Sahitya in Manubhasya 4.103

[Full title: Mimamsa technical terms (25) Sahitya (3) References in Manubhasya verse 4.103]

REFERENCE Manu Smriti IV-103. Passage- indvanirdesayuga padatesu samuccitesvanadhyayah | medhatithi on (vs IV-103) 998 Translation The copulative compound indicates that it is 'time unfit for studies' only when all these appear simultaneously. ExplanationWhile discussing the topic of temporary non-study of the Veda we get in Manusmrti IV-103, which tells :- "Where there is a lightening, thundering of the clouds, and raining and the possibility of fiery phe noma non in the sky, there should be understood the casual of temporary non-study." Commenting on this verse Medhatithi says that close proximity of lightening, thundering of clouds, and the raining is to be understood as the words used by Manu are in compulative compound. Hence this can be treated as the case of Sahitya though Medhatithi has not used the term Sahitya directly. This view of Medhatithi is followed by later digest author Nilakantha and quotes as an authority to support his view in SamskaraMayukha, p. 57 saying that this verse of Manu is a good example of Sahitya. 1. vidyutstanitavarsesu maholkanam ca samlave aka likamanadhyayametesu manurabravita 8.3°34 ms vol P-374 2. vidyudaditraya sahityamatra jneyam | nilakantha samskara mayukha P-57

999 So, it may be concluded here that in the absent of the close proximity of these three, there should not be understood any Holiday or non-study of Vedic literature. The only possible difference, that can be pointed out here is that Medhatithi has used the expression 'Samuccit' i.e. 'Sammucaya' while Nilakantha has used the expression Sahitya to convey the same ides. 'Nilakantha' choice of expression however appears to be more happy than that of Medhatithi. In Sahitya the quite success is more important while in the Samuccaya' this is not the case. 1 (Kulluka however does not introduce any Mimamsa technical term on this point. Nardana treats this as a case of 'Anusanga' and comments the expression 'Vargasu' with 'Vidyuta' and 'Stanita'. One will note here that instead of 'Sahitya' Nandana employed the term Anusanga'. 1. vidyudgarjitavarsesu dvandvanirdesadyugapadupasthitesu mahatinom colkanam samplava itastatah pate sati | Kullula 2. varsa svityanusajyate Nandana ms voi P.374