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...

Verse 1.81 [Dharma perfect in the Kṛta Cycle]

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

चतुष्पात् सकलो धर्मः सत्यं चैव कृते युगे ।
नाधर्मेणागमः कश्चिन् मनुष्यान् प्रति वर्तते ॥ ८१ ॥

catuṣpāt sakalo dharmaḥ satyaṃ caiva kṛte yuge |
nādharmeṇāgamaḥ kaścin manuṣyān prati vartate || 81 ||

In the Kṛta Cycle Virtue exists in its perfect form, with all its four feet; and so does Truth;—No benefit accrues to men by vice—(81).

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

Virtue is that which has “four feet.” What constitutes ‘virtue’ is the action of sacrifice and the like; and as this latter is something to he performed, it has no body; hence the word ‘feet’ in the text cannot be taken as denoting the part of a body; it stands for ‘part’ or ‘factor.’ As a matter of fact, Virtue has no body, either like men or like birds and animals. Hence what is meant by Virtue having all its ‘four feet’ is that it is equipped with all its four factors. The meaning of the text thus is that such virtue as is perfect and equipped with its four factors existed in the Kṛta Cycle.—[Thefour factors’ are now illustrated]—At the sacrifice, when it is in course of performance, there are four priests—viz., the ‘Hotṛ,’ the ‘Brahman,’ the ‘Udgātṛ’ and the ‘Adhvaryu’;—of the performers there are four castes, or four life-stages. ‘Virtue’ as it is described in the Veda was performed during that cycle in its entire and perfect form; i.e., it was not deficient in even the smallest factor, and it was not wanting in any of its details. The number ‘four’ is applicable to Virtue in many ways. For instance, in the case of the action of ‘giving’ also, there is the giver, the thing given, the recipient and his satisfaction. Or the ‘four factors’ of Virtue may be sacrifice, charity, austerity, and knowledge. This would he in accordance with what is going to be described in verse 86 as regards ‘Austerity’ being the chief virtue in the Kṛta age.

Or, the term ‘Dharma’ ‘Virtue’ in the text, may be taken as standing for the words descriptive of Virtue; and of such words the ‘four feet’ are the four kinds of words—Nouns, Verbs, Prepositions and Indeclinables. This is thus declared in Ṛgveda 1.164.45—‘There are four words contained in speech, these the wise Brāhmaṇas know’—(in this passage) the epithet ‘manīsiṇaḥ,’ ‘wise,’ stands for those ‘who are of powerful minds,’ i.e., learned, virtuous;—(the passage goes on) ‘these, placed in the cave, do not appear to view,’—i.e., are not perceptible—‘the fourth speech people speak’—the fourth, people versed in the Veda speak. The meaning of this passage is that—‘in the beginning, no Vedic sentence was hidden from view, nor was any Vedic Rescensional Text lost, while now a days, much has become lost.’

So does truth,’—that is, truth also exsists in its perfect form. Though truth also, being what is prescribed in the Veda, is a ‘virtue’ (and as such already included in the latter term), yet it has been separately mentioned with a view to show its special importance, or to indicate that it forms the basis of all virtues, the performance of ‘virtue’ in its entire form is based upon truth; and those who are untruthful, perform, for the purpose of gaining popularity, only a part of what constitutes ‘virtue’ and ignore the rest of it.

By vice’—i.e., by following the prohibited path ,—‘no benefit’—in the shape of either learning or wealth,—‘accrues’—comes—to the performer; this is by virtue of the special character of the age. (During that age) men do not acquire learning, nor do they earn wealth, by vicious means. Learning and wealth are the means by which virtuous acts are performed; hence when it is said that these are pure, what is meant is that this is what tends to virtue being performed in its entire and perfect form—(81).

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

Dharma with its ‘four feet’ is a common idea in Hinduism. In VIII. 16 we have the picture of Dharma as a ‘bull’; its ‘four feet’ have been variously identified:—(a) according to Medhātithi, they represent the four principal sacrificial priests—Adhvaryu, Hotṛ, Brahman and Udgātṛ;—(b) he also suggests, along with Nandana, that they may stand for the four castes;—(c) they have been held by Medhātithi, Kullūka and Nārāyaṇa to stand for the four means of acquiring merit—Tapas, Jñāna, Yajña and Dāna;—(d) and last, they have been identified by Medhātithi with the four kinds of speech described in Ṛgveda 1.164.45—‘Three being hidden in the cave and the fourth being spoken by men.’

Satyam’—Though included in ‘Dharma,’ this has been mentioned separately, for the purpose of showing its special importance. The Aparārka (p. 1012) quotes the first line of this verse as showing the diverse character of the various cycles.—The verse is quoted in the Vīramitrodaya—Parībhāṣā, p. 50.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(Verse 81-86)

Mahābhārata, 12.231.23-28.—(Same as Manu.)

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