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 4.21 [The ‘Five Sacrifices’]
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
ऋषियज्ञं देवयज्ञं भूतयज्ञं च सर्वदा ।
नृयज्ञं पितृयज्ञं च यथाशक्ति न हापयेत् ॥ २१ ॥ṛṣiyajñaṃ devayajñaṃ bhūtayajñaṃ ca sarvadā |
nṛyajñaṃ pitṛyajñaṃ ca yathāśakti na hāpayet || 21 ||To the rest of his power, he shall never omit the sacrifice to the sages, the sacrifice to the gods, the sacrifice to elementals, the sacrifice to men and the sacrifice to the Pitṛs.—(21)
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
The sacrifices prescribed in Discourse IV are reiterated here for the purpose of laying down details in connection with them; these details shall be described in the next verse.
Others think that the reiteration of these sacrifices under the ‘observances’ is for the purpose of establishing their obligatory character; so that the man shall form the determination that ‘so long as I continue to be a householder, I shall not omit the Five Great Sacrifices.’
In any case, we should not entertain the idea that these have been mentioned twice for the purpose of enjoining them twice over. Because, in the present verse, we do not find any injunctive word; all that is said is that ‘he shall not omit;’ and, as a matter of fact, this ‘non-omission’ is already implied by the obligatory character of the sacrifices. And since we recognise in these sacrifices the same that have been enjoined, before, there is no reason why they should be regarded as distinct acts.
‘To the beet of his power’—i.e., with cooked food, or with uncooked food, or with fruits and roots.—(21)
Comparative notes by various authors
Gautama (5.3).—‘He shall be the worshipper of Gods, Pitṛs, Men, Sages and Elementals.’
Viṣṇu (59.20).—‘For the expiation of that sin, he shall perform the sacrifices to Brahman (Veda), Gods, Elementals, Pitṛs and Men.’
Baudhāyana (2. 6.1).—‘These are the five great sacrifices, these the five great Sattras—the sacrifice to Gods, the sacrifice to Pitṛs, the sacrifice to Elementals, the sacrifice to Men and the sacrifice to Brahman (Veda).’
Mahābhārata (12. 241. 15).—‘Living upon remnants, he shall constantly perform the five sacrifices.’