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 9.335
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
शुचिरुत्कृष्टशुश्रूषुर्मृदुवागनहङ्कृतः ।
ब्राह्मणाद्याश्रयो नित्यमुत्कृष्टां जातिमश्नुते ॥ ३३५ ॥śucirutkṛṣṭaśuśrūṣurmṛduvāganahaṅkṛtaḥ |
brāhmaṇādyāśrayo nityamutkṛṣṭāṃ jātimaśnute || 335 ||If he is pure, attendant upon his superiors, of gentle speech, free from pride, and always dependent upon the Brāhmaṇa,—he attains a higher caste.—(335)
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
‘Pure’—by making due use of clay and water, and also by keeping his senses under control.
‘Attendant upon his superiors’—i.e., the three higher castes.
‘Gentle in speech’—i.e., not harsh and argumentative in speech, through his knowledge of such sciences as Logic and the like.
He attains a ‘higher caste’—such as the Brāhmaṇa and the rest.
The motive has been clearly stated.
The ‘depending upon the Brāhmaṇa’ has been repeated with a view to indicate that this is a duty also for one who-may be serving other people; so long as it is not compatible with this latter.—(335)
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
This verse is quoted in Parāśaramādhava, (Ācāra, p. 418).
Comparative notes by various authors
(verses 9.333-336)
See Comparative notes for Verse 9.333.