Verse 11.129

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

एतदेव चरेदब्दं प्रायश्चित्तं द्विजोत्तमः ।
प्रमाप्य वैश्यं वृत्तस्थं दद्याच्चैकशतं गवाम् ॥ १२९ ॥

etadeva caredabdaṃ prāyaścittaṃ dvijottamaḥ |
pramāpya vaiśyaṃ vṛttasthaṃ dadyāccaikaśataṃ gavām || 129 ||

If a Brāhmaṇa kills a righteous Vaiśya, he shall perform this same expiatory rite for one year; or he may give a hundred cows and one (bull).—(129)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

In a previous verse ‘one eighth’ was prescribed for the killing of a Vaiśya; what the present verse lays down is ‘one twelfth.’

As the expiation is a light one, it has to be done ‘for one year.’

It appears that the rule here laid down is meant for the case of a Vaiśya devoid of qualifications.

“The case of a Vaiśya devoted to his duty has been already dealt with before.”

True; but what the present verse contemplates is the case of a Vaiśya who was ‘righteous’ at the time of death, but was devoid of qualities before that; while the previous rules apply to one who was righteous all along.—(129)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

“According to Govindarāja and Kullūka, the two penances are to be performed optionally, in case a virtuous Vaiśya has been killed unintentionally.—Medhātithi says that the first penance is to be performed for the murder of a Vaiśya who was less distinguished than the one referred to in verse 126.—Nārāyaṇa thinks that the verse refers to a Vaiśya engaged in the performance of a sacrifice, and that the particle ‘vā’ takes the place of the?upola, and thus one penance only is prescribed.”—Buhler.

This verse is quoted in Prāyaścittaviveka (pp. 216 and 534), which explains ‘ekaśatam’ as ‘a hundred and one’.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 11.126-130)

See Comparative notes for Verse 11.126.