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 4.187
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
न द्रव्याणामविज्ञाय विधिं धर्म्यं प्रतिग्रहे ।
प्राज्ञः प्रतिग्रहं कुर्यादवसीदन्नपि क्षुधा ॥ १८७ ॥na dravyāṇāmavijñāya vidhiṃ dharmyaṃ pratigrahe |
prājñaḥ pratigrahaṃ kuryādavasīdannapi kṣudhā || 187 ||Withuot knowing the lawful method of receiving gifts, the wise man shall not accept any gifts; even though he may be pining with hunger.—(187)
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
‘Without knowing, etc.’—One shall not accept gifts merely for the purpose of enjoying pleasures, etc. The meaning is that one shall accept gifts only for the maintaining of one’s family, and for the due accomplishment of ones obligatory duties,—and for no other purpose.
‘Even though he may be pining with hunger.’—That is, if, without accepting the gift, he should suffer emaciation; ‘emaciation’ standing for non-development of the body.
Or, we may construe the passage as ‘dravyāṇām vidhim dharmyam pratigrahe.—What is the ‘dharmaya vidhi,’ ‘the legal injunction?’—It would consist in the full knowledge of the purpose, the deity, the mantra and other details connected with the gift; such as—‘Gold is given in honour of Agni, the cow in honour of Rudra,’ and so forth.—(187)
Comparative notes by various authors
Viṣṇu (57.8).—‘If a man receive gifts without knowing the lawful method of receiving them, he falls along with the giver.’