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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...

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

मौण्ड्यं प्राणान्तिकं दण्ड� ब्राह्मणस्� विधीयत� �
इतरेषा� तु वर्णानां दण्ड� प्राणान्तिको भवेत� � ३७� �

mauṇḍya� ṇānپ첹� daṇḍo brāhmaṇasya vidhīyate |
itareṣāṃ tu varṇānā� daṇḍa� prāṇāntiko bhavet || 379 ||

Tonsure has been prescribed as the death-penalty for the 󳾲ṇa; for other castes the penalty would be actual death.�(379)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

In cases where ‘death� has been laid down for the ṣaٰⲹ and other castes, it is to be ‘tonsure� for the 󳾲ṇa. For instance, for adultery, the non-󳾲ṇa deserves the death-penalty,—the general rule being that ‘the male shall be flayed.�

The term �ṇānٲ첹� is to be explained as prāṇānām antam gacchati or �prāṇānāmant?m karoti,’�that which brings about the end of life; the form being formed with the �ṇvܱ� affix.

Others read �ṇānپ첹�;—in which case the affix is �ṻñ,’Ĕthe meaning being ‘relating to death.�

For the other castes’Ĕt ṣaٰⲹ and others, except the 󳾲ṇa,—�it is to be actual death.�

Putting to death having already been prescribed before, the present text has been taken as serving the purpose of putting forward the injunction of tonsure and the fine of one thousand, as supplementary to the former injunction. Otherwise, in as much as the death penalty has not been prescribed for the 󳾲ṇa, what would be the occasion for declaring that ‘Tonsure is the death-penalty for the 󳾲ṇa?�

It might be argued that the possibility of death-penalty for the 󳾲ṇa is indicated by the general law that ‘the man should be flayed.’�

But in that case the substitute should have been put forward in that same connection; so that the connection of the two could be clearly perceived.�(379).

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in վ岹ٲ첹 (p. 393), which adds the explanation that ‘for an offence in connection with which death penalty has been prescribed, the 󳾲ṇa shall only have his head shaved�;—in ʲś󲹱 (Ācāra, p. 399);—in ʲś󲹱 (Vyavahāra, p. 159);—in 貹첹 (p. 681), which adds that banishment from the city and such other penalties are equal to the death-penalty, so far as the 󳾲ṇa is concerned;—in ղⲹ-ṭṭī (p. 115);—and in īٰǻ岹ⲹ (Vyavahāra, 58b).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 8.379-381)

Gautama (8.13).—‘The 󳾲ṇa who is well-versed in his dharma must not be subjected to corporal punishment; he must not be imprisoned; he must not be fined; he must not be exiled; he must not be reviled; he must not be excluded.�

ܻⲹԲ (1.18.17).—‘A 󳾲ṇa, forsooth, shall not suffer corporal punishment for any offence.�

վṣṇ (5.2-3).—‘In the case of a 󳾲ṇa, no corporal punishment must be inflicted; a 󳾲ṇa must be banished from the country, his body having been branded.�

(Theft, 41, 42).—‘On no account shall the King kill a 󳾲ṇa, though convicted of all possible crimes. He may be banished. The King shall confiscate his entire wealth or leave him a fourth part for himself.�

ṛh貹پ (27.11, 12).—‘A 󳾲ṇa, though a mortal sinner, shall not suffer capital punishment; the King shall banish him and cause him to be branded and shaved; the 󳾲ṇa who deserves capital punishment shall be compelled to pay one hundred ܱṇa; one deserving to have a limb cut off, half as much; and one deserving to have the thumb and index finger cut off, half of that.�

Śṅk-󾱳ٲ (վ岹ٲ첹, p. 634).—‘Even if he has committed heinous crimes, the 󳾲ṇa may be banished, branded, or made to undergo expiations; for the 󳾲ṇa should not be made to suffer bodily pain.�

īٲ (Do., p. 631).—‘For the 󳾲ṇa, there is no cutting off of limbs; the 󳾲ṇa is always purified by penances and austerities.�

Yama (Do., p. 636).—‘For crimes committed by the 󳾲ṇa, the following punishments have been ordained: shaving of the head, banishment from the city, proclamation of his sin, parading on an ass, branding on the forehead.�

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