Verse 4.103

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

विद्युत्स्तनितवर्षेषु महोल्कानां च सम्प्लवे ।
आकालिकमनध्यायमेतेषु मनुरब्रवीत् ॥ १०३ ॥

vidyutstanitavarṣeṣu maholkānāṃ ca samplave |
ākālikamanadhyāyameteṣu manurabravīt || 103 ||

When there is lightning, thunder and rain,—when there is promiscuous falling of meteors;—on these occasions, there shall be no study till the same time (next day):—thus has Manu declared.—(103)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Vidyut’— lightning;—‘stanita’—thunder. The copulative compound indicates that it is ‘time unfit for study’ only when all these appear simultaneously.

‘Meteor’—is the name given to the light emanating from the stars that fall from the sky;—‘the promiscuous falling’ of these is their falling here and there.

The term ‘ākālikam’ stands for the time beginning from the occurrences mentioned and ending with the same time on the following day.

The name of Manu has been, mentioned for the purpose of filling up the verse. Others have explained this to mean that an option is meant.—(103)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Saṃskāra, p. 529), which explains it as—‘From the time of the phenomenon to the same time next day, it is unfit for study in Smṛtitattva (p. 834), which also gives the same explanation of ‘ākālikam’;—in Puruṣārthacintāmaṇi (p. 443), which explains ‘eteṣu’ as referring to ‘vidyut’ and the rest, and notes that ‘ākālikam’ goes with each of them;—in Hemādri (Kāla, p. 761), which has the same note and explains ‘ākālikam’ as beginning from the time of the phenomenon and extending up to the same time of the next day;—and adds that in seasons other than the rains, the ‘holiday’ is to be observed in the evening;—in Gadādharapaddhati (Kāla, p. 194);—in Saṃskāramayūkha, (p. 57), which adds the following notes:—all the three phenomena are to be taken collectively here, on account of the copulative compound—says Medhātithi; according to Hemādri, each is to be taken separately; what is said here refers to the rainy season; ‘ākālikam’ means ‘from the time of the occurrence to the same time on the morrow’; ‘Lightning and the rest’ are to be treated as ‘occasions of holiday’ only when they occur either in the morning or in the evening;—and in Smṛticandrikā (Saṃskāra, p. 149), which takes each of the three phenomena separately, and has the same notes as above.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 4.103-104)

Gautama (16.10, 15, 16, 22-23).—‘When clouds are seen out of season,—when there is untimely thunder, earthquake, eclipse or meteors,—also when there are ominous rumblings, rain or lightning, after the fires have been lighted,—when there are halos round the teacher or the sun or the moon.’

Baudhāyana (1.11.24).—‘When there are thunder, rain and lightning, three days become unlit for study, except during the annual rains.’

Viṣṇu (30.8.9).—‘Not when there is untimely rain, lightning and thunder; nor when there is earthquake, meteor-fall or fiery quarters.’

Vaśiṣṭha (13.9).—‘When meteors and lightning appear together, three days are unfit for study.’

Yājñavalkya (1.145).—‘When there is thunder during the twilights, or ominous rumblings, earthquake or fall of meteors, he shall stop the reading of the Veda, and proceed to read the Āraṇyaka texts.’

Pāraskara (1.11.2).—‘When he has eaten at the Śrāddha, when there is fall of meteors, thunder, earthquake, or fiery portents, and at the juncture of the seasons,—till the same time next day.’

Gobhila (3.3.17-19).—‘When there is lightning, thunder or rain,—then, till the same time next day; also when there is fall of meteors, earthquake or collision of planets; as also when there are ominous rumblings.’

Āpastamba Dharmasūtra (1.11.27, 28, 31).—‘On the simultaneous appearance of lightning, thunder and rain, out of season, three days shall he regarded as unfit for study; only till such time as rain-water remains on the ground, say some; if there are untimely clouds, if there are halos round the sun or the moon, if the rainbow appears, or when there is a rotting smell in the wind,—so long as these last, it will be unfit for study.’