WRITTEN by London Swaminathan 

 

Date: 1 April 2018

 

Time uploaded in London –  18-18 (British Summer Time)

 

Post No. 4872

 

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FOLLOWING VERSES ARE FROM THE SECOND CHAPTER OF MANU SMRTI ALIAS MANAVA DHARMA SHASTRA

 

MY COMMENTS:

The interesting points in this section of the Second Chapter of Manu Smrti are:

1.Why should one stand up before elders?

When a person who commands, respect comes suddenly into your room, you get a shock. If you stand up and show respect, you slowly come out of the shock. The reason being the person who is shown respect says something nice to you.

2.How to greet?

Hindu way of greeting a person is very unique. You say Hello by introducing you fully with the details of your Kula, Gotra (clan) who are your forefather seers, what Veda you learn and then say I salute you by touching his feet. This is unique to Hindus. But they never say all these things before of a sanyasi (an ascetic)because he considers everyone equal irrespective of his Kula or Gotra.

3. Elders always greet the youngsters Long Live (with health and wealth).
4. Priests, Vedic scholars and educated get respect even if they are young.

5.Friendship rules are interesting. Artists get more value. Verse 2-134

6.Five Criteria for Respect is very interesting: Educated are more respected than aged or relationship, wealth etc. Verse 2-136

7. Right of way rules, road transport rules are very interesting- verse 2-138

8.Definition of Acharya, Upadhyaya, Guru etc is also interesting

9.Mother is 1000 times more respectful than father (verse 2-145) –shows the highest respect for women.

 

Manu Smrti- Second Chapter

 

WHY SHOULD YOU STAND UP BEFORE ELDERS?

2-119. One must not sit down on a couch or seat which a superior occupies; and he who occupies a couch or seat shall rise to meet a superior, and afterwards)salute him.

2-120. For the vital airs of a young man mount upwards to leave his body when an elder approaches; but by rising to meet him and saluting he recovers them.

121. He who habitually salutes and constantly pays reverence to the aged obtains an increase of four things, (viz.) length of life, knowledge, fame, and strength.
122. After the word of salutation, a Brahmana who greets an elder must pronounce his name, saying, ‘I am N. N.’ Also announce that I belong to this clan, learning this Veda, Shaka, his forefather seers etc.
123. To those persons who, when a name is pronounced, do not understand the meaning of the salutation, a wise man should say, ‘It is I;’ and he should address in the same manner all women.
124. In saluting he should pronounce after his name the word bhoh; for the sages have declared that the nature of bhoh is the same as that of all proper names.

 

Long Live Greeting!

125. A Brahmana should thus be saluted in return, ‘May’st thou be long-lived, O gentle one!’ and the vowel ‘a’ must be added at the end of the name (of the person addressed), the syllable preceding it being drawn out to the length of three matras.

e.g swaminathaaa, kartikeyaaa

126. A Brahmana who does not know the form of returning a salutation, must not be saluted by a learned man; as a Sudra, even so is he.
127. Let him ask a Brahmana, on meeting him, after (his health, with the word) kusala, a Kshatriya (with the word) are you free from diseases?, a Vaisya (with the word) are you getting enough money?, and a Sudra (with the word) are you healthy?.

Even Young Vedic Scholars must be respected

2-128. He who has been initiated (to perform a Srauta sacrifice) must not be addressed by his name, even though he be a younger man; he who knows the sacred law must use in speaking to such (a man the particle) bhoh and (the pronoun) bhavat (your worship).

129. But to a female who is the wife of another man, and not a blood-relation, he must say, ‘Lady’ (bhavati) or ‘Beloved sister!’
130. To his maternal and paternal uncles, fathers-in-law, officiating priests, (and other) venerable persons, he must say, ‘I am N. N.,’ and rise (to meet them), even though they be younger (than himself).
131. A maternal aunt, the wife of a maternal uncle, a mother-in-law, and a paternal aunt must be honoured like the wife of one’s teacher; they are equal to the wife of one’s teacher.
132. (The feet of the) wife of one’s brother, if she be of the same caste (varna), must be worshipped every day; but (the feet of) wives of (other) paternal and maternal relatives need only be worshipped on one’s return from a journey.
133. Towards a sister of one’s father and of one’s mother, and towards one’s own elder sister, one must behave as towards one’s mother; (but) the mother is more venerable than they.

Who can be Your Friends? Friendship Rules

2-134. Fellow-citizens are called friends and equals though one be ten years older than the other, men practising the same fine art though one be five years older than the other, Vedic scholars though three years but blood-relations only if the difference of age be very small.

135. Know that a Brahmana of ten years and Kshatriya of a hundred years stand to each other in the relation of father and son; but between those two the Brahmana is the father.

 

Five Criteria for Respect

2-136. Wealth, kindred, age, the due performance of rites, and, fifthly, sacred learning are titles to respect; but each later-named cause is more weighty than the preceding ones. That is the educated are the most respectful

137. Whatever man of the three (highest) castes possesses most of those five, both in number and degree, that man is worthy of honour among them; and (so is) also a Sudra who is ninety years old.

Right of Way, Road Rules

2-138. Way must be made for a man in a carriage, for one who is above ninety years old, for one diseased, for the carrier of a burden, for a woman, for a Brahmana, for the king, and for a bridegroom.

139. Among all those, if they meet at one time, a Brahmana and the king must be most honoured; and if the king and a Brahmana meet, the latter receives respect from the king.

 

Teacher

140. They call that Brahmana who initiates a pupil and teaches him the Veda together with the Kalpa and the Rahasyas, the teacher.

Upadhyaya

141. But he who for his livelihood teaches a portion only of the Veda, or also the Angas of the Veda, is called the sub-teacher (upadhyaya).

Guru

142. That Brahmana, who performs in accordance with the rules (of the Veda) the rites, the Garbhadhana (conception-rite), and so forth, and gives food (to the child), is called the Guru (the venerable one).

Officiating Priest

143. He who, being (duly) chosen (for the purpose), performs the Agnyadheya, the Pakayagnas, (and) the (Srauta) sacrifices, such as the Agnishtoma (for another man), is called (his) officiating priest.

Equal to Parents

144. That (man) who truthfully fills both his ears with the Veda, (the pupil) shall consider as his father and mother; he must never offend him.

MOTHER 1000 TIMES MORE VENERABLE THAN FATHER

2-145. The teacher  is ten times more venerable than a sub-teacher (upadhyaya), the father a hundred times more than the teacher, but the mother a thousand times more than the father.

146. Of him who gives natural birth and him who gives the knowledge of the Veda, the giver of the Veda is the more venerable father; for the birth for the sake of the Veda ensures eternal rewards both in this life and after death.
147. Let him consider that he received) a (mere animal) existence, when his parents begat him through mutual affection, and when he was born from the womb (of his mother).

TO BE CONTINUED…………………….