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 4.161
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
यत् कर्म कुर्वतोऽस्य स्यात् परितोषोऽन्तरात्मनः ।
तत् प्रयत्नेन कुर्वीत विपरीतं तु वर्जयेत् ॥ १६१ ॥yat karma kurvato'sya syāt paritoṣo'ntarātmanaḥ |
tat prayatnena kurvīta viparītaṃ tu varjayet || 161 ||He shall perform, with diligence that act, by performing which there arises satisfaction in his inner soul; and he shall avoid the contrary.—(161)
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
The ‘soul’s satisfaction’, already mentioned before, is mentioned again for recalling it to the mind; and its exact scope has already been explained.
While an act is being performed, if there arises in the mind no sort of doubt or hesitation, then that act should he proceeded with. But, if the mind is not satisfied in regard to an action, that action should be avoided.—(161)
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
This verse is quoted in Aparārka (p. 224), which explains ‘Karma’ as ‘Dharma’;—in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 524);—in Madanapārijāta (p. 14), which adds that the ‘act’ here mentioned must be such as is not incompatible with the teachings of scriptures; though even in regard to such acts, there are exceptions; e.g., even though an act may have been enjoined by the scriptures, it should not be done if it is against popular opinion;—and in Nṛsiṃhaprasāda (Saṃskāra, p. 71b).