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:

आरम्भरुचिताऽधैर्यमसत्कार्यपरिग्रहः ।
विषयोपसेवा चाजस्रं राजसं गुणलक्षणम् ॥ ३२ ॥

ārambharucitā'dhairyamasatkāryaparigrahaḥ |
viṣayopasevā cājasraṃ rājasaṃ guṇalakṣaṇam || 32 ||

Proneness to undertake work, impatience, commission of improper acts, constant addiction to sensual objects are the characteristics of the quality of ‘Rajas.’—(32)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

Proneness to take up, unnecessarily, the performance of acts, conducive to perceptible and imperceptible results.

These are the characteristics of the quality of ‘Rajas.’

Impatience’—loss of mental equanimity at even slight disturbing causes.

If we read ‘dainya’ (for ‘-dhairya’), it should he understood to mean loss of ambition, humiliation.

Commission of improper acts’— the performance of such acts as are forbidden by the scriptures.

Addiction to sensual objects’—being repeatedly attracted by objects of sensual pleasure.—(32)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

Adhairyam’—‘Impatience’ (Medhātithi);—‘Want of contented disposition’ (Nārāyaṇa).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 12.32-51)

Maitryupaniṣad (3.5).

Yājñavalkya (3.137-138).—‘Addicted to bad acts, impatient, active, attached to objects of sense, a man abounds in the attribute of Rajas, and is re-born among men. Lethargic, cruel in bis acts, covetous, heretic, addicted to begging, careless, of bad character, a man abounds in the attribute of Tamas, and is born among animals.’

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