Verse 4.1 [General Remarks]

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

चतुर्थमायुषो भागमुषित्वाऽद्यं गुरौ द्विजाः ।
द्वितीयमायुषो भागं कृतदारो गृहे वसेत् ॥ १ ॥

caturthamāyuṣo bhāgamuṣitvā'dyaṃ gurau dvijāḥ |
dvitīyamāyuṣo bhāgaṃ kṛtadāro gṛhe vaset || 1 ||

Having dwelt, during the first quarter of his life, with the Teacher, the Brāhmaṇa shall, during the second quarter of his life, live in his house, after having taken a wife.—(1)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The first verse sums up in brief what has gone in the last two discourses, for the purpose of recalling it to the mind; and the second verse serves to indicate that among the Duties of the Householder this prescribes the means of livelihood.

Inasmuch as the extent of ‘life’ of man is uncertain, any rule regarding the ‘quarter’ of life becomes incompatible; hence the present verse is to be taken as stating only the period of life that has been allocated to the various stages of life. Though the rule might somehow be justified on the basis of the assertion that ‘man lives for a hundred years,’ yet our Author has himself laid down other kinds of limit; e.g., with regard to studentship he has said that ‘it may extend till the Veda has been got up’ (3. 1); and in connection with the limit of the stage of the Householder also, it has been said (6. 2)—‘when the Householder finds etc.;’ and from all this it follows that the present verse is to be taken simply as the reiteration of the said limits.

‘The first quarter of his life.’—This is regarded as ‘first,’ counting from the man’s birth.

‘Having dwelt with his Teacher,’—i.e., having accomplished his studentship;—‘during the second quarter of his life,’—he shall marry, and ‘live in his house’;—i.e., lead the life of the Householder.—(1)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Saṃskāra, p. 562), which adds that the rule here laid down is on the basis of the understanding that the ordinary span of man’s life is a hundred years;—and in Saṃskāramayūkha, (p. 64), which remarks that the span of man’s life being a hundred years, one should devote twenty-five years to each of the four life—stages,—such is the view of the writers of the Digests.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Mahābhārata (12.242.28-30).—‘The pupil shall pass through the life-stages, free from vulgarity; having gone through the fourth part of his life by keeping the fasts and observances, relating to the Veda, he shall offer the fee to his preceptor and perform the ceremony of ‘Return’ according to the law; being united to a virtuous wife and having, with due care, kindled the fires, the householder shall pass the second quarter of his life, keeping firm in his observances.’

Do. (12.243.1).—‘During the second quarter of his life, the householder shall live in the house, firm in his observances, after having been united to a virtuous wife and having kindled the fires.’