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:

वेदाभ्यासोऽन्वहं शक्त्या महायज्ञक्रिया क्षमा ।
नाशयन्त्याशु पापानि महापातकजान्यपि ॥ २४५ ॥

vedābhyāso'nvahaṃ śaktyā mahāyajñakriyā kṣamā |
nāśayantyāśu pāpāni mahāpātakajānyapi || 245 ||

The daily recitation of the Veda, to the best of one’s ability, the ‘Great Sacrifices,’ and ‘tolerance,’ quickly destroy all sins,—even those due to heinous offences.—(245)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

This verse is asserting, in another way, the fact that Vedic Study and other compulsory duties are destructive of sins. And this appears to be meant for those acts in connection with which no specific expiations have been prescribed, or those that may have been committed unknowingly.

Others have held that this verse also should be understood as addressed to those who may be led to think that the injunction of Austerities in the present context means that Brāhmaṇas may omit all other duties; just the same contingency that was suspected in connection with the previous statement that ‘for the Brāhmaṇa, knowledge is austerity’ (Verse 235).

‘Tolerance’ has been mentioned as standing for all the qualities of the soul.

Even those due to heinous offences.’—This term ‘even’ appears to be commendatory; it does not mean that the heinous offences are actually set aside; and from all that has been said before it follows that what is meant is that these grievous sins cease to be immediately operative.—(245)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Parāśaramādhava (Prāyaścitta, p. 172); and again on p. 379.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Vaśiṣṭha (27.7).—‘The daily recitation of the Veda and the performance, according to one’s ability, of the series of Great Sacrifices quickly destroy guilt, even that of the Mahāpātakas.’

Yājñavalkya (3.311).—‘Sins,—even those born of the Mahāpātakas,—touch not one who is devoted to the reciting of the Veda, who is tolerant and addicted to the performance of the Great Sacrifices.’

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