Verse 10.27

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

एते षट् सदृशान् वर्णाञ्जनयन्ति स्वयोनिषु ।
मातृजात्यां प्रसूयन्ते प्रवारासु च योनिषु ॥ २७ ॥

ete ṣaṭ sadṛśān varṇāñjanayanti svayoniṣu |
mātṛjātyāṃ prasūyante pravārāsu ca yoniṣu || 27 ||

These six beget similar castes on women belonging to the same caste as themselves; so also those belonging to the mother’s caste procreate (on women of the same caste), as also on women of higher castes.—(27)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘These’—the ‘Sūta’ and the other sons of the ‘inverse order’—‘beget similar castes on women belonging to the same caste as themselves,’—i.e., children belonging to the same caste; e.g., on a ‘Sūta’ mother, the ‘Sūta’ father begets a son of the ‘Sūta’ caste; similarly on a ‘Caṇḍāla’ mother the ‘Chaṇḍāla’ father begets a son of the ‘Caṇḍāla’ caste.

‘So also those belonging to the mother’s caste procreate’—the sons of the ‘natural order,’ who belong to their mother’s caste,—those described above as ‘called by the name of the lower caste.’ (14).

These also beget sons of their own caste on women belonging to the same caste as themselves; e.g., the ‘Ambaṣṭha’ father on the ‘Ambaṣṭha’ mother. So also on a Vaiśya woman, a person of the lower caste, begets Vaiśyas; because of the mention of the ‘mother’s caste.’

Others read ‘mātṛjātau prasūyante’; and this means as follows:—On women of their own caste,—i.e., the ‘Ambaṣṭha’ and the rest,—as also on those of their mother’s caste—i.e., the Vaiśya—they beget sons of the same caste as themselves.

Though the ‘Ambaṣṭha’ and the rest are superior to the pure Vaiśya, yet the text speaks of equality; because both are equally entitled to the rights and privileges of the Vaiśya.

That ‘sons of the natural order’ are meant is indicated by the term ‘mother’s caste’,—even though the context clearly pertains to ‘sons of the inverse order.’

‘As also on women of higher castes’— People, born in the ‘inverse order,’ having intercourse with women of higher castes, beget sons; and these are of a lower status,—this being understood from the consideration of what follows.

As a matter of fact, sons begotten by the ‘Āyogava’ and the rest on ‘Āyogava’ women do not obtain the title of ‘Āyogava’; and the ‘similarity’ meant is simply that they are of the ‘inverse order’; and when some sons are declared to be of a ‘lower status,’ this is based upon the relative status (of the several kinds of sons of the inverse order).

Thus the meaning of the sentence comes to be that—‘From persons born in the inverse order are born persons of the same order, on women belonging to the same or to higher castes.’—(27)

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 10.6-41)

See Comparative notes for Verse 10.6.