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 9.323
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
दत्त्वा धनं तु विप्रेभ्यः सर्वदण्डसमुत्थितम् ।
पुत्रे राज्यं समासृज्य कुर्वीत प्रायणं रणे ॥ ३२३ ॥dattvā dhanaṃ tu viprebhyaḥ sarvadaṇḍasamutthitam |
putre rājyaṃ samāsṛjya kurvīta prāyaṇaṃ raṇe || 323 ||Bestowing his wealth, obtained from all kinds of fines, upon Brāhmaṇas, and making over the kingdom to his son, the king shall bring about his departure in battle.—(323)
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
When the King begins to be harassed by old age, if be finds that he has done all that he bad to do,—then if he has any wealth,—such as that accumulated from fines—he shall give all this away to Brāhmaṇas. As for fines realised from the ‘heinous offenders,’ it has been already laid down that they shall be disposed of by being offered to Varuṇa, and none of it shall be taken by the King himself. But when he finds that apart from this there is much wealth that has accumulated from all kinds of fines,—and he realises that his death is approaching,—he should dispose of the wealth in the manner here described.
Others have explained that the term ‘fines’ is meant to include all sources of income—such as taxes, tolls and the like.
According to this the meaning would be that he should give away all his wealth; that is, he should give away everything, with the exception of chariots, arms, lands and slaves.
Under this explanation, the clause, ‘making over the kingdom to his son’ would not be quite consistent Because it would be impossible for the son to carry on the administration, with a depleted treasury.
‘Bring about his departure in battle,’—i.e., he shall go forth to battle, with a view to give up his life. If even towards the end of his life, he finds no chances for a battle, then he should destroy his body either in fire or water. But the best results would be attained by giving up the body in battle.—(323)
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
Cf. Mahābhārata 6.17.11; also Vikramāṇikacarita 4.44.68.
This verse is quoted in Rājanītiratnākara (p. 40a).
Comparative notes by various authors
(verses 9.323-325)
Mahābhārata (6.17.11).