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 4.135
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
क्षत्रियं चैव सर्पं च ब्राह्मणं च बहुश्रुतम् ।
नावमन्येत वै भूष्णुः कृशानपि कदा चन ॥ १३५ ॥kṣatriyaṃ caiva sarpaṃ ca brāhmaṇaṃ ca bahuśrutam |
nāvamanyeta vai bhūṣṇuḥ kṛśānapi kadā cana || 135 ||Desiring his own prosperity, he shall never despise a Kṣatriya, a serpent, a learned Brāhmaṇa,—even if they be feeble.—(135)
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
‘Despising’ means disrespect, want of respect, as also actual ill-treatment.
‘Even if they be feeble’—and, hence, unable to show any form of friendliness.—(135)
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
This verse is quoted in Aparārka (p. 194);—and in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 523).
Comparative notes by various authors
(verses 4.135-136)
Mahābhārata (Aśvamedha, 98.77).—(Reproduces Manu, reading ‘medhāvī’ for ‘vai bhūṣṇuḥ’ and ‘etat prayatnena’ for ‘etat trayannityam.’)
Yājñavalkya (1.153).—‘Brāhmaṇas, serpents, Kṣatriyas and one’s own self,—these should never be despised.’
Mahābhārata (Anuśāsana, 161.82).—‘Desiring to live a long life, one shall never despise the following three, even though they be very much reduced—the Brāhmaṇa, the Kṣatriya, the serpent and other poisonous animals.’