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 4.142
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
啶� 啶膏啶啶多啶む 啶ぞ啶｀た啶ㄠ啶氞啶涏た啶粪啶熰 啶掂た啶啶班 啶椸啶啶班ぞ啶灌啶ぃ啶距え啶侧ぞ啶｀ 啷�
啶� 啶氞ぞ啶た 啶ざ啷嵿く啷囙う啶多啶氞た啶� 啶膏啶膏啶ム 啶溹啶啶むた啶班啶椸ぃ啶距え啷� 啶︵た啶掂ぞ 啷� 啷оオ啷� 啷�na sp峁浥沞t p膩峁噄nocchi峁ａ弓o vipro gobr膩hma峁嚹乶al膩峁� |
na c膩pi pa艣yeda艣uci岣� sustho jyotirga峁嚹乶 div膩 || 142 ||A Br膩hma峁嘺, while unclean, shall hot touch, with his hand, a cow, a Br膩hma峁嘺 or fire. Nor shall he, being in good health, look at the luminaries in the sky, while he is impure.鈥�(142)
Medh膩tithi鈥檚 commentary (尘补苍耻产丑腻峁补):
鈥�Unclean;鈥欌赌�i.e., not washed after having eaten; or, after having evacuated the bladder or the bowels. The term 鈥�耻肠肠丑颈峁ａ弓补鈥� here stands simply for 鈥�impure;鈥� and it is in this sense that the 鈥�耻肠肠丑颈峁ａ弓补鈥� person is forbidden to touch the cow, etc. The expiatory rite in connection with this forbidden touching is going to be prescribed in the next verse, where the term 鈥�ashuchi,鈥� 鈥榠mpure,鈥� is used.
No significance attaches to the term 鈥�hand鈥�, as touching with any other part of the body also is not desirable. The prohibition, however, does not apply to the case where one interposes a piece of cloth.
鈥�He shall not look at the luminaries in the sky.鈥欌赌斺赌�Being in good 丑别补濒迟丑鈥欌赌攊.别., under normal conditions.鈥擳he addition of the pharse (phrase?), 鈥�in the sky,鈥� indicates that the prohibition does not apply to looking at the 鈥榣uminary on the earth鈥欌赌�i.e., the fire.鈥�(142)
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
This verse is quoted in 狈峁泂颈峁僪补辫谤补蝉腻诲补 (Sa峁僺k膩ra, p. 71b).
Comparative notes by various authors
膧pastamba Dharmas奴tra (1.15.18).鈥斺�楬e shall not touch fire, except with due care.鈥�
驰腻箩帽补惫补濒办测补 (1.155).鈥斺�楬e shall not touch with the foot, or while he is impure, a cow, a Br膩hma峁嘺, fire or food.鈥�