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...

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

स्पृष्ट्वैतानशुचिर्नित्यमद्भिः प्राणानुपस्पृशेत् ।
गात्राणि चैव सर्वाणि नाभिं पाणितलेन तु ॥ १४३ ॥

spṛṣṭvaitānaśucirnityamadbhiḥ prāṇānupaspṛśet |
gātrāṇi caiva sarvāṇi nābhiṃ pāṇitalena tu || 143 ||

Having touched these, while impure, he shall always wipe with water, with his palm, his sense-organs, as also his limbs and the navel.—(143)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

Though the text uses the general term ‘sense-organs,’ yet what are meant are the eyes and the other organs located in the head. The term ‘prāṇa’ is found to be used in the sense of sense-organs in the Veda, where, in the Upaniṣads, the origin of sense-organs has been described.

Limbs’—ankles, knees, feet, and so forth.

With the palm’ he shall take up water and then touch the organs &c.—(143)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Aparārka (p, 231), which explains that the term prāṇa here indicates the holes in the head, which form the loci of the ‘breaths’,—the term ‘gātra’ indicates the chest, the head and the shoulders, the touching whereof has been described as purificatory;—and adds that the ‘touching’ here laid down is for the purposes of purification.

It is also quoted in Mitākṣarā (on 1.155) as laying down the purificatory act to be done after water-sipping;—and in Nityācāropaddhati (p. 36), as laying down the expiation for looking by chance at the things mentioned.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Āpastamba-Dharmasūtra (1.16.14).—‘On dreaming, or sneezing, or touching a horse, or blood or hairs, or fire or cows or Brāhmaṇas or a woman; or on going over a long journey, or on touching an unclean thing, or a man unawares, or on wearing the loin-cloth,—he shall touch water.’

Like what you read? Consider supporting this website: