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 5.161
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
पतिं हित्वाऽपकृष्टं स्वमुत्कृष्टं या निषेवते ।
निन्द्यैव सा भवेल्लोके परपूर्वैति चौच्यते ॥ १६१ ॥patiṃ hitvā'pakṛṣṭaṃ svamutkṛṣṭaṃ yā niṣevate |
nindyaiva sā bhavelloke parapūrvaiti caucyate || 161 ||She, who, having abandoned her own husband who is inerior, has recourse to another person who is superior, becomes contemptible in this world and is called a ‘remarried woman.’—(161).
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
It is not only Contempt and disgrace that is hers; but something more (described in the next verse).—(161).
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
(Verse 163 of others.)
This verse is quoted in Parāśaramādhava (Prāyaścitta, p. 30);—and in Vivādaratnākara (p. 452), which adds that for being called ‘Parapūrva’ the only necessary condition is that she should have taken another husband; and not that this husband must be of a lower caste (as the words of the text would seem to imply).
Comparative notes by various authors
(verses 5.154-163)
See Comparative notes for Verse 5.154.