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 11.6 [The Brāhmaṇa’s Responsibilities and Privileges regarding Sacrificial Performances]

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

यस्य त्रैवार्षिकं भक्तं पर्याप्तं भृत्यवृत्तये ।
अधिकं वाऽपि विद्येत स सोमं पातुमर्हति ॥ ६ ॥

yasya traivārṣikaṃ bhaktaṃ paryāptaṃ bhṛtyavṛttaye |
adhikaṃ vā'pi vidyeta sa somaṃ pātumarhati || 6 ||

If a man possesses food sufficient for the maintenance of those whom he has to support, for three years, or more, he deserves to drink soma.—(6)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

If a man has enough wealth to enable him to maintain his dependants for three years,—or if he possesses more—he is worthy of drinking Soma-juice.

Inasmuch as the performance of the Soma-sacrifice has been prescribed by the Śruti as a compulsory act to be done daily, the present verse cannot be accepted as applicable to even that case where the man’s dependants are in want; since Śruti is the highest authority in these matters. The present prohibition should therefore be taken as meant to apply to such Soma-sacrifices as may be purely voluntary.

“In connection with the Soma-sacrifice, much wealth is needed for the purchase of the Soma and the hiring of the services of the priests, for whom ‘twelve thousand’ has been prescribed as the sacrificial fee. Thus then, since much larger wealth would be necessary for the performance, how is it that the text speaks of what is just enough for the maintenance of the man’s dependants for three years?”

As a matter of fact, when a man possesses much wealth, he does fulfil the condition of possessing enough to maintain his dependants for three years; so that it would be open to the man possessed of much wealth to perform the sacrifice.

Though as a rule the term ‘dāna,’ ‘gift,’ is used in the sense of gift of food, yet people might be led to make gifts of gold also, for the purpose of enabling the recipient to purchase the Soma and perform the Soma-sacrifice. And it is such gifts that the next verse is intended to forbid. [The penniless man shall not perform the voluntary Soma-sacrifices].—(6)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Aparārka (p. 165);—and in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra p. 157), to the effect that the Soma-sacrifice is to be performed only by one who is rich enough for the purpose.,

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 11.6-7)

Mahābhārata (12. 165. 5).—(Same as Manu 7.)

Vaśiṣṭha (8. 10).—‘He who possesses wealth sufficient for the expenses of a Soma-sacrifice shall not abstain from offering that sacrifice.’

Viṣṇu (59.8-10).—‘He who has sufficient supply of food for three years shall perform the Soma-sacrifice;—he shall perform the Soma-sacrifice once a year during the Spring.—If he has less than that, he shall perform the Vaiśvānarī sacrifice.’

Yājñavalkya (1.124).—‘The twice-born man who has a supply of food which is more than what he shall need for three years, should perform the Soma-sacrifice;—and one who has food enough for one year should perform the rites preliminary to the Soma-sacrifice.’

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