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 8.352 [Adultery]
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
啶ぐ啶︵ぞ啶班ぞ啶た啶ぐ啷嵿ざ啷囙し啷� 啶啶班さ啷冟い啷嵿い啶距え啷嵿え啷勦え啷� 啶す啷�啶い啶苦 啷�
啶夃う啷嵿さ啷囙啶ㄠ啶班啶班啶︵ぃ啷嵿ぁ啷堗ざ啷嵿啶苦え啷嵿え啶た啶む啶掂ぞ 啶啶班さ啶距じ啶啶む 啷� 啷┼カ啷� 啷�parad膩r膩bhimar艣e峁 prav峁泃t膩n苍峁渍 mah墨pati岣� |
udvejanakarairda峁囜笉ai艣chinnayitv膩 prav膩sayet || 352 ||Those men who are addicted to intercourse with the wives of other men, the king shall banish after having branded them with terror-inspiring punishments.鈥�(352)
Medh膩tithi鈥檚 commentary (manubh膩峁a):
The term 鈥�wife鈥� is applied to the woman who has gone through the sacrament of marriage.
Persons other than one鈥檚 own self are called 鈥�others.鈥�
鈥�Intercourse鈥� here stands for carnal enjoyment, consisting in embracing and other acts. 鈥楨mbracing鈥欌�攃onsisting in the two parties coming together in close contact,鈥攖he cultivating of the feeling of pleasure caused by mutual union,鈥攖he sending of messengers and so forth,鈥攁nd the actual sexual act,鈥攁ll these are included under the term 鈥�补产丑颈尘补谤峁,鈥� 鈥�intercourse.鈥�
The meaning thus comes to be this:鈥擶hen the king finds that a certain man is addicted to having intercourse with the wife of another person,鈥攈e should 鈥榖rand鈥� him,鈥攂y cutting off his nose, for instance,鈥攂y means of 鈥�terror-inspiring鈥欌�攕harp-edged weapons,鈥攁nd then 鈥�banish鈥� him.
In as much as penalties in connection with each detailed act hare been laid down elsewhere, the present verse should be taken as referring, not to a single act, but to repeated acts; and the right thing appears to be that the 鈥榖anishment鈥� here prescribed,鈥攚hich is not applicable to any other act鈥攈as to be inflicted along with a fine in money, the purpose served by which is wholly different. All this we shall explain later on.鈥�(352).
Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha
This verse is quoted in 础辫补谤腻谤办补 (p. 853);鈥攊n 痴颈惫腻诲补谤补迟苍腻办补谤补 (p. 388);鈥攁nd in 痴颈惫腻诲补肠颈苍迟腻尘补峁噄 (p. 174), which explains 鈥�迟谤墨苍鈥� (which is its reading for 鈥�苍峁涐箾苍 ( 苍峁渍?)鈥�) as 鈥榩ersons of the three lower castes, i.e., all except the Br膩hma峁嘺s,鈥欌�攁nd 鈥�耻诲惫别箩补苍补办补谤补颈岣�鈥� as the 鈥榗utting of the ears, nose, and so forth.鈥�
Comparative notes by various authors
(verses 8.352-353)
狈腻谤补诲补 (14.6).鈥斺�業ndecent assault on another man鈥檚 wife is called violence of the highest order.鈥�
狈腻谤补诲补 (12.60).鈥斺�榃hen a man meets a woman at a house other than her own, it is held to be Adultery.鈥�
狈腻谤补诲补 (12.77).鈥斺�楲et punishment be inflicted by the King on him who has intercourse with a woman intercourse with whom has been forbidden; and let such sinners be purified by performing penances.鈥�
叠峁沨补蝉辫补迟颈 (23.9).鈥斺�楩or the three grades of adultery, the first, middling and highest fines shall be inflicted respectively; it may be higher in the case of rich men.鈥�
艢补峁卥丑补-尝颈办丑颈迟补 (痴颈惫腻诲补谤补迟苍腻办补谤补, p. 388).鈥斺�楢ll men should adhere strictly to their own wives and to their own functions;鈥攂y whatever limb one commits an offence, that limb shall be cut off, or a fine of 8,000 shall be inflicted.鈥�