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...
Verse 8.88
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
ब्रूहीति ब्राह्मण� पृच्छेत् सत्य� ब्रूहीति पार्थिवम� �
गोबीजकाञ्चनैर्वैश्यं शूद्रं सर्वैस्त� पातकैः � ८८ �brūhīti brāhmaṇa� pṛcchet satya� brūhīti pārthivam |
gobījakāñcanairvaiśya� śūdra� sarvaistu ٲ첹� || 88 ||He shall question the Brāhmaṇa with the word ‘speak,� the Kṣatriya with ‘speak out the truth,� the Vaiśya by sins pertaining to kine, grain and food, and the Śū by all the sins.�(88)
Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
“On what basis do we have the instrumental ending in DzīᲹñԲ�? If it be said to be due to these being instruments in the act of questioning, that cannot be; as it is the word (and not the kine, etc.) that are the instruments, a means of questioning.�
There is no force in this objection. We have to construe the words in such a manner as to make the ‘kine,� etc., instruments of the questioning. The word �ٲ첹�,� �sins� has got to be construed both ways, so that we have the phrase �gobījakāñcunai� ٲ첹�,� which gives the meaning that ‘he should ask them by mentioning sins pertaining to the kine, grains and gold,� i.e., the form of the question to be employed should he—‘if you tell a lie, you would he incurring the same sin that follows from stealing or killing the cow.�
Similarly, by mentioning the sins going to be enumerated (in the next verse), he should question the Śū. The term �sin� here should he taken as standing for words expressing sins; because the sins themselves could not be the means or instrument of the questioning, as pointed out above.�(88)
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
�ҴDzīᲹ첹ñԲ�’—‘Threatening him with the guilt of all offences committed against kine and the rest� (Medhātithi) ‘with the guilt of the theft of kine etc.� (Govindarāja, Kullūka and Rāghavānanda);—‘with the loss of his kine etc.� (Nārāyaṇa);—‘by making him touch the cow and other things� (Nandana).
This verse is quoted in 貹첹 (p. 674);—and in ʲś (Vyavahāra, p. 78), where however the first half is read as “sasyena śāpayedvi??a� kṣanniya� vāhanāyudhaiḥ�;—in ṛtٲٳٱ (II, p. 215), which adds:—The Vaiśya is to be admonished with the words:—‘those sins would accrue to you which are involved in stealing the cow etc. if you tell a lie and the Śū with the words—‘all kinds of sins would fall on you etc. etc.�;—in ṛtԻ (Vyavahāra, p. 204);—and in ṛtⲹ첹貹ٲ (33b).
Comparative notes by various authors
վṣṇ (8.20-23).—‘The Brāhmaṇa witness, the Judge shall exhort to declare,—the Kṣatriya, to declare the truth:—the Vaiśya he shall address thus:—�Thy kine and gold shall yield thee no fruit�;—the Śū he should address thus:—�Thou shalt have to atone for all heavy crimes.Ũ�
岹 (1.198).—‘He shall cause the Brāhmaṇa to swear by truth, the Kṣatriya by his conveyances and weapons, the Vaiśya by his cows, grain or gold; and the Śū by all sorts of crimes.�