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:

हुत्वाऽग्नौ विधिवद् होमानन्ततश्च समित्यृचा ।
वातेन्द्रगुरुवह्नीनां जुहुयात् सर्पिषाऽहुतीः ॥ ११९ ॥

hutvā'gnau vidhivad homānantataśca samityṛcā |
vātendraguruvahnīnāṃ juhuyāt sarpiṣā'hutīḥ || 119 ||

Having, in due form, poured oblations into the fire, he shall finally pour oblations of clarified butter to Vāta, Indra, Guru and Vahni, with the verse ‘sam, etc.’—(119)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The ‘oblations into Fire’ are those spoken of in the texts ‘Hṛdayasyāgre, etc.’

Finally’— after the oblations have been finished,—he shall offer oblations to the Maruts, to Indra, to Bṛhaspati and to Agni, with the verse ‘Samāsiñcantu marutaḥ samindraḥ sambṛhaspatiḥ sañcāyamagniḥ siñcatu prajayā ca dhanea (?) ca’ (Atharva-Veda Saṃhitā, 7.33.1).

Since the precise ‘deities’ of sacrifices are always those indicated by the words of the mantras used at them, the words ‘vāta’ and ‘guru’ of the text should be taken as standing for ‘Maruts’ and ‘Bṛhaspati’ respectively. Hence when the offerings are actually made, the words pronounced should be ‘Marudbhyaḥ svāhā’ and ‘Bṛhaspataye svāhā,’—and not ‘vātāya svāhā’ and ‘gurave svāhā.’— (119)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Madanapārijāta (p. 909), which notes that (a) according to Aparārkā the ‘ājya—homa’ should begin with ‘Vātāya svāhā’ and end with ‘Vahnayesvāhā’ and after these ‘Principal offerings’ there should be one more offering of Ājya with the mantra ‘Samāsiñcantu etc.’—(b) while according to Smṛtimañjarī, after the ‘Principal offerings,’ the offering of clarified butter with the mantra ‘Samasiñcantu etc.’ should be made to Suvarchala and other deities;—so that in view of these two views, this is a case of option.

It is quoted in Parāśaramādhava (Prāyaścitta, p. 436);—and in Aparārka (p. 1140), which adds the following notes:—The first offerings to be made are the offerings of Ājya with the mantras ‘Vātāya svāhā’ and so forth;—the time for the offering is the ‘night,’ and that on the Amāvāṣyā day.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 11.118-123)

See Comparative notes for Verse 11.118.

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