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 鈥楧harma鈥�, 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 3.152
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
啶氞た啶曕た啶む啶膏啶距え啷� 啶︵啶掂げ啶曕ぞ啶ㄠ 啶ぞ啶傕じ啶掂た啶曕啶班く啶苦ぃ啶膏啶むぅ啶� 啷�
啶掂た啶ぃ啷囙え 啶� 啶溹啶掂え啷嵿い啷� 啶掂ぐ啷嵿啷嵿く啶距 啶膏啶啶班啶灌さ啷嵿く啶曕さ啷嵿く啶啶� 啷� 啷оカ啷� 啷�cikitsak膩n devalak膩n m膩峁僺avikrayi峁嘺stath膩 |
vipa峁噀na ca j墨vanto varjy膩岣� syurhavyakavyayo岣� || 152 ||Healers, temple-attendants, meat-sellers and those living by trade,鈥攖hese should be avoided at rites performed in honour of gods and Pit峁泂.鈥�(152)
Medh膩tithi鈥檚 commentary (尘补苍耻产丑腻峁补):
鈥�Healers physicians.
鈥�Temple-attendants鈥欌赌攖hose who attend upon idols.
These two are prohibited only as means of living. Healing and serving idols, when done entirely with a righteous motive (and not as a means of living), are not reprehensible.
鈥�Meat-sellers鈥欌赌擝耻迟肠丑别谤蝉.
If we read these words with the Accusative ending, then they have to be construed with the verb of the preceding verse.
鈥�Those living by trade鈥欌赌�i.e., by improper trade; improper merchandise shall be described under Discourse 10,鈥攖hose who live by such trade.
鈥�Should be avoided鈥欌赌攁t both kinds of rites.
Meat-selling is reprehensible, even when done with a righteous motive. For instance, when one man has got meat and another man has need for it;鈥攖he former man who has got the meat stands in need of butter for oblations; and he exchanges his meat with the other man鈥檚 butter; this exchange is done 鈥榳ith a righteous motive,鈥� and exchange also is called 鈥荣别濒濒颈苍驳;鈥� hence those also become excluded who do such meat-selling, even with a righteous motive.鈥�(152)
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
This verse is quoted in 笔补谤腻艣补谤补尘腻诲丑补惫补 (膧c膩ra, p. 687), which omits the second half of this and the whole of the next verse, though continuing with verse 154;鈥攖he whole verse is quoted in 惭补诲补苍补辫腻谤颈箩腻迟补 (p. 560);鈥攊n 狈峁泂颈峁僪补辫谤补蝉腻诲补 (艢r膩ddha, p. 9a);鈥攁nd in 贬别尘腻诲谤颈 (艢r膩ddha, p. 480).
笔补谤腻艣补谤补尘腻诲丑补惫补 (on p. 689) adds the notes that the 鈥�chikitsaka鈥� is 鈥榦ne who administers medicine either gratuitously or by way of living,鈥欌赌攖his work being specially forbidden for the Br膩hma峁嘺,鈥攖he 鈥�Devalaka鈥� is 鈥榦ne who, for three years, worships the gods as a means of making money,鈥� such being the definition provided by a text quoted from Devala,鈥攖he 鈥�惭腻峁僺补惫颈办谤补测墨鈥� intended to be excluded is one who sells meat, even in abnormal times of distress,鈥攂ecause as regards normal times, living by any kind of trade is forbidden by the next phrase, which prohibition does not apply to abnormal times, during which the 鈥榣ivelihood of the Vai艣ya鈥� has been permitted for the Br膩hma峁嘺.
It is quoted in 础辫补谤腻谤办补 (p. 450), which explains that the 鈥�Chikitsaka鈥� means one who makes a living by administering medicines, not one who does it by way of charity;鈥攁nd in 艢谤腻诲诲丑补办谤颈测腻办补耻尘耻诲墨 (p. 40).
Comparative notes by various authors
(verses 3.150-166)
See Comparative notes for Verse 3.150.