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:

एनस्विभिरनिर्णिक्तैर्नार्थं किं चित् सहाचरेत् ।
कृतनिर्णेजनांश्चैव न जुगुप्सेत कर्हि चित् ॥ १८९ ॥

enasvibhiranirṇiktairnārthaṃ kiṃ cit sahācaret |
kṛtanirṇejanāṃścaiva na jugupseta karhi cit || 189 ||

One shall not carry on any business with unexpiated sinners; but in no case shall he despise those who have performed the expiation.—(189)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

Sinners’—This stands for the ‘outcasts,’ as is dear from the context So long as these are ‘unexpiated’—undean, not having performed the prescribed expiations,—‘one shall not carry on any business,’—such as borrowing, selling, buying, sacrificing and so forth.

Expiation’ is purification, wiping off of the sin. When this has been done, one should not ‘despise’ the man. That is, no one should reproach one who has duly performed the prescribed expiation.—(189)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Prāyaścittaviveka (p. 141).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Viṣṇu (54.31).—‘With sinners who have not expiated their crime, let a man not transact business of any kind. But the man who knows the Law must not blame those who have expiated it.’

Yājñavalkya (3.295).—(See under 156-187.)

Like what you read? Consider supporting this website: