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 12.115
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
यं वदन्ति तमोभूता मूर्खा धर्ममतद्विदः ।
तत्पापं शतधा भूत्वा तद्वक्तॄननुगच्छति ॥ ११५ ॥yaṃ vadanti tamobhūtā mūrkhā dharmamatadvidaḥ |
tatpāpaṃ śatadhā bhūtvā tadvaktṝnanugacchati || 115 ||When ignorant men, partaking of the quality of ‘Tamas,’ declare a certain act as right, without knowing what ‘right’ means,—the sin of that act falls hundred-fold upon those who propound it.—(115)
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
This describes the evil effects befalling those ignorant men who go about propounding the law.—(115)
Comparative notes by various authors
Baudhāyana (1.1.11).—‘That sin which dunces, perplexed by ignorance and unacquainted with the sacred Law, declare to be Dharma, falls, increased a hundredfold, on those who propound it.’
Vaśiṣṭha (3.6).—(Same as above.)
Parāśara (8.13).—(Same as Manu.)