V. 217 and 218, Chap. XL

21. The penance prdjdpatya is giv^i in v. 212 of the eleventh chapter.
25. The term chirastifham * stale,' which qualifies every article enumerated, has not been rendered by the translator.
63. The translator has followed the comment rather than the text, in translating the last hemistich of this verse, * but after begetting a child on a parapArvdj he must medidate three days on his impure state.' The text is more general, being any seminal connexion, &c.' For an explanation of parapArvd see V. 163 of this chapter.
66. The translator, in rendering the word rajas by * blood,' has made the legislator adopt a vulgar prejudice to which he was superiour. That word does not mean bloody but, according to the Hindus, the fructifying medium : they apply it equally to the pollen of a flower, or the monthly secretion of a female $ both being indispensaUe to precede production, the one in all vegetable, and the other in the human and in some animal bodies. One of the terms by which this appearance is known in Sanscrit, viz. piiskpa a flower, will strikingly support the idea of an ancient connexion between the popular opinions, of the Gothick and Hindu nations.
71. Every manuscript I have been enabled to consult reads * one,' and not • three days of impurity.'
83. The
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83. The evident order of progression would be sufficient to point out an errour in the number five. The mss. all say fifteen, agreeably to which the text has been restored, as there is no doubt the jerrour is the effect of a mete oversight, perhaps of the printer* This is likewise the opinion of Mr. Coldbrooke^ Hindu Digest, Vol. IL p* 457.
134. The injuhctioB does not a|^ly to vessels contaminated, as here mentione(]^ but to persons after performing any of the natural wants. Indeed, the latter part of the injunction clearly shews iMt personal )p\mty was the object of the notice.
CHAP VI.
Verse 14. The VMatrina is a ftagant grass (andropogon schoenanthus).
The sigruca is a potherb not y^t specified, and is not in the dictionaries. It is different from the stgru^ a tree (morimga guilandina and hyperantheira).
The sUskmdtaca appears to be the same mentioned by Mr. Wil* son under the form sUshmdta, a small tree (cordia myxa).
67. The oataca is the clearing-nut plant (strychnos potatorum). One of the seeds of the plant being rubbed on the inside of the water*jars used in Bengal, occacoons a precipitation of the earthy particles difihsed through the water. Wilson.
77* Instead of * the quality of darkness,* we should read quality of passion,* as the original word is rcffoswabtm, * possess- ing the qudity of passion.*
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CHAP. VII.
Verse 3. The learned translator aeienn to have understood Uie word vidnUS as iii the present tense of the iniddle vcace^ instead of being the prefect partidple eioployed in the ablative absolute to agree with loke^ « on (this) world/ Perhaps the fbOowing will be a more literal interpretation of the verse, which is curious, as shewing the ancient opinion of the Hindus as to l^e origin of sovereignty :
' sides, therefore the Lord created a king, for the maintenance of this system (locomotive and stationary)!^
111. The words • ere long* should be read before • deprived,' and the passage will then stand of his kingdom and life/
118. Wherever wood is mentioned hfere, it is always for the purpose of fuel. The original Word, indhana^ means fuel : i. e. wood, grass, &c. used for that purpose.
119* There appears to be an errour here; for the text states that the ' lord of twenty ' is to have five cula^ each cuia consist* ing of two ploughed lands ; therefore, as the lord of ten villages is to enjoy the produce of two ploughed lands, the lotd of tweaity villages should have that of ten and not five ploi^hed lands.
126. Though the errour of th6 legislator, in assignit^ a spe* cifick sum of money as a remuneration of service, is similar to what our own institutions afford many examples, yet it could not have been attended With so many disadvantages in India as with us, even had the specification been for oilier servants besides those of a king; firstly, because even for a long- coorae of i^es there seems to have been but little variation in the value of ex- changeable produce ; and secondly, because the wages were to be accompanied with a certain quantity of grain, apparently sufficient for the servant's maintenance.
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One pana of copper is at present the equivalent of eighty cowries, and appears to be the original of the fiinam^ now in cur rent use at Madras. In Chi^. VIIL v. 136» it is laid down that a c&rshdpana weighs eighty racticds. The racticd is the seed of the abrus preoatorius» and weighs one grain five-sixteenths. The commentator considers the cdrshdpana and the pana as equal or equivalent to one another.
A dr6na implies two different measures at the present day : its capacity is either one or four ^eTAoca. Now to determine which of these is meant we must be guided by the quantity. An 6£haca is a measure of grain^ weighing seven pounds, eleven ounces avoirdupois. This would be clearly insufficient to sustain a man and his fitmily during a month ; and we must therefore suppose, if either of the present assignable quantities were those contemplated by the legislator, that it must be the larger one, containing thirty pounds, twelve ounces avoirdupois. As rice is mentioned in the text, it would support more persons than could be effected by any other grain ; yet still it seems, if we have the right capacity of the drima^ but very poor pay to iallow even the lowest servant of a king but little better than one pound of rice each day. I cannot help thinking, therefore, that the drina must have been larger in ancient times than either of the two measures already specified. It is likewise to be remembered, that the pana which was to accompany it, would hardly have been sufficient to have purchased the necessary condiments that must be ei^n with the rice, to make it either wholesome or nutritious*
Since writing the foregoing remarks, I find that Mr. Carey in his .Bei^cU^ Dictionary, states that the dd^haca varies in capacity, but is considered to be equal to two mans in the neighbourhood of Cal- cutta. The bazar man being equal to eighty pounds, the drina would consequently contain dx hundred and forty pounds, if it consist* ed of four such dd^haca ; and would be equivalent to about twenty- one pounds of rice per diem. In the Indian Algebra, translated
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by Mr. Colebrod^e (page 3% it is stated that a c^kdH of Magad^ha^ contains a solid cubick foot, aiid that a thrina is the fourth part of a c^hdrL All that can be learnt from these dashing authorities, is the uncertainty of the real capacity
195. By wood is meant fud. See note on v. 118 of this chapter.
202. The words new prince ;' we must therefore read, ^ and let him gratify the new prince and his nobles with gems, and other predons gifts.'
CHAP. VIII.
Verse 77* The words * even ' and * pure ' are omitted here ; and the passage will accordingly read, ^ and will have more weight than even many pure women.'
156. Considerable difficulty attends the interpretation of this verse. Sir William Jones renders chacrccariddhi The word has been before used in these Institutes in the sense of compound interest, which is its usual import Mr. Colebrooke, in his translation of the Dioest, gives a gloss of Chandbswara as well as that of CuLLtircA : both are here subjoined.
on the authority of Chandj^swara : the debtor says, ^ I will pay the debt at such a place, and at such a time }' and the creditor assents to that proposal. Such a creditor is a lender at wheel- interest (compound interest), having bargained fi>r interest of that description. If he pass that place andtime, if he do not go to that place at that time, the creditor shall not reodve such interest, namely, wheel-interest : of coiirse he must receive back the sum lent without interest Hence, even should interest pre* scribed by the law be stipulated for a certain time and place, it shall not be received by the creditor if he do not attend at
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NOTES. 447
that place and time: for that small omission annuls legal in- terest
lender who has accepted that by way of interest, and has agreed on the place and time; for instance, he has agreed^ that ^ a journey to VdrdnasU or the use of a carriage for the year, shall be the only interest:' in such a case^ if the debtor fail in time and place, if he do not carry goods to Vdrdnasi, or do not carry goods during the year, he shall rec^ve the benefit, that is, the whole hire of the carriage : consequently, the whole interest is undis* charged."* Hindu Digest, Vol. L p. 361.
193. The word of this verses and the passage will then read, punished by various degrees of whipping or mtailation, or even by death.^
S34. The word Hx^kcmi, which the translator interprets liquor exuding from their foreheads,' may be equally rendered
ment.
^46. Instead of the namM which occur in the text, the trans- lator has substituted in some Instances the more familiar Sanscrit terms by which they are generally known. Thus, for nyagybd^ha, he has given vatax both imply the ficus Indica. And for as-^ wdtfha^ he writes pippala : they are the same tree, viz. ficus religiosa. Tlie paldsa is likewise substituted fi^r the cinsuca, a tree bearing beautiiul red blossoms, and hence often alluded to by the poets : they are both known as bntea firondosa.
The sdhndU is the silk<>cotton tree (bambu heptaphyllium).
The sdla is the shorea rd>usta.
By
* Note on the above by Mr. Colebrooke. ' I quote unaltered, varies from both comments."
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By the tdla is most probably meant the palmyra-tree, or fan palm (borassus flabelliformis). It likewise implies a species of the mountain palm (cbrypha taliera).
Of the two names brought in from Ike comment as abounding in milky the first or udumbara is. the glomerous fig-tree (ficus glomerata), and the second or vc^radru impUes the various species of euphorbia.
247. By vAtu are intended all the varieties of the bamboo.
Sami is the name for two plants ; viz. the sami*tree or mimosa suma, and a shrub (serratula anthelmintica).
The sara is a sort of reed or grass (saccharum sara).
In Mr. Wilson's Dictionary the cubjaca is mentioned as an aquatick plant (trapa bispinosa), this is not therefore likely to be the one alluded to in this verse ; and we may therdbre suppose it is the same as the cubfa (achyranthes aspera). The attributive affix ca being often subjoined at jdeasure.
268. There is a mistake in the number ^ five hundred,' which is out of all proportion when compared with the other fines : all the Mss. state. remembering how very similar the word panchasat is to panehdsat^ there being but the difference of a long and short vowel between them,
289. The words ♦ flowers, roots, and fruits,' have been omitted in the translation, and should have followed the words « wood or clay.'
299. In opposition to the diciiim of the lawgiver, I feel happy in borrowing a note of Mr. Colebrooke's on this very verse. ** May I quote a maxim of no less authority ? Setdparddhair anitdm pushp^ndpi ne td^yH ; strike not, even with a blossom, a wife guilty of a hundred faults." Hindu Digest, Vol. IL p. 209.
359. Instead of * a man of the servile class,' the text reads * (a man) not a brahmen.' The translator has followed Cull6ca's comment.
375—
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375— 377* I thiok the emplbyment of the word * priestess* hardly admissable, as nothing more is intended by the word brdhmefd than a female brdhmen^, or the wife of Sibrd?men. By the word priestess I am led to understand a ft^tnale cons^ttit^d to direct or perform the offices of religion. By a reference to v. 18, Chap. IX. it will be seen that women can have nothing to do with the offices of religion. See likewise v. 155, Chap., V. *
CHAP. IX.
Verse 108. I am supported by Mr. Colebrooke's authority in reading the first hemistich of this verse, ^ As a father should support his sons, so let the first-bom support his younger brothers,* 6cc. Mr. Colebrooke thinks that Sir William Jones must have read pitaiva instead ofpitSva.
S42. The translator has followed the commentator, in reading * shall be corporally or even capitally punished, according. to cir- cumstances.* The original simply decrees banishment as the pu- nishment of the crime specified in the preceding verses.
CHAP. XI.
Verse 25. The bhdsa is explained to be a vulture, and not a kite, by Mr. Wilson.
49. The colour sydva has been before rendered « black-yellow ' by the translator in v. 153, Chap. III. : here he simply translates it * black.* It is a matter of little or no consequence, but the colour is generally interpreted brown. In Menu it is only em- ployed to describe the teeth.
90. Instead of * this is no expiation,* the original reads expiation is decreed,* &c.
3 M 136. It
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136. It hu just been remarked in the note on v. 25^ that bhdsa is rendered vulture by Mr. Wilson,
Instead of ^ if priests have accepted any properly from base hands/ we should read ' if priests Imve acquired any property by infamous actions/
260. The Mss. state tiiat the sinner should plunge * thrice a day/ and not ^ twice a day/ as perhaps was in Sir William Jones's copy, which he seems to have followed.
CHAP. XII.
The variations from the text in this chapter of the translator's version consist more in amplifications, owing to the translator having followed the comment, and not so much in any verbal ditiferenees. It will be evident, therefore, that no notice could be given of them that would not have swelled these remarks beyond ihe space they were intended to occupy* It will be sufficient for the mere English reader to know, that the general sense of the original has beeti faithfully rendered by the translator.
THE END.
LONDON: PKINTED BY COX AND MA\ Uf, GREAT QUfiEN STRBET.
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289 — 19 — ornamn — ornament
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