Verse 4.177

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

न पाणिपादचपलो न नेत्रचपलोऽनृजुः ।
न स्याद् वाक्चपलश्चैव न परद्रोहकर्मधीः ॥ १७७ ॥

na pāṇipādacapalo na netracapalo'nṛjuḥ |
na syād vākcapalaścaiva na paradrohakarmadhīḥ || 177 ||

He shall not be fickle with his hands and feet, nor fickle with his eyes, nor crooked, nor fickle with his speech, nor harm others by deed or thought.—(177)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The compound in ‘pāṇipādacapalaḥ’ is the instrumental Tatpuruṣa, in accordance with Pāṇini’s Sūtra 2.1.30. The ‘fickleness’ of the hand would consist in the picking up or removing of useless things.

The ‘fickleness’ of the eye would consist in looking at other women, or at pictures, etc.

He shall not net or think in such a manner as would bring harm to others.—(177).

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 524), as setting forth an epitome of what one’s ‘duty’ is;—in Vidhānapārijāta (I., p. 695),—and again in II, p. 204, in connection with tilaka marks on the forehead;—in Smṛtitattva (II, p. 275) to the effect that even when living in foreign lands one should keep up the ways of his fathers;—in Hemādri (Śrāddha, p. 1680);—in Nityācārapradīpa (p. 68), which says that this refers to cases of optional alternatives only;—in Nṛsiṃhaprasāda (Saṃskāra, p. 71a);—and in Smṛticandrikā (Saṃskāra, p. 9) to the effect that family-custom is to be regarded as a guide in cases where there is a difference of opinion among the various scriptural texts.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Vaśiṣṭha (6.38).—‘Ho shall not be fickle with his hands and feet, nor with his eyes, nor with his limbs; such should be the conduct of the cultured.’

Gautama (1.50).—(See under 175, above.)