Verse 8.353

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

तत्समुत्थो हि लोकस्य जायते वर्णसङ्करः ।
येन मूलहरोऽधर्मः सर्वनाशाय कल्पते ॥ ३५३ ॥

tatsamuttho hi lokasya jāyate varṇasaṅkaraḥ |
yena mūlaharo'dharmaḥ sarvanāśāya kalpate || 353 ||

For out of that arises the admixture of castes among people;—whence follows root-rending unrighteousness, tending to total destruction.—(353)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Arising’ means coming into existence, ‘out of that’—i.e., from the act of having intercourse with the wives of other men,—there arises—‘admixture of castes’—in the form of ‘half-castes’;—‘whence’—i.e., on account of whoso coming into existence,—‘follows unrighteousness,’ which ‘rends’—destroys—the very ‘root’— of the people,—in the form of rain from heaven. It is only when righteousness prevails that rain proceeds from the sun. When, on the other hand, the world becomes full of ‘half-castes,’ such righteous acts as the Rārlri sacrifice or gifts to proper men and the like cease to be performed; thus there being absence of gifts, sacrifices, oblations and the like,—which form the source out of which all corn is produced,—the said unrighteousness becomes capable of bringing ruin to the entire world.

For this reason, taking into consideration the fact that the act would be productive of ‘half-castes,’ and with a view to safeguard the supply of rain necessary for corns and other things,—tho king should always banish adulterers.—(353)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Vivādaratnākara (p. 388);—and in Aparārka (p. 854).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 8.352-353)

See Comparative notes for Verse 8.352.