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 10.115 [Sources of Income (vittāgama)]

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

सप्त वित्तागमा धर्म्या दायो लाभः क्रयो जयः ।
प्रयोगः कर्मयोगश्च सत्प्रतिग्रह एव च ॥ ११५ ॥

sapta vittāgamā dharmyā dāyo lābhaḥ krayo jayaḥ |
prayogaḥ karmayogaśca satpratigraha eva ca || 115 ||

There are seven lawful sources of income: inheritance, acquisition, purchase, conquest, investment, industry and receiving of proper gifts.—(115)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

Inheritance’—Hereditary property.

Acquisition’—of buried treasure and such things; or the share that one obtains out of the property acquired by his father and other relations. Though this also would be inherited from the father, yet it cannot be spoken of as ‘inheritance,’ because it belongs in common to many persons. This is why we find in another Smṛti the declaration regarding ‘property assigned for maintenance’ (Yājñavalkya, 2.121). Or ‘acquisition’ may stand for those loving presents that one receives from his friends, or from his father-in-law.

Purchase.’—This is well known.

Conquest’—in battle.

Investment and Industry’—Money-lending and trade. The legality of these is in accordance with the caste of the person concerned. The first three of them are common to all; Conquest is for the Kṣatriya only; Investment and Industry for the Vaiśya only; and Receiving of proper gifts for the Brāhmaṇa only. All this distinction is based upon theories and arguments already set forth above.

Some people object to ‘Purchase’ (being a source of income).

But this is not right. As it it were not lawful, all transactions would come to an end.

Some people hold that ‘Conquest’ refers to gambling-stakes only, and as such pertains to all castes.

This also is not right; since another Smṛti has clearly declared that wealth acquired by gambling is ‘impure’; specially where Pāraskara speaks of Gambling.

Similarly some people explain ‘prayoga’ as meaning action, on the ground of such usage as ‘jñānapūrvakaḥ prayogaḥ,’ ‘action preceded by knowledge,’—where the word prayoga’ is used in the sense of action. On the same analogy ‘karmaprayoga’ will mean the employment of action.—(115)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

Lābhaḥ’.—‘Friendly present’ (Medhātithi, Govindaraja and Kullūka);—‘acquisition of treasure-trove’ (Nārāyaṇa and Nandana).

Jayaḥ’.—‘Conquest in war’ (Medhātithi);—‘winning law-suits’ (Nandana).

Prayogaḥ.’—‘Money-lending,’ (Medhātithi);—‘Teaching’ (bandana).

Karmayogaḥ.’—‘Trade and agriculture’ (Medhātithi);—‘Sacrificing for others’ (Nandana).

This verse is quoted in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 309), which adds the following explanations:—‘Āyaḥ (yaḥ?)’, ancestral property,—‘lābhaḥ,’ finding of a treasure-trove;—inheriting ancestral property, finding of treasure-trove and purchase are for all the four castes, ‘conquest’ is for the Kṣatriya alone,—‘prayoga’ is lending money on interest,—and ‘karmayoga’ is trade and agriculture;—these two are for the Vaiśya only;—and ‘acceptance of gifts from righteous persons’ is for the Brāhmaṇa only.

It is quoted in Parāśaramādhava (Vyavahāra, p. 330);—in Smṛtitattva II (p. 350), which adds the following notes:—‘Dāya’ is inheritance of ancestral property,—‘lābha’ is finding of treasure-trove and such tilings,—‘jaya’ is conquest of war,—‘prayoga’ is money-lending,—‘karmayoga’ is trade, agriculture, sons and daughters;—in Vidhānapārijāta II (p. 245);—in Mitākṣarā (2.113);—in Hemādri (Śrāddha, p. 525);—in Hemādri (Dāna, p. 41), which explains ‘prayoga’ as ‘monetary transaction for earning interest,’ and ‘karmayoga’ as ‘officiating as priests at sacrifices’;—and in Nṛsiṃhaprasāda (Āhnika 37a).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Gautama (10.39-42).—‘A man becomes an owner by inheritance, purchase, partition, seizure or finding; acceptance of gift is an additional mode of acquisition for the Brāhmaṇa; conquest for the Kṣatriya; and gain by labour for the Vaiśya and the Śūdra.’

Arthaśāstra (II. p. 97).—‘In places where conditions are unsettled, undisturbed possession is the basis for ownership.’

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