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:

ब्रह्मचारी तु योऽश्नीयान् मधु मांसं कथं चन ।
स कृत्वा प्राकृतं कृच्छ्रं व्रतशेषं समापयेत् ॥ १५८ ॥

brahmacārī tu yo'śnīyān madhu māṃsaṃ kathaṃ cana |
sa kṛtvā prākṛtaṃ kṛcchraṃ vrataśeṣaṃ samāpayet || 158 ||

If a person keeping a vow happens, in any way, to eat honey or meat, he should perform the original Kṛcchra, and then complete the remainder of his vow.—(158)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

Person keeping a vow’—i.e., one who is still in the stage of the Religious Student.

In any way’—i.e., even in normal times; in abnormal times, when life is in danger, the eating of the two things has been permitted; so that there being nothing wrong in such eating, the present verse cannot he taken as laying down as an expiation for the same, thereby contradicting what has gone before. Hence what the meaning is that the expiation is necessary only under certain conditions, not always.

Original Kṛcchra’—i.e., the Prājāpatya; which is called ‘original,’ because it forms the origin or archetype of all Kṛcchras.

He should complete the remainder of his vow’—This shows that until the prescribed expiation has been performed, the man is not entitled to complete the vow.—(158)

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Vaśiṣṭha, (23.11).—‘If a Student eats meat which has been given to him as leavings, he shall perform the Kṛcchra penance of twelve days’ duration, and afterwards complete his vow.’

Viṣṇu (51.45).—‘If a Student eats honey or meat at any time, he must perform the Prājāpatya penance.’

Yājñavalkya (3.282).—‘If the Student eats honey or meat, he should perform the Kṛcchra penance, and then complete the rest of the vows.’

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