Manava Dharmashastra 2.238

2.238

śraddadhāna āstikyopagṛhītāntarātmā'bhiyukto yaḥ śiṣyaḥ sa śubhāṃ vidyāṃ nyāyaśāstrāditarkavidyām | athavā yā śobhate kevalaṃ sā viśadakāvyabharatādividyāvibhūṣitā-mantravidyā vā na dharmopayoginī-tāmavarādapi hīnajātīyādapyādadīta śikṣeta | na tvatra śubhā vedavidyā veditavyā, āpadi vidhirbhaviṣyati ( 241 ), anāpadi tu naiveṣyate | yā tvaśubhā śāmbhavī māyākuhakādi vā tāṃ na kvacit | antyaścāṇḍālastasmādapi yaḥ paro dharmaḥ śrutismṛtyapekṣayā paro'nyaḥ laukikaḥ | dharmaśabdo vyavasthāyāmapi prayujyate | 'eṣo'tra dharma' iti yadi cāṇḍālo'pi brūte- 'atra pradeśe mā ciraṃ sthāḥ', 'mā vā'sminnambhasi snāsīḥ', eṣo'tra grāmīṇānāṃ dharmo, rājñā kṛtā vā maryādeti--na caivaṃ mantavyam- 'upādhyāyavacanaṃ mayā kartavyaṃ dhik cāṇḍālaṃ jālmaṃ yo māṃ niyuṅkte' iti | na punariyaṃ buddhiḥ kartavyā-paro dharmo brahmatattvajñānam | na hi cāṇḍālādestatparijñānasambhavaḥ, vedārthavittvābhāvāt | na cānyatastatsambhavaḥ | na hi vṛścikamantrākṣaravadbrahmopadeśo'sti | strīratnamiva | strīcāsau ratnaṃ ca taditi vā | "upamitaṃ vyāghrādibhiḥ" ( pā0 sū0 2|

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
‘Imbued with faith’—the pupil who is devoted, having his innermost soul imbued with trust in the scriptures.

‘Excellent learning,’—i.e., the science of reasoning as propounded in the Nyāya-śāstra, etc.; or, it may mean ‘that which duly shines,’ i.e., good poetry and poetics as propounded by Bharata and other writers; or, it may mean the ‘science of incantations,’ which is of no use regarding Dharma.

Such learning one might ‘acquire’—learn—‘even from the lowly person,’—i.e., from a person born of a lower caste. ‘excellent learning’ here should not be taken as the ‘Vedic Science’; for even though in abnormal times of distress the learning of the Veda from lower castes may be permitted—as we shall find later on (Verse 241), yet it cannot be permitted in normal times. That learning which is ‘not excellent,’—such as the science of magic, etc.—one should not learn at all.

‘Lowest’ is the Cāṇḍāla; from him even, one may learn the ‘special law,’—i.e., law other than that expounded in Śrutis and Smṛtis; i.e., law relating to ordinary worldly matters. The term ‘dharma,’ ‘law,’ is also used in the sense of rule. The sense thus is that—if even a Cāṇḍāla should say—‘such is the rule here,’—‘do not stay here for long,’—‘do not bathe in this water,’—‘such is the custom among the people of the village,’—‘such is the restriction imposed by the king,’—then one should not think that he should obey only the words of his Preceptor and he need not pay any heed to those of a Cāṇḍāla who has dared to advise him.

We should not take the term ‘special law’ to mean ‘the knowledge of truth regarding Brahman’; because it is not possible to acquire this knowledge from the Cāṇḍāla and such people, for the simple reason that they are ignorant of the Veda; and from no other source such knowledge can be derived; specially as the teaching of Brahman is not like the teaching of incantations for the cure of scorpion-bite, etc.

‘Gem of a wife,’—the wife who is like a gem; the compound being based upon similitude, according to Pāṇini 2.1.56; or, it may be explained according to Pāṇini 2.1.57 (the meaning being the ‘gem-like wife’). If the term ‘gem’ be taken in the sense of any good thing, then the compound is according to 2.1.57; if, on the other hand, the term ‘gem’ be taken as standing only for the emerald, the ruby and other precious stones,—and it is applied to other things only on account of their excellence, in which they resemble precious stones,—then the compound would fall under 2.1.56. The meaning is that if a girl happens to be possessed of a well-formed figure and a charming complexion, and she happens to bear auspicious signs indicative of the possession of much wealth in cash and kind, and the possibility of bearing many children and so forth,—then she should be married, even though she belong to a ‘base family,’—a family wanting in the due performance of religious acts, etc.

This forms an introduction to what is going to be enjoined under 241 et seq. (in connection with abnormal times); and what is here permitted is only when other sources are not available.—(238)