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:

प्रसाधनोपचारज्ञमदासं दासजीवनम् ।
सैरिन्ध्रं वागुरावृत्तिं सूते दस्युरयोगवे ॥ ३२ ॥

prasādhanopacārajñamadāsaṃ dāsajīvanam |
sairindhraṃ vāgurāvṛttiṃ sūte dasyurayogave || 32 ||

The ‘Dasyu’ begets on the ‘Āyogava,’ the ‘Sairandhra,’ skilled in toilet and attendance, who, though not a slave, makes his living like a slave, and also lives by catching animals.—(32)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

(a) ‘Toilet’—adorning.—(b) ‘attendance’—service. That is (a) arranging the hair, painting the body with red powder, sandal-paste and such things; and (b) shampooing of the hand and feet.

The name here mentioned is applied to a man who knows the exact time when to act, and is capable of acting quickly,—all with the motive of making money.

Though not a slave, makes his living like a slave’;—i.e., engaged by his master for a term of one year or six months. Or, it may mean that being skilled as above, he is ever, ready, like the slave, to do all he can.

Living by catching animals’;—this is a second means of subsistence.

Vāgurā’ stands for the killing of wild animals. For the Āryas this is permitted only for the purpose of making offerings to gods and Pitṛs, or of allaying hunger; and not for that of in making a living by selling flesh in the manner of fowlers.

It is under orders of the king that men take to the profession of killing wild animals.

Sairandhra’— by name.

Begets’—produces.

Dasyu’—a mixed caste going to be described below.

Āyogava’—a particular caste of that name. That a female is meant is implied by the sense of the passage.—(32)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

Dasyu’—‘One of the tribes described under verse 45’ (Medhātithi, Govindarāja and Kullūka);—‘one of this above-mentioned 15 Pratiloma races’ (Nārāyaṇa and Nandana).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 10.6-41)

See Comparative notes for Verse 10.6.

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