Verse 3584-3585

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

पुराणं मानवो धर्मः साङ्गो वेदश्चिकित्सितम् ।
आज्ञासिद्धानि चत्वारि न हन्तव्यानि हेतुभिः ॥ ३५८४ ॥
मन्ये तेनैव दत्तेयं जडेभ्यस्तैर्विभीषिका ।
आज्ञासिद्धत्वमन्यत्र वाङ्मात्रात्किंनु वा भवेत् ॥ ३५८५ ॥

purāṇaṃ mānavo dharmaḥ sāṅgo vedaścikitsitam |
ājñāsiddhāni catvāri na hantavyāni hetubhiḥ || 3584 ||
manye tenaiva datteyaṃ jaḍebhyastairvibhīṣikā |
ājñāsiddhatvamanyatra vāṅmātrātkiṃnu vā bhavet || 3585 ||

[They have declared that]—“The Purāṇa, the dharmaśāstra propounded by Manu, the Veda with its subsidiaries, and the science of medicine,—these four are self-sufficient commandments, and should never be attacked with reasonings”,—this threat, in regard to the self-sufficiency of their authority, we think, was pronounced by them to the dull-witted people for the same reason. Or else, how could a mere verbal statement make anything self-sufficient in its authority?—(3584-3585)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

It was for this reason that Manu and others, realising the irrationality of the Veda, etc., declared, in reference to their own words, that they were to be regarded as so many ‘commandments’ (to be obeyed without question).—This is what is shown in the following:—[see verses 3584-3585 above]

‘Purāṇa’—the literary works known under that name;—‘mānavo dharmaḥ’—the code composed by Manu;—‘the Veda with its subsidiaries’—i.e. with its six subsidiaries, Grammar and the rest.—‘Cikitsitam’—the science of Medicine.

‘For the same reason’,—i.e. on account of having found that the teaching of the Purāṇa, etc. was irrational and that your Brāhmaṇas were dull-witted.—(3584-3585)