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:

इदं तु वृत्तिवैकल्यात् त्यजतो धर्मनैपुणम् ।
विट्पण्यमुद्धृतोद्धारं विक्रेयं वित्तवर्धनम् ॥ ८५ ॥

idaṃ tu vṛttivaikalyāt tyajato dharmanaipuṇam |
viṭpaṇyamuddhṛtoddhāraṃ vikreyaṃ vittavardhanam || 85 ||

But there is this, that one who, under the stress of livelihood, renounces the strictness concerning his duties, may, for increasing his wealth, sell such commodities as are sold by Vaiśyas, with certain exceptions.—(85)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

This’—refers to what follows.

Such commodities as are sold by Vaiśyas.’—If the Brāhmaṇa has no wealth, he may, if pressed for livelihood, sell such things as are permitted to be sold by Vaiśyas.

Exceptions.’—This term stands for the commodities excluded. ‘With certain exceptions’;—from which certain articles are excluded. The Brāhmaṇa may sell the things, with the exception of those hereinafter enumerated.

For increasing his wealth.’—This describes the nature of things; it being well known that trade is conducive to increased wealth.

Renounces the strictness concerning his duties,’—i.e., his strict regard for his duty. This implies that as a rule the said selling should not be done; and the upshot of all this is that from out of the several occupations of the Vaiśya, Agriculture is the worst for the Brāhmaṇa, then trade, and then cattletending and the rest—(85)

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 10.85-93)

Gautama (7.8-15).—‘Goods not to be sold by the Brāhmaṇa are—perfumes, flavouring substances, prepared food, sesamum, hempen and linen cloth, skins, garments dyed red or washed, milk and preparations of it, roots, fruits, flowers, medicines, honey, flesh, grass, water, poisons, animals for slaughter; nor under any circumstances, human beings, heifers, female calves, cows big with young. Some declare that traffic in land, rice, barley, goats, sheep, horses, hulls, milch cows and draught oxen is also forbidden.’

Āpastamba (1.20.10-13).—‘Trade is not lawful for a Brāhmaṇa;—in times of distress he may trade in lawful merchandise, avoiding the following, that are forbidden—men, condiments and liquids, colours, perfumes, food, skins, heifers, glueing substances, water, young corn-stalks, substances from which spirituous liquor is extracted, red and black pepper, corn, flesh, arms, and the hope of reward for meritorious deeds. Among the various kinds of grains, he shall specially not sell sesamum or rice.

Yājñavalkya (3.6-38).—‘Fruits, stones, linen, Soma, human beings, cakes, plants, sesamum, rice, liquids, curds, milk, clarified butter, water, arms, wine, wax, honey, lac, grass, clay, skins, flowers, blankets, hairs, Takra, poisons, land, silken cloth, indigo, salt, one-hoofed animals, lead, vegetable, pepper, medicines, oil-cake, animals, perfumes,—these the Brāhmaṇa should never sell, even when living by the occupations of the Vaiśya. But sesamum may be sold for religious purposes, in exchange of paddy.’

Baudhāyana (2.2.27-29).—‘He who sells sesamum, forsooth, sells his ancestors; he who sells rice, forsooth, sells his life; he who gives away his daughter, making a bargain, forsooth, sells portions of his spiritual merit. Grass and wood in their natural state may be sold. They quote the following—“Animals that have only one row of teeth, as well as minerals excepting salt, and undyed thread,—these, O Brāhmaṇa, are the goods thou art permitted to sell.”’

Vaśiṣṭha (2.24-31).—‘A Brāhmaṇa and a Kṣatriya, who have resorted to a Vaiśya’s mode of living and maintain themselves by trade, shall not sell stones, salt, hempen cloth, silk, linen and skins; nor any kind of dyed clothing; nor prepared food, flowers, fruit, roots, perfumes, substances (used for) flavouring (food); nor water, the juice extracted from plants; nor Soma, weapons, poison, nor flesh, nor milk, nor preparations of it, iron, tin, lac, and lead. Now they quote also (the following verse): By (selling) flesh, lac, and salt a Brāhmaṇa at once becomes an outcast; by selling milk he becomes (equal to) a Śūdra after three days. Among tame animals those with uncloven hoofs, and those that have an abundance of hair (must not be sold), nor any wild animals, (nor) birds, nor beasts that have tusks (or fangs). Among the various kinds of grain they mention sesamum (as forbidden). Now they quote also (the following verse)—If he applies sesamum to any other purpose but food, anointing and charitable gifts, he will be born again as a worm and, together with his ancestors, be plunged into his own ordure.—Or, at pleasure, they may sell (sesamum), if they themselves have produced it by tillage.’

Viṣṇu (54.18-21).—‘He who sells fresh ginger, edible plants, perfumes, flowers, fruits, roots, skins, canes, things made of split bamboo, chaff, potsherds, hair, ashes, bone, cow-milk or curds, oil-cakes, sesamum or oil, must perform the Prājāpatya. He who sells the fruit of the śleśmātaka tree, lac, bees-wax, shells, mother-o-pearl, tin, lead, iron, copper, or sacrificial vessels made of rhinoceros’ horn, must perform the Cāndrāyaṇa. He who sells dyed cloth, tin, precious stones, perfumes, sugar, honey, liquids or condiments, or wool must fast for three days. He who sells meat, salt, lac or milk must perform the Cāndrāyaṇa. And all these persons should undergo initiation a second time.’

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