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:

अविद्वांश्चैव विद्वांश्च ब्राह्मणो दैवतं महत् ।
प्रणीतश्चाप्रणीतश्च यथाऽग्निर्दैवतं महत् ॥ ३१७ ॥

avidvāṃścaiva vidvāṃśca brāhmaṇo daivataṃ mahat |
praṇītaścāpraṇītaśca yathā'gnirdaivataṃ mahat || 317 ||

Learned or unlearned, the Brāhmaṇa is a great divinity; just as consecrated or unconsecrated, the fire is a great divinity.—(317)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

Disrespect towards Brāhmaṇas is to be avoided only through consideration of their caste; and their learning or other qualifications have not to be taken into consideration, as they are done in the making of gifts and on other occasions. This stands on the same footing as the avoiding of touching fire with the foot.—(317)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Vīramitordaya (Rājanīti, p. 151).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 9.313-322)

See Comparative notes for Verse 9.313.

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