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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:

त्रिणाचिकेतः पञ्चाग्निस्त्रिसुपर्णः षडङ्गवित� �
ब्रह्मदेयात्मसन्तानो ज्येष्ठसाम� एव � � १८� �

ٰṇācٲ� pañcāgnistrisuparṇa� ṣaḍaṅg |
brahmadeyātmasantāno jyeṣṭhasāmaga eva ca || 185 ||

One who has learnt the “հṇācٲ,� one who knows the science of the five fires, one who has learnt the “հܱ貹ṇa,� one who knows the six-limbed science, one who is born of a woman married in the “Brahma (Brāhma)� form, one who sings the ṣṭ-峾s.�(185)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (Գܲṣy):

հṇācٲ� is the name of a portion of the Yajurveda, beginning with the words �pītodakā jagdhatṛṇā; and the man is called �ٰṇācٲ� by the circumstance of his having learnt that portion. Others, however, explain that there are certain observances prescribed for those who are learning the ṛṇ峦ٲ Mantras; and the person who has kept these observances is called �հṇācٲ.� Here also the term is applied to the man only figuratively.

It should not be thought that merely this (fact of having learnt a certain portion of the Veda) makes one a ‘Sanctifier of Company;� what is meant is, that when the other qualifications of being learned in the Veda and the like are present, the circumstance here mentioned forms an additional qualification as indicating the character of being a ‘Sanctifier of Company.�

Five fires,� �ʲñ岵Ծ,� is the name of a certain teaching occurring in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad (5.10.9), the reward whereof has been described in the words �ٱԴdz󾱰ṇyⲹ, etc.� The man is also so called by the circumstance of his having learnt the said teaching, as in the case of the previous word.

Others have explained the term �ʲñ岵Ծ� as ‘one maintains the five fires,’�i.e., the three sacrificial fires, the social fire and the domestic fire. Of these, the ‘social fire� is that which is lighted in many countries with large quantities of fuel, for the purpose of relieving cold.

հܱ貹ṇa� is the name of a mantra occurring in the ղٳپīⲹ Veda, and also in the ṻ岹, beginning with the words �ye brāhmaṇās trisuparṇam paṭhanti; etc.�

The �six-limbed science� is the Veda; one who has learnt this.

One who is born of a woman who has been married in the “Brāhma� form,�i.e., who has been given to a bridegroom brought home by invitation.

One who sings the Jyeṣṭha Sāmas;’—The �ṣṭ󲹻dz󲹲� are 峾-Գٰ found in the Āṇy첹; one who sings these is called �ṣṭ󲹲峾.� Here also the man is so called by reason of his singing the and keeping the observances in relation to it.�(185)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Ѳ岹Բٲ (p. 557), which supplies the following explanations:—�հṇācٲ�’—‘one who studies that portion of the Yajurveda which is

called the հṇācٲs, and who keeps the observances connected therewith�;—�ʲñ岵Ծ�’—‘one who maintains the five Fires�(1) DZ貹ٲⲹ, (2) ٲṣiṇāgԾ, (3) Ā󲹱īⲹ, (4) Sabhya and (5) Āٳ�;—�հܱ貹ṇa’—is the name of a portion of the Yajurveda (Medhātithi says it is a mantra found in the ղٳپīⲹ and the ṻ岹); and he who knows that text and its meaning is also called by the same name;—�ṣaḍaṅg’—‘one who knows the texts.and meanings of the six subsidiary sciences, Śikṣ�, Kalpa and the rest�;—�󳾲ԳܲԳԲ�’—‘one who is born of a mother married in the Brāhma form�;—�ṣṭ󲹲峾�’—‘one who is constantly singing Sāma hymns,� or ‘he who keeps the observance known as ṣṭ-峾, and knows the Sāma texts known under that name�.

հṇācٲ�’—see Āpastamba, 2.17.22.

ʲñ岵Ծ�’—‘Knowing the ʲñ岵Ծ, taught in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad 4.10 et. seq.� (Medhātithi and Nārāyaṇa);—‘who keeps the five Fires� (‘others� in Medhātithi, Govindarāja, Kullūka and Rāghavānanda).

հܱ貹ṇa�.—‘One who knows the text of ղٳپīⲹ Āṇy첹 10.38-40� (Medhātithi, Nārāyaṇa and Nandana);—‘one who knows ṻ岹 10.114.3-5�

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 3.184-186)

See Comparative notes for Verse 3.184.

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