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 3.148
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
मातामहं मातुलं च स्वस्रीयं श्वशुरं गुरुम् ।
दौहित्रं विट्पतिं बन्धुं ऋत्विग् याज्यौ च भोजयेत् ॥ १४८ ॥mātāmahaṃ mātulaṃ ca svasrīyaṃ śvaśuraṃ gurum |
dauhitraṃ viṭpatiṃ bandhuṃ ṛtvig yājyau ca bhojayet || 148 ||One may feed the maternal grandfather, the maternal uncle, the sister’s son, father-in-law, the teacher, the daughter’s son, the son-in-law, a relative, the priest and him at whose sacrifices the performer officiates.—(148)
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
‘Svasrīyaḥ’—the sister’s son.
‘Viṭpatiḥ’—the son-in-law; the term ‘viṭ’ meaning child, According to others , ‘viṭpati’ is the guest, he being the ‘lord of all men;’ in ordinary parlance also, one who comes to one’s house is called ‘viṭ.’
‘Bandhuḥ’— the wife’s brother, the cognate kinsman, and so forth.—(148)
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
‘Bandhuḥ’—‘The brother-in-law, one belonging to the same gotra, or some such remote relation’ (Medhātithi and Govindarāja);—‘cognate kinsman’ (Kullūkā and Rāghavānanda).
This verse is quoted in Madanapārijāta (p. 558), which explains ‘vitpati’ as ‘the son-in-law and ‘bandhu’ as ‘blood relations, as well as those related by friendship’;—in Hemādri (Śrāddha, p. 447);—in Godādharapoddhati (Kāla, p. 574);—and in Saṃskāraratnamālā (p. 991).
Comparative notes by various authors
Gautama (15.19.20).—‘According to some people, one may feed even his own pupils and also sagotras beyond the third grade.’
Āpastamba-Dharmasūtra (2.17.6).—‘This includes the pupils also.’
Yājñavalkya (1.220).—‘Sister’s son, priest, son-in-law, sacrificer, father-in-law, maternal uncle, the Triṇāciketas, daughter’s son, disciple, marriage-relations, paternal and maternal relations (may be fed).’
Viṣṇu (83.17.19).—‘The son-in-law, and the daughter’s son are fit recipients; specially the Yogins.’
Prajāpati (73).—‘Preceptor, son-in-law, daughter’s son, sister’s son,—these deserve to be offered the seat at the Śrāddha to the Pitṛs; the qualified maternal uncles also deserve to be honoured.’