Manava Dharmashastra 1.81

1.81

catvāraḥ pādā yasya sa catuṣpāddharmaḥ | yāgādeśca dharmatvāttasya cānuṣṭheyasvabhāvatvādvimahābhāvātna pādaśabdaḥ śarīrāvayavavacanaḥ, kiṃ tarhi aṃśamātravacanaḥ | na hi dharmasya śarīramasti puruṣavidhaṃ paśupakṣyādividhaṃ vā| tena svāṃśaiścaturbhirupetaścatuṣpāducyate| tena yo'yaṃ dharmaḥ catuṣpātsakalaḥ kṛtayugaāsīt | yāgasya tāvatprayogāvasthasya catvāro hotukāḥ, hotā brahmā udgātā adhvaryuriti | catvāro varṇāḥ kartāra āśramā vā | sarvathā yāvānvede dharma uktaḥ sa sarvastasminkāle'śatato'pi na hīnaḥ aviguṇaḥ sarvo'nuṣṭhīyate | bāhulyena catuḥsaṅkhyā | evaṃ dānādiṣvapi yojyam | dātā dravyaṃ pātraṃ bhāvatuṣṭiḥ | athavā yāgadānatapāṃsi jñānaṃ ca | tathā vakṣyati—‘tapaḥ paramiti’ |
athavā dharmapratipādakaṃ vākyaṃ dharmaḥ | tasya ca catvāraḥ pādāḥ catvāri padajātāni | nāmākhyāte copasarganipātāśca | tathā cāha | “catvāri vākparimitā padāni | tāni vidubrāhmaṇā ye manīṣiṇaḥ” [ ṛgveda 1|
164|45 ] | manasa īṣiṇaḥ samarthā vidvāṃso dhārmikāḥ | adyatve tu ‘guhāyāṃ trīṇi nihitāni neṅgayanti’ | na hi prakāśante | ‘turīyaṃ vācaṃ manuṣyā vadanti” | caturtha bhāgaṃ vaidikā manuṣyā vadanti | etaduktaṃ bhavati ādauna vedavākyaṃ kiṃcidantaritam, na ca kācidvedaśākhā | adyatve tu bahvantaritam |
satyaṃ caivaṃ sakalamityanuṣaṅgaḥ | satyapi satyasya vihitatvādaṅgatve prādhānyārthaṃ pṛthagupadeśaḥ, hetvarthe vā | sakalasya dharmānuṣṭhānasya satyaṃ hetuḥ | yetvanṛtinaste lokāvarjanārthaṃ kiṃcidanutiṣṭhantyanyat tyajanti |
nādharme niṣiddhena mārgeṇa kaścidāgamo vidyā vā'rtho vā'nuṣṭhāturupavartate āgacchati yugasvābhāvyāt | na manuṣyā adharmeṇa vidyāmāgamayanti nāpi dhanamarjayanti | vidyādhane dharmānuṣṭhānakāraṇe, tatpariśuddhiḥ sakaladharmasadbhāvasya hetutvenānenocyate |

In the Kṛta Cycle Virtue exists in its perfect form, with all its four feet; and so does Truth;—No benefit accrues to men by vice—(81).

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
Virtue is that which has “four feet.” What constitutes ‘virtue’ is the action of sacrifice and the like; and as this latter is something to he performed, it has no body; hence the word ‘feet’ in the text cannot be taken as denoting the part of a body; it stands for ‘part’ or ‘factor.’ As a matter of fact, Virtue has no body, either like men or like birds and animals. Hence what is meant by Virtue having all its ‘four feet’ is that it is equipped with all its four factors. The meaning of the text thus is that such virtue as is perfect and equipped with its four factors existed in the Kṛta Cycle.—[The ‘four factors’ are now illustrated]—At the sacrifice, when it is in course of performance, there are four priests—viz., the ‘Hotṛ,’ the ‘Brahman,’ the ‘Udgātṛ’ and the ‘Adhvaryu’;—of the performers there are four castes, or four life-stages. ‘Virtue’ as it is described in the Veda was performed during that cycle in its entire and perfect form; i.e., it was not deficient in even the smallest factor, and it was not wanting in any of its details. The number ‘four’ is applicable to Virtue in many ways. For instance, in the case of the action of ‘giving’ also, there is the giver, the thing given, the recipient and his satisfaction. Or the ‘four factors’ of Virtue may be sacrifice, charity, austerity, and knowledge. This would he in accordance with what is going to be described in verse 86 as regards ‘Austerity’ being the chief virtue in the Kṛta age.

Or, the term ‘Dharma’ ‘Virtue’ in the text, may be taken as standing for the words descriptive of Virtue; and of such words the ‘four feet’ are the four kinds of words—Nouns, Verbs, Prepositions and Indeclinables. This is thus declared in Ṛgveda 1.164.45—‘There are four words contained in speech, these the wise Brāhmaṇas know’—(in this passage) the epithet ‘manīsiṇaḥ,’ ‘wise,’ stands for those ‘who are of powerful minds,’ i.e., learned, virtuous;—(the passage goes on) ‘these, placed in the cave, do not appear to view,’—i.e., are not perceptible—‘the fourth speech people speak’—the fourth, people versed in the Veda speak. The meaning of this passage is that—‘in the beginning, no Vedic sentence was hidden from view, nor was any Vedic Rescensional Text lost, while now a days, much has become lost.’

‘So does truth,’—that is, truth also exsists in its perfect form. Though truth also, being what is prescribed in the Veda, is a ‘virtue’ (and as such already included in the latter term), yet it has been separately mentioned with a view to show its special importance, or to indicate that it forms the basis of all virtues, the performance of ‘virtue’ in its entire form is based upon truth; and those who are untruthful, perform, for the purpose of gaining popularity, only a part of what constitutes ‘virtue’ and ignore the rest of it.

‘By vice’—i.e., by following the prohibited path ,—‘no benefit’—in the shape of either learning or wealth,—‘accrues’—comes—to the performer; this is by virtue of the special character of the age. (During that age) men do not acquire learning, nor do they earn wealth, by vicious means. Learning and wealth are the means by which virtuous acts are performed; hence when it is said that these are pure, what is meant is that this is what tends to virtue being performed in its entire and perfect form—(81).