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 11.242
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
啶むお啶膏啶� 啶掂た啶多啶︵啶оじ啷嵿く 啶啶班ぞ啶灌啶ぃ啶膏啶� 啶︵た啶掂啶曕じ啶� 啷�
啶囙啷嵿く啶距ざ啷嵿 啶啶班い啶苦啷冟す啷嵿ぃ啶ㄠ啶むた 啶曕ぞ啶ぞ啶ㄠ 啶膏啶掂ぐ啷嵿ぇ啶え啷嵿い啶� 啶� 啷� 啷ㄠオ啷� 啷�tapasaiva vi艣uddhasya br膩hma峁嘺sya divaukasa岣� |
ijy膩艣ca pratig峁沨峁嘺nti k膩m膩n sa峁僾ardhayanti ca || 242 ||It is only when the 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 has been purified by Austerities that Heavenly Beings accept their sacrifices and advance their interests.鈥�(242)
Medh膩tithi鈥檚 commentary (manubh膩峁a):
Before undertaking a rite conducive to a desirable result, it is necessary to perform an austerity; it is this fact that is referred to here. To this end it. has been declared that鈥斺�楩irst of all one should perform austerities, and thereby become pure and sanctified; he then becomes fit for performing religious acts.鈥� In the case of rites, where preliminary Initiation and such other rites are prescribed, these would constitute the necessary 鈥榓usterity鈥�; also the penance that is prescribed in connection with certain rites, is an 鈥榓usterity,鈥� and in such rites as are performed for the allaying of troubles, and obtaining of strength, and also the domestic rites,鈥攊t is necessary to perform an austerity, as a preliminary step. This is what the verse means.
The term 鈥�叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺鈥� stands here for all those persons that are entitled to the performance of sacrifices, and are prompted by desire for their results.
It has also been declared elsewhere鈥斺�楿nless a man has performed austerities, the gods do not accept his offerings, and until his offerings are accepted, his desires are not fulfilled.鈥�
Though as a matter of fact, it is not the gods that bestow the results of sacrifices, yet, inasmuch as no 鈥榮acrifice鈥� can be accomplished without its 鈥榙eity,鈥� it has been declared that the gods 鈥�advance the man鈥檚 interests.鈥�
When the gods are described as 鈥榓ccepting the offerings,鈥� it is not meant that they actually take hold of the materials offered; all that is meant is that they do not refuse to be the recipients of the offerings.鈥�(242)
Comparative notes by various authors
(verses 11.234-244)
See Comparative notes for Verse 11.234.