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 11.38
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
प्राजापत्यमदत्त्वाऽश्वमग्न्याधेयस्य दक्षिणाम् ।
अनाहिताग्निर्भवति ब्राह्मणो विभवे सति ॥ ३८ ॥prājāpatyamadattvā'śvamagnyādheyasya dakṣiṇām |
anāhitāgnirbhavati brāhmaṇo vibhave sati || 38 ||If a Brāhmaṇa, possessed of wealth, does not give a ‘prājāpatya’ horse as the ‘fee’ foe the fire-laying, he becomes as good as one who has not laid the fire at all.—(38)
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
In connection with the Fire-laying rite, a horse is to be given as the ‘fee.’ the term ‘prājāpatya’ is added for the purpose of eulogising the horse. Or, the term may be taken to mean ‘neither very good nor very bad,’ in which sense ordinary men use the name ‘prajāpati.’
‘Possessed of wealth.’—This means that if the man does not give the fee, on account of his not possessing wealth,—then he does become regarded as one who has laid the Fires.—(38)
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
‘Prājāpatyam’.—‘Dedicated to Prajāpati’ (Govindarāja, Kullūka, Nārāyaṇa and Rāghavānanda);—the epithet is merely laudatory; or it may mean ‘neither very good nor very inferior’ (Medhātithi);—
Comparative notes by various authors
Mahābhārata (12.165.23).—(Same as Manu.)