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 10.121
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
शूद्रस्तु वृत्तिमाकाङ्क्षन् क्षत्रमाराधयेद् यदि ।
धनिनं वाऽप्युपाराध्य वैश्यं शूद्रो जिजीविषेत् ॥ १२१ ॥śūdrastu vṛttimākāṅkṣan kṣatramārādhayed yadi |
dhaninaṃ vā'pyupārādhya vaiśyaṃ śūdro jijīviṣet || 121 ||The Śūdra, seeking a livelihood, may serve the Kṣatriya; or the Śūdra may seek to subsist by serving a wealthy Vaiśya.—(121)
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
If the Śūdra be in want of a livelihood, he may serve the Kṣatriya. This means that the serving of the Kṣatriya will serve only as a means of subsistence, and will not bring any merit; which means that the serving of a Brāhmaṇa accomplishes both purposes.
Similarly he may make a living by serving a wealthy Vaiśya.—(121)
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
This verse is quoted in Aparārka (p. 161).
Comparative notes by various authors
(verses 10.121-122)
Gautama (10.56).—‘Serving the higher castes (is the duty of the Śūdra).’
Yājñavalkya (1.120).—‘Attending on the twice-born is the occupation for the Śūdra; not gaining a living by that means, he shall become a trader, or live by means of the various arts, always working for the welfare of the twice-born.’