Manava Dharmashastra 1.1.1

1.1.1

vedāntavedyatattvāya jagattritayahetave | pradhvastāśeṣadoṣāya parasmai brahmaṇe namaḥ | caturbhiḥ padaślokairviśiṣṭakartṛtvamananyapramāṇavedyapuruṣārthopadeśakatvaṃ cāsya śāstrasya pratipādyate pratiṣṭhārtham | pratiṣṭhite hi śāstre kartṛbhiḥ svargayaśasī prāpyete yāvatsaṃsāramanapāyinī ca bhavataḥ | śāstraṃ ca pratiṣṭhāṃ labhate yadi tatra kecidadhyayanaśravaṇacintanādiṣu pravartante | na ca buddhipūrvavyavahāriṇo'dhyayanādiṣvanavadhṛtaprayojanāḥ pravartitumarhanti | ataḥ puruṣārthasiddhāvupāyaparijñānārthamidaṃ śāstramārabhyate ityetatpratipādanārthaṃ ślokacatuṣṭayamācāryaḥ papāṭha | na ca vācyam—“antareṇaivāditaḥ prayojanavacanaṃ vakṣyamāṇaśāstrapaurvāparyaparyālocanayaivedaṃ paryavasyāmaḥ kiṃ tatpratipādanārthena yatneneti | kiṃca | uktamapi prayojanaṃ yāvatpurastānnāvaruṣṭaṃ tāvanna niścīyate | na hi sarvāṇi puruṣavacāṃsyarthe niścayanimittam | na caiṣa niyamaḥ sarvatra prayojanaparijñānapūrvakaiva pravṛttiḥ svādhyāyādhyayane'tannibandhanāyāḥ pravṛtterdarśanāt | pauruṣeyeṣvapi grantheṣu naiva sarveṣu prayojanābhidhānamādriyate | tathāhi | bhagavān pāṇiniranuktvaiva prayojanam ‘atha śabdānuśāsanamiti’ sūtrasaṃdarbhamārabhate” | atrocyate | ārambhe'navadhṛtaprayojanā naiva prathakato granthamupādadīran | anupādānācca kutaḥ śāstraṃ kātsnyena paryālocayeyuḥ | kiṃca paurvāparyaparyālocanayā yo'rtho buddhigocaratāmāvahati sa eva tvāditaḥ saṃkṣepeṇocyamānaḥ sugraho bhavati | taduktam “iṣṭaṃ hi viduṣāṃ loke samāsavyāsadhāraṇamiti” |

The Great Sages, having approached Manu, paid their respect to him in due form, and finding him seated with mind calm and collected, addressed him these words—(1).

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
Salutation to the Supreme Brahman! His real character can be known only from the Vedānta texts; He is the cause of the three worlds; and He destroys all evil.

The first four verses describe the fact of the treatise being the work of a highly qualified author, and of its providing instructions bearing upon such ends of man as are not knowable by means of any other source of knowledge; and this is done for the purpose of indicating its importance (and raising it in the estimation of men). When a treatise has secured high position in the estimation of men, its author obtains fame, and also heaven; and both these continue to exist as long as the world exists. A scientific treatise, has its position established only when people engage in studying, in listening to lectures on, and in pondering over, it. Intelligent persons cannot undertake the said study, etc., until they have satisfied themselves as to the purposes served by them. It is for this reason that, the Teacher has composed the four verses with a view to point out that the Treatise is put forth for the purpose of making known the means of accomplishing the ends of man.

It would not be right here to argue as follows:—“Even without the purpose of the Treatise being stated at the very outset, we could easily ascertain what that purpose is, by examining the several parts of the Treatise going to be propounded; what then is the use of making an effort to describe that purpose? Further, even if the purpose is stated at the very outset, one cannot bo sure of it until be has fully examined the subsequent portions of the Treatise; as a matter of fact, all the assertions that a man may make do not always bring conviction. Nor is it necessary that every undertaking must be preceded by the knowledge of purposes served by it; for instance, we find pupils undertaking the study of the Veda, without knowing beforehand the purposes to be served by that study. In the works of human authors also, the practice of stating the purpose is not always followed. For instance, the revered Pāṇini begins hi s Sutras with the words ‘Now follows the teaching of words,’ without having stated the. purpose to be served by his treatise.”

Our answer to the above is as follows:—Unless people have ascertained the purpose served by a particular Treatise, they would not, in the first place, take it up at all; and unless they take it up, how could they examine the whole of it? Then again, that same idea which is got at by the examination of the entire Treatise, becomes more easily comprehended if it has been briefly indicated in the beginning. It is with reference to this that there is the assertion that—‘in ordinary experience, the learned always consider it desirable to carry ideas in their minds briefly as well as in greater detail.’