Verse 2.238 [Acquiring of Learning from the Lowest]

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

श्रद्दधानः शुभां विद्यामाददीतावरादपि ।
अन्यादपि परं धर्मं स्त्रीरत्नं दुष्कुलादपि ॥ २३८ ॥

śraddadhānaḥ śubhāṃ vidyāmādadītāvarādapi |
anyādapi paraṃ dharmaṃ strīratnaṃ duṣkulādapi || 238 ||

One imbued with faith may acquire excellent learning even from a lowly person, special law even from the lowest, and the gem of a wife even from a base family.—(238)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Imbued with faith’—the pupil who is devoted, having his innermost soul imbued with trust in the scriptures.

‘Excellent learning,’—i.e., the science of reasoning as propounded in the Nyāya-śāstra, etc.; or, it may mean ‘that which duly shines,’ i.e., good poetry and poetics as propounded by Bharata and other writers; or, it may mean the ‘science of incantations,’ which is of no use regarding Dharma.

Such learning one might ‘acquire’—learn—‘even from the lowly person,’—i.e., from a person born of a lower caste. ‘excellent learning’ here should not be taken as the ‘Vedic Science’; for even though in abnormal times of distress the learning of the Veda from lower castes may be permitted—as we shall find later on (Verse 241), yet it cannot be permitted in normal times. That learning which is ‘not excellent,’—such as the science of magic, etc.—one should not learn at all.

‘Lowest’ is the Cāṇḍāla; from him even, one may learn the ‘special law,’—i.e., law other than that expounded in Śrutis and Smṛtis; i.e., law relating to ordinary worldly matters. The term ‘dharma,’ ‘law,’ is also used in the sense of rule. The sense thus is that—if even a Cāṇḍāla should say—‘such is the rule here,’—‘do not stay here for long,’—‘do not bathe in this water,’—‘such is the custom among the people of the village,’—‘such is the restriction imposed by the king,’—then one should not think that he should obey only the words of his Preceptor and he need not pay any heed to those of a Cāṇḍāla who has dared to advise him.

We should not take the term ‘special law’ to mean ‘the knowledge of truth regarding Brahman’; because it is not possible to acquire this knowledge from the Cāṇḍāla and such people, for the simple reason that they are ignorant of the Veda; and from no other source such knowledge can be derived; specially as the teaching of Brahman is not like the teaching of incantations for the cure of scorpion-bite, etc.

‘Gem of a wife,’—the wife who is like a gem; the compound being based upon similitude, according to Pāṇini 2.1.56; or, it may be explained according to Pāṇini 2.1.57 (the meaning being the ‘gem-like wife’). If the term ‘gem’ be taken in the sense of any good thing, then the compound is according to 2.1.57; if, on the other hand, the term ‘gem’ be taken as standing only for the emerald, the ruby and other precious stones,—and it is applied to other things only on account of their excellence, in which they resemble precious stones,—then the compound would fall under 2.1.56. The meaning is that if a girl happens to be possessed of a well-formed figure and a charming complexion, and she happens to bear auspicious signs indicative of the possession of much wealth in cash and kind, and the possibility of bearing many children and so forth,—then she should be married, even though she belong to a ‘base family,’—a family wanting in the due performance of religious acts, etc.

This forms an introduction to what is going to be enjoined under 241 et seq. (in connection with abnormal times); and what is here permitted is only when other sources are not available.—(238)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

‘Param dharmam’—‘Special law, i. e., law other than that expounded in the Śrutis and Smṛtis; i.e., that relating to ordinary worldly matters’ (Medhātithi, Govindarāja and Rāghavānanda);—‘the means of obtaining final liberation’ (Kullūka), which view is noted and rejected by Medhātithi.

‘Duṣkulādapi’—‘Family wanting in the due perfohnance of religious acts’ (Medhātitlii);—‘Family lower than one’s own’ (Kullūka);—‘Family of a potter or such other low castes’ (Govindarāja).

This verse is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Saṃskāra, p. 514) in support of the view that learning may be acquired even from persons of lower grades;—in Smṛticandrikā (Saṃskāra, p. 144);—and in Saṃskāramayūkha (p. 52).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Āpastamba Dharmasūtra (2.29.11),—‘That knowledge whioh rests in women and Śūdras.’

Mahābhārata (12.165.31).—(Same as Manu.)