Verse 8.68

Medhātithi Manubhāṣya

yatra pumāṃsāv arthipratyarthinau tatra strīṇāṃ sākṣyaṃ nāsti | yatra tu striyā saha puṃsaḥ kāryaṃ strīṇām eva cetaretaraṃ svalpam, tatra bhavanty eva striyaḥ sākṣiṇyaḥ | na cāyaṃ niyamaḥ strīṇāṃ striya eva sākṣyaṃ kuryur na pumāṃsaḥ | kevalaṃ puṃviṣaye vyavahāre kvacid eva strīṇāṃ sākṣyaṃ yato “asthiratvāt” (Manusmṛti or Mānava-dharmaśāstra 8.77) iti hetur upāttaḥ | bhavanti kāścana striyo brahmavādinya iva satyavādinyaḥ sthirabuddhayaś ca |

dvijānāṃ sadṛśā dvijāḥ | yaḥ pramāṇataro dvijaḥ sa visadṛśaṃ śaṅkyamānapramāṇabhāvam api diśan sākṣye na śraddheyavacano bhavati | yatas tathābhūtena pramāṇabhūta eva draṣṭavyaḥ | sa hi tasya sadṛśaḥ | sadṛśānāṃ hi samānadeśasthānam itaretarakāryajñatvaṃ ca saṃbhāvyate | itarasya tu tatpradeśasaṃnidhir yatnena sādhyaḥ | sadṛśayos tv aucityāt siddha eva | evaṃ hīnasya hīnaguṇo'pi sadṛśād grahītavyaḥ | na tūtkṛṣṭaguṇo na grahītavyaḥ | sādṛśyaṃ jātyā śilpādinā vā guṇena kriyayā vā śrutādhyayanādikayā samānaśīlatayā ca | etac ca nātimahati kārye draṣṭavyam | na hi hīnaguṇeṣu prayayitatā niścīyate |

antyānāṃ caṇḍālaśvapacādīnāṃ tādṛśā evāntyayonayaḥ | ante bhavā antyāḥ | sā yonir utpattikāraṇaṃ yeṣāṃ iti vigrahaḥ | pradarśanaṃ caitat | ye samānā jātiśilpaśīlādibhis teṣām ihānuktānām api vaṇikkārukuśīlavādīnām, hetoḥ samānatvāt || 8.68 ||