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:

तीक्ष्णश्चैव मृदुश्च स्यात् कार्यं वीक्ष्य महीपतिः ।
तीक्ष्णश्चैव मृदुश्चैव राज भवति सम्मतः ॥ १४० ॥

tīkṣṇaścaiva mṛduśca syāt kāryaṃ vīkṣya mahīpatiḥ |
tīkṣṇaścaiva mṛduścaiva rāja bhavati sammataḥ || 140 ||

The King shall be severe and mild, after having duly examined the work (of each man); it is only the severe-mild King who is highly respected.—(140)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

Severity and mildness shall be always practised. Such a King becomes ‘highly respected’—honoured—of his people.—(140)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Rājanīti, p. 134).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Yama (Vīramitrodaya-Rājanīti, p. 134).—‘Impartial to all creatures, well-versed in what is lawful and what unlawful, he shall never do things alone by himself,—thus alone can he protect the earth.’

Śukranīti (4.1.130).—‘The king should punish his own people, being mild internally, but harsh externally; and should be severe in punishment upon those who are by nature wicked.’

Śukranīti (4.1.191).—‘The king should be merciful and inflict punishment with care.’

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