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...

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

उपस्पृशंस्त्रिषवणं पितॄन् देवांश्च तर्पयेत् ।
तपस्चरंश्चोग्रतरं शोषयेद् देहमात्मनः ॥ २४ ॥

upaspṛśaṃstriṣavaṇaṃ pitṝn devāṃśca tarpayet |
tapascaraṃścogrataraṃ śoṣayed dehamātmanaḥ || 24 ||

Bathing at the three Savanas, he shall offer libations to the gods and Pitṛs; and practising harsher and harsher austerities, he shall emaciate his body.—(24).

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

Upasparśana’—means bathing.

Austerities’— such as holding up the arms permanently, fasting during the whole month, or for twelve days, and so forth.

Harsher’—what is calculated to cause greater suffering to the body.

He shall ‘emaciate’,—make to dry up,—his body (24).

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Aparārka (p. 944);—and the second half in Mitākṣarā (on 3.52) to the effect that the Hermit should perform severe austerities for the purpose of emaciating his physical frame.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 6.23-24)

See Comparative notes for Verse 6.23.

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