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 9.83
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
अधिविन्ना तु या नारी निर्गच्छेद् रुषिता गृहात् ।
सा सद्यः संनिरोद्धव्या त्याज्या वा कुलसंनिधौ ॥ ८३ ॥adhivinnā tu yā nārī nirgacched ruṣitā gṛhāt |
sā sadyaḥ saṃniroddhavyā tyājyā vā kulasaṃnidhau || 83 ||On being superseded, if a wife, in anger, should go away from the house, she shall be either immediately confined, or cast off in the presence of the family.—(83)
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
For the wife going off in anger, caused by the super-session,—the present text lays down two optional alternatives in the shape of confinement or divorce. It would not be right in such a case for either the mother-in-law or the father-in-law and other relations to console her and appease her anger by means of presents of food and clothing, or by sweet words, eta
‘Confinement’ consists in placing her in the charge of guards.
‘Divorce’, ‘Casting off’, has already been explained as consisting in dropping intercourse with her, and avoiding her bed.
‘Family’—Relations, on the woman’s father’s side, as also those of the husband’s own side.—(83)
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
‘Kula’—‘His own relations as well as the wife’s parental relations’ (Medhātithi);—‘either the family members or the public, according to circumstances’ (Rāghavānanda).
This verse is quoted in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 69), which adds that ‘casting off’ means ‘sending her to her father’;—in Parāśaramādhava (Prāyaścitta, p. 288), which explains ‘tyājyā’ as ‘left among her own paternal relations, till such time as she is free from her defects’;—in Vidhānapārijāta (II, p. 59);—in Aparārka (p. 101), which explains ‘kulasannidhau’ as ‘pitrādikulasannidhau’, in the presence of her father and other members of the family;—in Nirṇayasindhu (p. 230);—in Vīramitrodaya (Saṃskāra, p. 874), which explains ‘kula’ as ‘her father and other relations’;—and in Madanapārijāta (p. 189).
Comparative notes by various authors
(verses 9.77-84)
See Comparative notes for Verse 9.77.