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 4.139
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
啶う啷嵿ぐ啶� 啶う啷嵿ぐ啶た啶むた 啶啶班啶ぞ啶︵ 啶う啷嵿ぐ啶た啶む啶啶� 啶掂ぞ 啶掂う啷囙い啷� 啷�
啶多啶粪啶曕さ啷堗ぐ啶� 啶掂た啶掂ぞ啶︵ 啶� 啶� 啶曕啶班啶ぞ啶む 啶曕啶� 啶氞た啶む 啶膏す 啷� 啷оォ啷� 啷�bhadra峁� bhadramiti br奴y膩d bhadramityeva v膩 vadet |
艣u峁avaira峁� viv膩da峁� ca na kury膩t kena cit saha || 139 ||What is (not) well, he shall call 鈥渨ell鈥�; or, he shall simply say 鈥渨ell;鈥� he shall not create needless enmity or dispute with any one.鈥�(139)
Medh膩tithi鈥檚 commentary (尘补苍耻产丑腻峁补):
The first 鈥�bhadra鈥� (well) they have explained as with the negative particle understood; the sense being鈥斺�榳hat is not well, he shall call well.鈥�
The particle 鈥�iti鈥� (after 鈥�bhadran鈥�) is meant to be indicative; the meaning being that 鈥渙ne shall make use of such agreeable words as 鈥�碍补濒测腻峁嘺尘鈥� (welfare), 鈥�尘补峁厃补濒补尘鈥� (auspicious), 鈥�siddhan鈥� (accomplished), 鈥�艣谤别测补岣�鈥� (good), and so forth.
If we regard the first term 鈥�bhadran鈥� also as indicative of like words, the meaning would be鈥斺�業f a man is blind, he should be spoken of as with eyes; if he is illiterate, he should be spoken as learned鈥� and so forth.
Or, in all these cases, 鈥�he shall simply say 鈥渨ell.鈥浓赌�
鈥�Needless enmity.鈥欌赌擶hen there is no monetary or other interest involved, he shall not make use of words in a mere bravado.
Similarly, he shall not create dispute in the king鈥檚 court. The epithet 鈥�needless鈥� applies to this also.
鈥�With any one鈥欌赌�i.e., even with a weaker party.鈥�(139)
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
This verse is quoted in 惭补诲补苍补辫腻谤颈箩腻迟补 (p. 117);鈥攁nd in 痴墨谤补尘颈迟谤辞诲补测补 (Sa峁僺k膩ra, p. 573);鈥攏either of this provides any explanations.
Comparative notes by various authors
Gautama (9.21).鈥斺�榃hat is not well, he shall call well.鈥�
膧pastamba Dharmas奴tra (1.11.31.12).鈥斺�榃hat is not well he shall call well; he shall call it sacred, excellent.鈥�
痴颈峁ａ箛耻 (71.72-74).鈥斺�楬e shall not say what is indecent; nor what is untrue; nor what is disagreeable.鈥�
驰腻箩帽补惫补濒办测补 (1.132).鈥�(See above.)
Gobhila (3.5.19-20).鈥斺�楬e shall avoid such words as well, when it is not needed. He shall say well.鈥�