Manava Dharmashastra 2.1.1

2.1.1

prathamo'dhyāyaḥ śāstrapratipādyārthatattvadarśanārtho'nukrāntaḥ | jagatsṛṣṭayādivarṇanaṃ ca taccheṣameva vyākhyātam | idānīṃ śāstramārabhate | tatra pratijñāto'rtho jagatsargādivarṇanena vyavāyādvismṛta ityanusandhānārthaṃ punaḥ śiṣyānprati bodhayati | yo dharmo bhavatāṃ śuśrūṣitastamidānīṃ mayocyamānaṃ nibodhatāvahitā bhūtvā śṛṇuta | prathame'dhyāye pañcaṣāḥ ślokāḥ prayojanādipratipādanārthāḥ | pariśiṣṭamarthavādarūpam | taccennātisamyagavadhāritaṃ na dharmaparijñāne mahatī kṣatiḥ | iha tu sākṣāddharma upadiśyate | tato'vadhānavadbhiravadhāraṇīyo'yamartha iti punarupanyāsaphalam | dharmaśabda uktārtho'ṣṭakādyanuṣṭhānavacanaḥ | bāhyadarśininastu bhasmakapālādidhāraṇamapi dharmaṃ manyante | tannivṛttyarthaṃ vidvadbhirityādīni viśeṣaṇapadāni | vidvāṃsaḥ śāstrasaṃskṛtamatayaḥ pramāṇaprameyasvarūpavijñānakuśalāḥ | te ca vedārthavido vidvāṃso nānye | yato vedādanyatra dharmaṃ prati ye gṛhītaprāmāṇyāste viparītapramāṇaprameyagra haṇādavidvāṃsa eva | etacca mīmāṃsātastattvato niścīyate | santaḥ sādhavaḥ pramāṇaparicchinnārthānuṣṭhāyino hitāhitaprāptiparihārārthāya yatnavantaḥ | hitāhitaṃ ca dṛṣṭaṃ prasiddham | adṛṣṭaṃ ca vidhipratiṣedhalakṣaṇam | tadanuṣṭhānabāhyā asanta ucyante | ata ubhayamatropāttaṃ jñānamanuṣṭhānaṃ ca | vidyamānatāvacanaḥ sacchabdo na sambhavati, ānarthakyāt | yadi yena sevyate tattaṃna vidyamānenaiva | sevā'nuṣṭhānaśīlatā | bhūtapratyayenānādikālapravṛttatāmāha | nāyamaṣṭakādidharmo'dyatve kenacitpravartita itaradharmavat | etadeva nityaśabdena darśayati |

Learn that Dharma, which has been ever followed by, and sanctioned by the heart of, the learned and the good, who are free from love and hate.—(1)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
The First Discourse was undertaken for the purpose of showing the real character of the subject-matter dealt with by the Treatise; the description of the creation of the World and such other subjects have also been explained as supplementary to the said delineation of the subject-matter of the Treatise. It is now that the Treatise actually begins. As the promised subject of the Discourse, interrupted by the description of world-creation and such other subjects, may have been lost sight of,—the Teacher again addresses his pupils with a view to recall the subject to their minds.

That ‘Dharma,’ which you desired to learn is now being expounded by me,—please now ‘learn,’—i.e., be attentive and listen.

In Discourse I, five or six verses (85—91) were meant to point out the purpose of the Treatise; the rest of it is mere ‘declamatory description’ (Arthavāda). So that, if all that has not been carefully learnt, there is not much harm; in the present Discourse however ‘Dharma’ itself is being directly expounded; hence this subject should be carefully learnt. This is the meaning of the re-iteration (in this verse, of Dharma being the subject-matter of the Treatise).

The term ‘dharma,’ as already explained, denotes the performance of the Aṣṭakā and such other prescribed acts. External philosophers regard as ‘dharma’ also such acts as the wearing of ashes, the carrying of begging-bowls, and so forth;—and it is with a view to exclude these from the category of ‘Dharma’ that the author adds the qualifications—‘followed by the learned,’and so forth.

The ‘learned’ are those whose minds have been cultured by the study of the sciences; those that are capable of discerning the real character of the means of knowledge and the objects of knowledge. The ‘learned’ (meant here) are those who know the real meaning of the Veda, and not others. In fact those persons that admit sources other than the Veda to be the ‘means of knowledge’ in regard to Dharma are ‘unlearned,’ ‘ignorant’; in as much as their notions of the means and objects of knowledge are wrong. That this is so, we learn thoroughly from Mīmāmsā (Sūtra, Adhyāya I).

The ‘Good,’—i.e., righteous men; those who translate into action what is known from authoritative sources, and who always try to obtain what is wholesome and avoid what is not wholesome;—what is ‘wholesome’ and ‘not wholesome’ among visible things is well known; among the ‘Unseen,’ that which forms the subject of ‘Injunction’ is ‘wholesome,’ while that which forms the subject of ‘prohibition’ is ‘not wholesome.’ Those who are outside the said pale of acting in accordance with the said authoritative sources of knowledge are called ‘not good’ (unrighteous). It is for these reasons that both knowledge and acting have been mentioned here (by means of the two epithets, ‘learned’ and ‘good’).

It is not possible for the term ‘saṭ' (in ‘sadbhiḥ’) to be taken in the sense of existing at the present time; because in this sense the epithet would be entirely superfluous: when a certain thing is ‘followed’ by one, it is only when this latter exists at the time [so that existence would be already implied by the other epithet.]

By ‘following’ in the present context is meant capability of acting (in conformity with). The Past-participial affix (in ‘sevitaḥ,’ ‘followed’) indicates the fact of the Dharma having been in force from times without beginning. As a matter of fact, such Dharma as consists of the Aṣṭakā and other rites are not, like ordinary Dharmas or Duties, set up by any person during the present time. This same fact is also indicated by the term ‘ever.’ (The sense is that) this Dharma has continued ever since the world-process has been going on. All other extraneous Dharmas, being set up by ignorant and wicked persons, though they may obtain currency for some time, drop out in course of time; no mere delusion can continue for thousands of ages. True knowledge on the other hand, even though it may for a time be shrouded by ignorance, shines forth in all its brilliance, upon the destruction of that ignorance. Being by its very nature, pure and brilliant, it can never undergo entire destruction.