But, on the failure of all, the property shall be taken by Brāhmaṇas, learned in the Vedas, pure and self-controlled; in this manner the law would not be violated.—(188)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

(verses 9.182-201)

(No Bhāṣya available.)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

Sarveṣām’—‘Of all the heirs mentioned in the preceding verse’ (Rāghavānada);—‘of all males and females related in any way to the deceased’ (Nandana);—the term indicates that other persons, not named here, such as fellow-students and so forth, are also entitled to the inheritance (Kullūka).

“Nārāyaṇa points out that this rule refers solely to the property of a Brāhmaṇa”.—Buhler.

This verse is quoted in Madanapārijāta (p. 675), which says that it refers to any Brāhmaṇa neighbour of the deceased;—in Mitākṣarā (2.136), to the effect that on the failure of blood-relations, a fellow-student, and a learned Brāhmaṇa, the property shall go to any ordinary Brāhmaṇa;—in Vyavahāra-Bālambhaṭṭī (p. 665);—in Dāyakramasaṅgraha (p. 12);—and by Jīmūtavāhana (Dāyabhāga, p. 333).

It is quoted in Vivādaratnākara (p. 597);—and in Parāśaramādhava (Vyavahāra, p. 354), which makes the same remark as Mitākṣarā.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 9.186-189)

[See Text under 185.]

See Comparative notes for Verse 9.186.

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