Manava Dharmashastra 1.1.3

1.1.3

dvaye ca pratipattāraḥ- nyāyapratisaraṇāḥ prasiddhipratisaraṇāśca | tatra “manurvai yatkiṃcāvadattadbheṣajamiti”- “ṛco yajūṃṣi sāmāni mantrā ātharvaṇāśca ye saptarṣibhistu yatproktaṃ tatsarvaṃ manurabravīd ” tyādyarthavādetihāsapurāṇādibhyaḥ prakhyātaprabhāvaḥ- loke tatprasiddhayaiva vā nirūpitamūlapātena prajāpatinaivatpraṇītamityetāvataiva-śrotriyāḥ pravartanta iti | tānprati kartṛviśeṣasaṃbandho'pi pravṛttyaṅgam | ata eva ca praśnaprativacanabhaṅgyā prayojanopanyāsaḥ | maharṣayaḥ praṣṭāraḥ prajāpatirvaktā, dharmalakṣaṇaścārtho na lokāvagamyaḥ, śāstraikagocaro'yam yatra maharṣayo'pi saṃśerata iti evaṃ para ādeśo'pi- sa taiḥ pṛṣṭa iti, nāhaṃ pṛṣṭa iti-tathā''tmano brahmaṇo'kṛtrimapratimatvaṃ cetyevamādiḥ | tadvyutpādanārtho yuktaḥ śāstrārambha iti ślokacatuṣṭayasya tātparyam | yathā cānena puruṣārthopadeśaparatā śāstrasyocyate tathā padārthayojanātpratipādayiṣyāmaḥ | tatra manumabhigamya maharṣaya idaṃ vacanamabruvan ‘dharmanno vaktumarhasīti’ | sa pṛṣṭaḥ pratyuvāca ‘śrūyatāmiti’ | evaṃ praśnaprativacane ekārthapratipādake tātparyeṇa bhavataḥ | ato dharmā atra pratipādyanta ityuktaṃ bhavati | dharmaśabdaśca loke śreyaḥsādhane pratyakṣādibhirlaukikaiḥ pramāṇaiḥ śabdāditarairavihite prayujyate | ataḥ sa śrūyatāmiti saṃbandhe viśiṣṭapuruṣārthasādhanatvamuktaṃ bhavati |

Of enquirers (and students) there are two classes,—one following reasoning, and another following tradition. The former of these take up the study of Manu; because they know the importance and greatness of the author and his work from such texts as—‘whatever Manu said is wholesome’ (Kāṭhaka, 11.5), and ‘Manu has said all that has been said in the Ṛgveda, the Yajurveda, the Sāmaveda and the Mantras of the Atharva, as also by the Seven Great Sages.’ And those of the latter class undertake it merely under the influence of the tradition, the source of which they have carefully investigated—that the treatise has been composed by Prajāpati himself. And for the sake of such persons, the mentioning of the name of the Author also is a factor leading to action (towards s tudy).

It is for these reasons that we have here the laying out of the aim of the Treatise, in the form of question and answer: The Great Sages are the questioners, Prajāpati is the expounder, and the subject is Dharma, which being not amenable to the ordinary means of knowledge, can be known only from the Śāstras (Scientific Treatises),—it is so difficult that even the Great Sages have doubts in regard to it. That Prajāpati is the actual expounder is indicated by the words of the text itself, which says—being questioned by them,’ and not ‘I, being questioned by them’; and of himself again Manu speaks (12.123) as being the natural image (representative) of Brahmā. Thus an effort is necessary for the expounding of the Law. Such is the sense of the first four verses.

In what manner the present Treatise is made up of Instructions bearing upon the ends of man we shall show by the interpretation of the words of the text.

Now, in the text we have tho declarations—(l) ‘the Great Sages, having approached Manu, said to him—‘do please expound to us the Duties of Man,’ and (2) ‘being thus questioned by them, He said—‘listen’; and these two—the question and its answer—in their import, are expressive of the one idea that the Treatise expounds the Dharmas; (he word ‘Dharma’ is in common parlance used in the sense of that means of accomplishing one’s good which is not cognisable by any of the ordinary means of knowledge, with the sole exception of ‘word.’ Hence when it is said ‘listen to Dharma,’ what is meant is that what is going to be expounded is conducive to the fulfilment of the higher ends of man.