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 4.229
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
वारिदस्तृप्तिमाप्नोति सुखमक्षय्यमन्नदः ।
तिलप्रदः प्रजामिष्टां दीपदश्चक्षुरुत्तमम् ॥ २२९ ॥vāridastṛptimāpnoti sukhamakṣayyamannadaḥ |
tilapradaḥ prajāmiṣṭāṃ dīpadaścakṣuruttamam || 229 ||The giver of water obtains satisfaction, the giver of food imperishable happiness, the giver of sesamum desirable offspring, and this giver of lamp most excellent eyesight.—(229)
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
‘Satisfaction,’—non-suffering from hunger and thirst. This is possible only for the wealthy and the healthy. So that great wealth and good health are the results declared as following from the giving of water.
‘Imperishable happiness.’—In the absence of any specification, the ‘happiness’ meant here is understood to stand for the means of happiness,‘Imperishable’—lasting throughout life.
‘Giver of food’—cooked,—saktu, rice, etc,—as well as raw, rice, etc.
The ‘Lamp’ is given—either at crossings or in a place where Brāhmaṇas assemble—(229).
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
Cf. The Mahābhārata, 13.57.22.
This verse is quoted in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 177);—in Aparārka (p. 385);—in Smṛtitattva (II, p. 364);—in Hemādri, (Dāna, p. 152);—and in Dānakriyākaumudī (p. 43).
Comparative notes by various authors
Vaśiṣṭha (29.8).—‘One who gives water prospers in all his desires;—he who gives food obtains good eyes.’
Mahābhārata (Anuśāsana, 92.20, 22).—‘By the giving of water eternal fame ensues, by the giving of food, one has all his desires for enjoyment fulfilled;—by the giving of lamp-light, the man obtains good eyes and keen intelligence.’
Viṣṇu (91.3, 15, 16).—‘The giver of water remains ever satisfied;—by the giving of lamps, he obtains excellent eyes and universal brilliance; by the giving of food, he becomes endowed with strength.’
Viṣṇu (92.21, 23).—‘The giver of food obtains all things;—the giver of sesamum obtains desirable offspring.’
Yājñavalkya (1, 210).—‘By giving away, land, sesamum, food, clothes, water, clarified butter, shelter, household-necessaries, gold and beasts of burden,—one shines in the heavenly regions.’
Bṛhaspati (13).—‘The giver of food is always happy, the giver of clothes becomes endowed with beauty, and the man who gives land is always a king.’