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...

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

उभयोर्हस्तयोर्मुक्तं यदन्नमुपनीयते ।
तद् विप्रलुम्पन्त्यसुराः सहसा दुष्टचेतसः ॥ २२५ ॥

ubhayorhastayormuktaṃ yadannamupanīyate |
tad vipralumpantyasurāḥ sahasā duṣṭacetasaḥ || 225 ||

The wicked-minded demons forcibly destroy that food which is abandoned by both hands.—(225)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The food should be fetched and served with both hands, not with one hand, serving also being a kind of fetching; hence, the rule laid down in connection with the latter is applicable to the former also. In support of this, the present verse supplies a commendatory supplement.

That which is ‘abandoned’—not held—‘by both hands,’ such food, when brought up for serving,—the ‘demons destroy’ ‘forcibly,’—‘wicked-minded’—of malevolent nature;—‘demonsi.e., the enemies of gods.

In ‘ubhayoḥ,’ ‘both,’ the Locative ending denotes location; and ‘abandoned’ means not held. As a matter of fact, case-endings are used even when what is spoken of is the negation of what is denoted by the ending; e.g., we have such expressions as ‘he does not come from the village,’ ‘he does not sit on the seat,’ ‘he does not fast for three dags.’ [Similarly, in the text though negation of holding is mentioned, yet we have the Locative ending denoting location].—(225)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Aparārka (p. 439);—in Hemādri (Śrāddha, p. 1368), which explains the meaning as ‘the food that is not brought by both hands is taken away by force’ (‘sahasā’) by the wicked (duṣṭacetasaḥ) ‘Asuras’;—in ‘Śrāddhakriyākaumudī’ (p. 158), which explains ‘ubhayorhastayormuktam’ as ‘(brought) with only one hand’;—and in ‘Gadādharapaddhati’ (Kāla, p. 545).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Vaśiṣṭha (11.22).—‘One shall offer food to the Pitṛs, with both hands; wicked-minded Asuras keep in waiting for the interval between the two hands.’

Maṭysapurāṇa (quoted in Caturvarga-cintāmaṇi-Śrāddha, p. 2370).—‘He shall bring up the food, with both hands, then serve it, with a calm mind, keeping in his hand water and kuśa.’

Brahmāṇḍapurāṇa (quoted in Caturvarga-cintāmaṇi-Śrāddha, p. 2370).—‘Serving shall not be done at the Śrāddha with any article made of iron, nor by one who is without the Pavitra and the kuśa, nor with one hand.’

Other Dharmashastra Concepts:

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Discover the significance of concepts within the article: ‘Verse 3.225’. Further sources in the context of Dharmashastra might help you critically compare this page with similair documents:

Shraddha, Pavitra, Offering food.

Concepts being referred within the main category of Hinduism context and sources.

Kusha, Wicked asura, Calm mind, Both hands, Enemies of gods, One hand, Explanatory note, Case ending.

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