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:

अभिपूजितलाभांस्तु जुगुप्सेतैव सर्वशः ।
अभिपूजितलाभैश्च यतिर्मुक्तोऽपि बध्यते ॥ ५८ ॥

abhipūjitalābhāṃstu jugupsetaiva sarvaśaḥ |
abhipūjitalābhaiśca yatirmukto'pi badhyate || 58 ||

He shall disdain all honorific presents; by honorific presents the Renunciate, even though liberated, becomes fettered—(58).

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

Honorific presents’—what is given after due honouring;—this he shalldisdain’—deprecate, shun; and what is deprecated he shall not do.

All’—at all times; not even for a single day he shall accept such an aims.

The second half of the verse is a purely laudatory exaggeration; in reality one who has been liberated can never befettered’ again.—(58).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Mahābhārata (12.279.11).—‘He should not seek to acquire things that are sought for by all men; nor shall he enjoy what is given to him through humble salutations; he shall always disdain such acquisitions.’

Viṣṇu (96.9).—‘He must shun food obtained by humble salutation.’

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