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 4.70
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
啶� 啶啶む啶侧啶粪啶犩 啶� 啶啶︵啶ㄠ啶ぞ啶ㄠ啶� 啶涏た啶ㄠ啶︵啶ぞ啶む 啶曕ぐ啶溹啶膏啶む啶｀ぎ啷� 啷�
啶� 啶曕ぐ啷嵿ぎ 啶ㄠた啶粪啶げ啶� 啶曕啶班啶ぞ啶ㄠ啶ㄠぞ啶い啷嵿く啶距ぎ啶膏啶栢啶︵く啶 啷� 啷ウ 啷�na m峁泃lo峁ａ弓ha峁� ca m峁沝n墨y膩nna chindy膩t karajaist峁涐箛am |
na karma 苍颈峁丑补濒补峁� kury膩nn膩yaty膩masukhodayam || 70 ||He shall not crush clods of earth; nor shall he cut grass with hi s nails. He shall not do an aimless act, nor one that is likely to lead to disagreeable results.鈥�(70)
Medh膩tithi鈥檚 commentary (尘补苍耻产丑腻峁补):
鈥�Crushing鈥� means breaking into pieces鈥攐f clods of earth; some people hold that this refers also to such clods of earth as are mixed with lime or other mortar. The 鈥榗rushing鈥� of the earth-clod, consists either in raising it and then throwing it down, or by pressing it with the hands.
The crushing that is forbidden here is one that is done aimlessly; nor when it is done for the purpose of being used in cleaning the hands, etc.,鈥攖he term 鈥榓imless鈥� of the next line being construed with this also. Though, as such, the crushing would be included under the 鈥榓imless act,鈥� yet it has been mentioned separately, with a view to the different expiatory rite that has been prescribed in connection with it.
鈥�Karaja鈥� are nails.
鈥�No aimless act.鈥欌赌�Objection鈥斺赌淭丑别 aimless act has been already prohibited under 鈥榩urposeless exertion鈥� (63).鈥�
Some people offer the following explanation:鈥斺��Exertion鈥� denotes physical activity; while what is forbidden here is activity in general (in all its forms); which means that the building of airy castles is to be avoided.
鈥�膧测补迟颈鈥� denotes future time. That act from which there follows, in the future, some disagreeable, result; e.g., eating to indigestion, spending one鈥檚 wealth without any consideration for the maintenance of one鈥檚 family and dependants. All this he shall not do.鈥�(70)
In support of the. above, we have the following commendatory description鈥�
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
This verse is quoted in 础辫补谤腻谤办补 (p. 183), which explains 鈥�腻测补迟颈鈥� as 鈥�辫补谤颈峁嚹乵补鈥�, 鈥榬esult鈥欌�斺��Karma鈥� as 厂补峁卥补濒辫补 鈥榲olition鈥�, 鈥榙etermination鈥�; and this is 鈥榝ruitless,鈥� 鈥�苍颈峁丑补濒补鈥�, when it turns out to be false, i.e., when the determination is not carried into practice; as regards the crushing of clods etc., what is to be avoided is the habit of doing it;鈥攁nd in 厂补峁僺办腻谤补尘补测奴办丑补 (p. 72).
Comparative notes by various authors
(verses 4.70-71)
Gautama (9.51).鈥斺�楥utting, breaking, scratching, rubbing and clapping鈥攖hese he shall not do without some purpose.鈥�
膧辫补蝉迟补尘产补 (1.32.28).鈥斺�楪rass-chopping, clod-crushing, spitting鈥攖hese, without necessity (should be avoided).鈥�
痴颈峁ａ箛耻 (71.42-43).鈥斺�楬e shall not be a clod-crusher; nor a grass-chopper.鈥�
惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补 (Anu艣膩sana, 104.15).鈥斺�楬e who crushes clods of earth or chops grass or eats his nails, is ever unclean and never attains long life.鈥�