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 10.80
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
वेदाभ्यासो ब्राह्मणस्य क्षत्रियस्य च रक्षणम् ।
वार्ताकर्मैव वैश्यस्य विशिष्टानि स्वकर्मसु ॥ ८० ॥vedābhyāso brāhmaṇasya kṣatriyasya ca rakṣaṇam |
vārtākarmaiva vaiśyasya viśiṣṭāni svakarmasu || 80 ||Among their respective occupations, the most useful are—constant Vedic study for the Brāhmaṇa, protection for the Kṣatriya and commercial dealings for the Vaiśya.—(80)
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
‘Vedic study’.—Since the subject-matter of the section is the means of livelihood, this must be taken as standing for the teaching of the Veda.
‘These are the most useful among their respective occupations.’ That is, among the means of livelihood sanctioned by the scriptures for them, these are most conducive to their welfare, out of all the other occupations carried on for the purpose of livelihood.—(80)
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
‘Vārtā.’—‘Trade’ (Nandana);—‘trade and cattle-tending’ (Kullūka);—‘trade, cattle-tending and agriculture’ (Govindarāja).
Comparative notes by various authors
(verses 10.77-80)
[See texts under 9.326 et seq.]
See Comparative notes for Verse 10.77.