Verse 9.174

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

क्रीणीयाद् यस्त्वपत्यार्थं मातापित्रोर्यमन्तिकात् ।
स क्रीतकः सुतस्तस्य सदृशोऽसदृशोऽपि वा ॥ १७४ ॥

krīṇīyād yastvapatyārthaṃ mātāpitroryamantikāt |
sa krītakaḥ sutastasya sadṛśo'sadṛśo'pi vā || 174 ||

If a man buys a boy, worthy or unworthy, from his father and mother, with a view to making him his son, that son is called ‘bought.’—(174)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

(verses 9.173-178)

[The Bhāṣya on these verses is not available in any of the manuscripts.]

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

‘Sadṛśo’ sadṛśo ‘pivā’.—‘Equal or unequal, by good qualities, not by caste’ (Kullūka and Rāghavānanda);—‘whether of equal or lower caste’ (Nārāyaṇa).

This verse is quoted in Mitākṣarā (2.131), which adds that ‘sadṛśa’ and ‘asadṛśa’ should be understood to be in regard to qualities, not caste;—in Aparārka (p. 738), which also adds the same remark;—in Vivādaratnākara (p. 570), which adds the following notes:—‘Sadṛśaḥ’, of the same caste, ‘asadṛśaḥ’, of a different caste,—says the Pārijāta; the author of the Prakāśa adds that even though the text contains the term ‘asadṛśaḥ’ yet one should not buy a sou either of a lower or a higher caste than his own;—and Medhātithi has said that ‘sadṛśa’ and ‘asadṛśa’ refer to sons of the same caster but of diverse qualifications.

It is quoted in Madanapārijāta (p. 653), which also explains ‘sadṛśa’ as referring to qualifications;—in the Parāśaramādhava (Prāyaścitta, p. 38);—in Vyavahāra - Bālambhaṭṭī (p. 557);—and in nṛsiṃhaprasāda (Vyavahāra 38a).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Baudhāyana (2.3.26).—‘He is called the Krīta, Bought, son who, being purchased from his father and his mother, or from either of them, is received by one in the place of a child.’

Vaśiṣṭha (17.30).—‘The son Bought is the third.’

Viṣṇu (15.20-21).—‘The son Bought is the ninth;—and he belongs to him by whom he is bought.’

Yājñavalkya (2.131).—‘The Bought son is one who has been sold by his parents.’

Arthaśāstra (p. 41).—‘The Bought son is one who has been purchased.’