Verse 4.72

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

न विगर्ह्य कथां कुर्याद् बहिर्माल्यं न धारयेत् ।
गवां च यानं पृष्ठेन सर्वथैव विगर्हितम् ॥ ७२ ॥

na vigarhya kathāṃ kuryād bahirmālyaṃ na dhārayet |
gavāṃ ca yānaṃ pṛṣṭhena sarvathaiva vigarhitam || 72 ||

He shall hot carry on a wrangling conversatioh. He shall not wear a garland outside. Riding on the back of cows and oxen is altogether deprecated.—(72)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

When, either in ordinary conversation or in literary discussions, one talks with passion and lays a wager, and so forth, always trying to show himself off,—this is what is called ‘wrangling conversation.’

‘Garland outside;’—i.e., if the garland happen to be above the clothing, it should be hidden with a piece of cloth. Such is the custom also.

Others have explained ‘outside’ to mean an open public place. The sense of the text in that case would be that one should not wander about in public places, as the road, &c., with a garland too obtrusively worn.

Or, ‘bahirmālya’ may mean that whose fragrance has gone out; i.e., whose odour is not felt. Says another Smṛti text—‘One should not wear an odourless garland, except that made of gold.’

‘Riding on the back of cows’— What is forbidden is riding on the bare back, without a saddle.—‘Altogether.’ When a saddle has been put on, or the animal has been harnessed to the cart, &c., then it would not be ‘riding on the back;’ and hence these are not forbidden.—(72)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

‘Vahirmālyam’—‘Garland over the dress’ (Medhātithi);—‘garland over the head’ (Kullūka);—‘garland on public roads and such uncovered places’ (‘others’ in Medhātithi);—or ‘garland without scent’ (‘others’ in Medhātithi).

This verse is quoted in Saṃskāramayūkha (p. 72), which adds that going on carts drawn by bullocks is only slightly reprehensible (not sarvathā, wholly, reprehensible, as riding on their back is).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Gautama (9.33).—‘Blowing fire with the mouth, wrangling conversation, obtrusive wearing of garlands and sandal-paste, touching of unclean things, eating with his wife...... these he shall avoid.’

Baudhāyana (2.3.30).—‘He shall not wear the garland obtrusively.’

Āpastamba (1.32-5).—‘He shall wear garlands and sandal-paste unobtrusively.’

Viṣṇu (71.22).—‘He shall not wear such garland as is either entirely devoid of fragrance or one whose fragrance is very strong, or which is red.’