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:

नित्यमुद्यतदण्डः स्यान्नित्यं विवृतपौरुषः ।
नित्यं संवृतसंवार्यो नित्यं छिद्रानुसार्यरेः ॥ १०२ ॥

nityamudyatadaṇḍaḥ syānnityaṃ vivṛtapauruṣaḥ |
nityaṃ saṃvṛtasaṃvāryo nityaṃ chidrānusāryareḥ || 102 ||

He shall have his force always operative; his manliness always displayed, his secrets constantly concealed, ever following up the weak points of his enemy.—(102)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

He who has his force operative, is called ‘Udyatadaṇḍaḥ’; i.e., having his force in operation. For instance, the elephants and other constituents of the army he shall train by constant exercise; i.e., they shall all be disciplined by being regularly driven and trained; the exercise shall be regular; their clothing and accoutrements shall be kept in train. This is what is meant by the force being ‘operative’; if this is done, it shows to the people in his kingdom that he is equipped with prowess and energy.

Similarly he shall have ‘his manliness displayed’; he should show, render manifest, his powers; i.e., at boundary-posts, and forests he should keep watch-men, imbued with courage, fully armed and armoured.

His secrets ever concealed’;—he shall determine what should be concealed, and then keeping that to himself, he shall conceal it, with due care by guarding it against prying and thwarting by others.

He shall always follow up the weak points of his enemies; shall find out their intentions and try to thwart them.—(102)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

Nityamudyatadaṇḍaḥ syāt’—‘Should keep his army fit by constant exercise’ (Medhātithi, Govindarāja and Kullūka);—‘should be always ready to strike’ (Nārāyaṇa and Nandana).

This verse is quoted in Vīramitrodaya, (Rājanīti, pp. 133-134), which adds the following notes:—‘Udyatadaṇḍaḥ’—‘daṇḍa’ here stands for the training and exercise of the elephants, horses and other compliments of the army; and this should be ‘udyata’, ever active, ready;—or ‘daṇda’ may stand for ‘punishment of the wicked,’ and this should be ‘udyata’, always inflicted in time.—‘Vivṛtapauruṣaḥ’—he whose ‘pauruṣamanliness, i.e., superiority in the knowledge and use of weapons, is ‘vivṛta,’ displayed;—‘sambṛtasaṃvāryaḥ’—he whose secrets, i.e., councils, appearances and operations, are kept unknown to others.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Arthaśāstra (p. 32).—‘For the sake of worldly affairs, he shall be ever ready to strike.’

Mahābhārata (12.140.7).—(Same as Manu, the second half being read as—‘acchidraśchidradarśī ca pareṣām vivarānugaḥ.)’

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