Verse 8.111

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

न वृथा शपथं कुर्यात् स्वल्पेऽप्यर्थे नरो बुधः ।
वृथा हि शपथं कुर्वन् प्रेत्य चैह च नश्यति ॥ १११ ॥

na vṛthā śapathaṃ kuryāt svalpe'pyarthe naro budhaḥ |
vṛthā hi śapathaṃ kurvan pretya caiha ca naśyati || 111 ||

The wise man shall not take an oath improperly; taking an improper oath, one becomes ruined here as well as after death.—(111)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

This verse describes the effect of improper swearing, ‘improper’ meaning contrary to truth, false.

The gravity of the sin of ‘false swearing’ is dependent upon the nature of the property stolen—be it goods or something else,—and also upon that of the caste of the person involved and so forth. But even in minor matters one should not swear falsely; in more serious matters of course, the sin is more heinous.

‘Ruin after death’ consists in falling into hell; and ‘ruin here’ is in the form of public obloquy, and also punishment at the hands of the king, in the event of the true facts being discovered by other means.—(111)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

‘Vṛthā’—‘False’ (Medhātithi, Nārāyaṇa and Nandana);—‘needlessly, in small matters’ (Rāghavānanda).

This verse is quoted in Smṛtitattva (II, p. 229),—in Vyavahāra-Bālambhaṭṭī (p.406);—and in Vīramitrodaya (Vyavāhara, 89a).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Nārada (1.257, 258).—‘Where no one declares himself ready to undergo punishment, an ordeal cannot take place. An ordeal shall be administered to litigants when there is reason for it, not otherwise. Therefore an intelligent, virtuous, righteous and wise king (or judge) should abstain from administering any one of the five ordeals, unless both parties consent to it.’