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 11.69
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
निन्दितेभ्यो धनादानं वाणिज्यं शूद्रसेवनम् ।
अपात्रीकरणं ज्ञेयमसत्यस्य च भाषणम् ॥ ६९ ॥ninditebhyo dhanādānaṃ vāṇijyaṃ śūdrasevanam |
apātrīkaraṇaṃ jñeyamasatyasya ca bhāṣaṇam || 69 ||Accepting gifts from despicable persons, trading, serving Śūdras and the telling of a lie should be regarded as rendering one unworthy of receiving gifts.—(69)
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
‘Despicable’;—those from whom gifts should not be received,—such as Śūdras and sinners; the frequent acceptance of gifts from such men; a single acceptance is not forbidden.—(69)
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
This verse is quoted in Mitākṣarā (3.242) in Madanapārijāta (p. 924);—in Nṛsiṃhaprasāda (Prāyaścitta 30a);—and in Prāyaścittaviveka (pp. 42, 403, 424 and 465.)
Comparative notes by various authors
Viṣṇu (40.1).—‘Receiving anything from a despicable person, trading, subsisting by money-lending, telling lies, and serving a Śūdra—are crimes rendering one unworthy to receive alms.’
Baudhāyana (2.2.6).—‘Serving Śūdras (involves loss of caste).’