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 10.46 [Occupations of the Mixed Castes]
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
ये द्विजानामपसदा ये चापध्वंसजाः स्मृताः ।
ते निन्दितैर्वर्तयेयुर्द्विजानामेव कर्मभिः ॥ ४६ ॥ye dvijānāmapasadā ye cāpadhvaṃsajāḥ smṛtāḥ |
te ninditairvartayeyurdvijānāmeva karmabhiḥ || 46 ||The base-born sons of the ‘twice-born,’ as also those who have been declared to be ‘born of transgression,’ shall subsist by lowly services of ‘twice-born’ persons.—(46)
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
‘Base-born’—in the natural as well as the inverse order. ‘Born of transgression,’—the distinction between these and the former is like that between the ‘go’ (General term) and the ‘balīvarda’ (Particular term).
‘Services’—menial duties—for the benefit of ‘twice-born’ persons.
‘Subsist’—maintain themselves.
‘Lowly’—because of their menial character.—These are going to be described.—(46)
Comparative notes by various authors
Mahābhārata (13.48.32).—(Same as Manu 50.)
Viṣṇu (16.8-13).—‘Āyogavas should live by artistic performances;—Pukkasas, by hunting;—Māgadhas, by proclaiming the good qualities;—Caṇḍālas, by executing criminals sentenced to death;—Vāidehakas, by keeping women and profiting by what they earn;—Sūtas, by training horses.’
Śaṅkha (Aparārka, p. 119).—‘The livelihood of the Rathakāra consists of training horses, driving chariots, masonry and the teaching of the science of Architecture.’