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 7.138
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
कारुकान् शिल्पिनश्चैव शूद्रांश्चात्मोपजीविनः ।
एकैकं कारयेत् कर्म मासि मासि महीपतिः ॥ १३८ ॥kārukān śilpinaścaiva śūdrāṃścātmopajīvinaḥ |
ekaikaṃ kārayet karma māsi māsi mahīpatiḥ || 138 ||Mechanics and Artisans, as also shudras who subsist by bodily labour,—the King shall make each of these work for one day every month.—(138)
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
Those who live by any kind of art he shall make work for him one day each month;—as also those who ‘subsist by bodily labour’—i.e., those śūdras who carry loads &c.—(138)
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
This verse is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Rājanīti, p. 274), which adds that the service herein mentioned being the only tax payable by them, no other tax should be imposed upon these men.
Comparative notes by various authors
Gautama (10.31-33).—‘Each artisan shall monthly do one day’s work for the king;—hereby the taxes payable by those who support themselves by personal labour have been explained also owners of ships and carts;—these persons he should feed.’
Vaśiṣṭha (19.28).—‘He shall take a monthly tax from artisans.’
Viṣṇu (3.32).—‘Artisans, manual labourers and Śūdras shall do work for the king for a day in each month.’
Viṣṇudharmottara (Vīramitrodaya-Rājanīti, p. 275).—‘Artisans shall work for him for one day in the month; those who live by manual labour shall work on receiving fooding only.’