Verse 4.215

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

कर्मारस्य निषादस्य रङ्गावतारकस्य च ।
सुवर्णकर्तुर्वेणस्य शस्त्रविक्रयिणस्तथा ॥ २१५ ॥

karmārasya niṣādasya raṅgāvatārakasya ca |
suvarṇakarturveṇasya śastravikrayiṇastathā || 215 ||

‘Nor or the blacksmith, of the Niṣāda, of the stage-player, of the goldsmith, of the plater of musical instruments, or of the dealer in weapons,—(215).’

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Karmakāra’—the blacksmith.

‘Niṣāda,’—going to be described under Discourse X (as the son of a Brāhmaṇa from a Śūdra wife).

‘Stage-player,’—the wrestler and such other persons, apart from the dancer and the singer (who have been separately mentioned);—or the curious person who visits every kind of stage.

‘Veṇa,’—one who lives by playing on musical instruments.

‘Dealer in weapons,’—who sells either wrought iron weapons, as the sword and the like, or unwrought iron.—(215)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Mitākṣarā (on 3.290);—in Madanapārijāta (p. 945);—and in Vīramitrodaya

(Āhnika, p. 495), which adds the following notes:—‘Karmāra’ is the iron-smith,—‘niṣāda’ is a particular mixed caste,—‘raṅgāvatāraka’ persons, other than the dancer and the singer, who help in the stage; or, as Medhātithi says, one who, through curiosity, visits each and every stage;—‘suvarṇakartā’ is one who alters gold,—‘Vaiṇa’ is the person living by piercing bamboos, or, as Medhātithi says, one who makes a living by making bamboo-flutes;—in Hemādri (Śrāddha, p. 773);—and in Prāyaścittaviveka (p. 260), which explains ‘niṣāda’ as ‘an inversely mixed caste—‘raṅgāvatāraka’ as ‘one who helps, in a subordinate capacity, at theatrical performances by singing or dancing’,—‘veṇa’, one who deals in articles made of bamboo.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Yājñavalkya (1.161-163).—(See above.)

Āpastamba (1.18.19).—‘Those who make a living by weapons.’

Viṣṇu (51. 14).—‘The blacksmith, the Nīṣāda, the stage-player, and dealers in bamboos and weapons.’

Mahābhārata (Śānti., 35, 27, 30).—‘The food of the goldsmith, and of the maleless woman;—of multitudes, of villages, of the accused and of those who make a living by the stage or by women.’