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 4.246
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
दृढकारी मृदुर्दान्तः क्रूराचारैरसंवसन् ।
अहिंस्रो दमदानाभ्यां जयेत् स्वर्गं तथाव्रतः ॥ २४६ ॥dṛḍhakārī mṛdurdāntaḥ krūrācārairasaṃvasan |
ahiṃsro damadānābhyāṃ jayet svargaṃ tathāvrataḥ || 246 ||He who acts resolutely, is gentle and tolerant, who does not associate with persons of cruel disposition, and who does no injury to others, shall win heaven by his self-control and liberality, if he sticks to this practice.—(246)
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
‘Who acts resolutely,’—i. e., he who is firm in his determination to do something; having undertaken an act, he is sure to finish it; having begun an act, he does not desist: i.e., who is not undetermined. This is what is asserted in such passages as—‘going to the end of what has been begun, etc., etc.’
‘Gentle’—not hard-hearted.
‘Has no connection with men of cruel conduct’—such as thieves and others.
‘By means o f self-control and liberality, he wins heaven’— ‘if he sticks to this practice;’—i.e., observing the said rules.
‘Self-control’ being mentioned separately, the term, ‘dāntaḥ,’ should he taken to mean ‘tolerant of opposition.’—(246)