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:

भिन्दन्त्यवमता मन्त्रं तैर्यग्योनास्तथैव च ।
स्त्रियश्चैव विशेषेण तस्मात् तत्रादृतो भवेत् ॥ १५० ॥

bhindantyavamatā mantraṃ tairyagyonāstathaiva ca |
striyaścaiva viśeṣeṇa tasmāt tatrādṛto bhavet || 150 ||

Persons who have been disgraced, animals, and particularly women betray secret plans; hence he shall be careful with regard to them.—(150)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

Disgraced’,—fallen from honour. Such despicable persons, as also other paltry men, even when not disgraced, might hear something, and might be able to utter a few syllables; and this would lead to the disclosure of the secret; as, from the slightest hints, clever men are capable of drawing important inferences.—(150)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Rājanīti, p. 309), which explains ‘Ādṛta’ as ‘suspicious.’

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Agnipurāṇa.—(See under 149.)

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