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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...

Verse 8.206 [Joint Concerns]

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

ऋत्विग� यद� वृतो यज्ञ� स्वकर्� परिहापयेत् �
तस्य कर्मानुरूपेण देयोंश� सहकर्तृभिः � २०� �

ṛtvig yadi vṛto yajñe svakarma parihāpayet |
tasya karmānurūpeṇa deyoṃśa� 󲹰첹ṛb� || 206 ||

If a priest appointed at a sacrifice abandons his work, his associates shall pay him only such share as may be in keeping with the work actually done by him.�(206)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

This verse introduces the head of ‘Joint Concerns�: and as an example, the author takes up the ease of ‘Joint action� at Vedic rites.

Sacrifice’ĔThe Jyotiṣṭoma and the rest. For the proper performance of the numerous details of these sacrifices, when a certain �priest has been appointed,’Ĕwith the words—‘you should perform the duties of the �dz�,� or ‘of the Adhvaryu,� or ‘of the 岵�,’Ĕand the further condition is made—‘you should do the work according to the śܳٲ-ܱ�;—if, on account of his inefficiency or other causes, he happens to abandon it after it has been half-done,—then the share of the sacrificial fee payable to him shall be in accordance with the amount of work done by him. For instance, if the man goes away after having done only a fourth part of his work, he should be paid the quarter of the third part of the entire ‘fee� prescribed in connection with the particular sacrifice concerned. This would be �in accordance with the work done.�

By h is associates’�i.e., the other priests, the dz�, the 岵� and the rest.�(206)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in 貹첹 (p. 836);—in վ岹ٲ첹 (p. 118), which adds the following notes:—�Svakarma parihāpayet,� i.e., through sickness or such causes, a part of the sacrificial fee shall be paid to him, after duly considering the total fee payable for the entire sacrifice and the part of the work that may have been done by him;—in ʲś󲹱 (Vyavahāra, p. 222), which explains �󲹰첹ṛb�� as ‘by his colleagues�;—in վ岹Գ峾ṇi (p. 48), which says that ‘if a priest, through disease or other disability, is unable to perform his work, then he is to be paid his fee in proportion to the work actually done by him;—in ṛtⲹ첹貹ٲ (89b);—and in īٰǻ岹ⲹ (Vyavahāra, 120a), which explains �󲹰첹ṛb�� as ‘by his collaborators,’Ĕor the meaning may be ‘he should be paid his share of the fee, along with, at the same time as, the other priests are paid.�

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(See Manu below, 388.)

ñⲹ (2.265).—‘Among a company of joint workers, if one happen to be dishonest, the others should expel him without payment; if he happen to omit his share of the work on account of his inability to do it, then he should have it done by another. This same rule applies to the case of sacrificial priests, cultivators and artisans.�

ղśṣṭ (貹첹, p. 836).—‘If the Sacrificial Priest fails to officiate at a sacrifice, or if a Teacher fails to teach, he should be abandoned; one becomes degraded if he abandons them in other circumstances.�

(貹첹, p. 836).—‘If the Sacrificial Priest happen to be in trouble, some one else may officiate for him and receive a proportionate share out of the fee payable to the former.�

ṛh貹پ (վ岹ٲ첹, p. 117).—‘From among men employed in a common work, if one happen to die, his share of the work should be done by a relation of his, or by his colleagues collectively.�

Śṅk-󾱳ٲ (Do.).—‘If on the approach of the Savana, a priest should happen to die, what should be done is that his work should be completed by his Sagotra or by his pupil; if he has no relations, then the sacrificer should appoint another Priest.�

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