Verse 11.79

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

ब्राह्मणार्थे गवार्थे वा सद्यः प्राणान् परित्यजेत् ।
मुच्यते ब्रह्महत्याया गोप्ता गोर्ब्राह्मणस्य च ॥ ७९ ॥

brāhmaṇārthe gavārthe vā sadyaḥ prāṇān parityajet |
mucyate brahmahatyāyā goptā gorbrāhmaṇasya ca || 79 ||

He may give up his life unhesitatingly for the sake of a cow or a Brāhmaṇa; the protector of the cow and the Brāhmaṇa becomes absolved from the guilt of Brāhmaṇa-killing.—(79)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

If the man gives up his life in trying to save,—even though he does not succeed in saving,—he becomes absolved; while, if he succeeds in saving, then he becomes absolved, even though he may not lose his life in doing it.—(79)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Madanapārijāta (p. 797), which adds the following explanation:—Here the text lays down separately, (a) ‘immediate surrendering of his life for the sake of a Brāhmaṇa,’ and (b) ‘saving of the cow and the Brāhmaṇa’; from which it follows that—(a) if the man succeeds in saving the cow or the Brāhmaṇa, he becomes purified, even though his own life may have been saved, and (b) even though he may not succeed in saving the cow or the Bārhmaṇa, he becomes purified, if he has tried his best and lost his life in the attempt to save them.

It is quoted in Aparārka (p. 1058), which adds the following notes:—This is to be taken in connection with the ‘Twelve years penance’; even though the man may not succeed in saving the cow or the Brāhmaṇa, if he has tried his best, and perishes in the attempt, he becomes purified; and if he has succeeded in saving them, he becomes purified, even though he may not have lost his life in the attempt.

It is quoted in Mitākṣarā (3.244), which adds that ‘saving the Brāhmaṇa’ and ‘perishing for the sake of the Brāhmaṇa’ are two distinct things.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 11.72-86)

See Comparative notes for Verse 11.72.