Sanskrit Tidbits-24:Brahmin and Sanatan Dharma as per Manusmriti
सत्यं ब्रुयात्प्रियं ब्रुयान्न ब्रुयात्सत्यमप्रियम।
प्रियं च नानृतं ब्रुयादेष धर्मः सनातनः॥
You have probably heard this. You have certainly heard the first line of the shloka. “Let him (we will come to the “him” part later) speak the truth. Let him speak what is pleasant. Let him not speak a truth that is unpleasant.” Does that mean one should lie, if the truth is unpleasant? Sometimes, people who translate, or read, only the first line of the shloka think that is what has been said. Not quite. Read the second line. “Let him not utter an unpleasant falsehood. This is eternal dharma.” In other words, there is no injunction to lie. What you may not know is that this shloka is actually from Manu Smriti, 4.138, the 138th shloka in the fourth chapter. This may be a principle that everyone should follow. However, this 4th chapter is on codes of conduct for brahmanas.
A brahmana must spend the first quarter of his life in his preceptor’s household, studying. He will then marry and spend the second quarter of his life in his own household (4.1). These are respectively, the brahmacharya and garhasthya stages. The last two quarters are vanaprastha and sannyasa. There are many today who pride themselves on being brahmanas by birth and assume that the supremacy accorded to brahmanas in a text like Manu Smriti, automatically applies to them. My understanding of Manu Smriti is that you don’t become a brahmana simply by birth. To become a true brahmana, you also need to follow the codes of conduct laid down for brahmanas, such as in 4.4.
ऋतामृताभ्यां जीवेत्तु मृतेन प्रमृतेन वा।
सत्यनृताभ्यामपि वा न श्ववृत्या कदाचन॥
A brahmana can earn a livelihood through ऋत, मृत, अमृत, प्रमृत and even सत्यनृत, but never through श्ववृत्ति. Doesn’t help us too much, unless we know what these different methods of sustenance mean. Of course, these words have general meanings. However, shloka 4.5 tells us what these exactly mean in the given context. Rita is the unchhavritti. When grain is threshed, fragments are left. If you collect this left-over grain and subsist on this, this is unchhavritti. Mrita means subsistence on food that is obtained through begging. Amrita means subsistence on food that is obtained, even though one does not ask for it. It is food that is freely given to brahmanas. Pramrita is food obtained through agriculture, the actual act of tilling. Satyanrita is subsistence based on trade. (Notice this is being recommended for brahmanas, not vaishyas.) Finally, shvavritti is the conduct of dogs. However, 4.5 tells us what this means in the given context. In the given context, shvavritti means servitude or service. A brahmana must never resort to this. Interpreted in those strict norms laid down by Manu Smriti, there are few brahmanas who fit the bill now.
नाश्नीयाद्भार्यया सार्धं नैनामीक्षेत चाश्नतीम्
I mentioned the practice of husband and wife eating after guests (and others) in an earlier tidbit. This little bit above is from 4.43 and applies to brahmanas alone. It says that you (a brahmana) must not eat with your wife. Nor must you look at her while she is eating. I still find brahmana households who follow this. The wife does not eat with the husband. However, a little later, the same Manu Smriti states, न मुत्रं पथि कुर्बीत. That is, you must not urinate on the road, a stricture that is freely violated. There are several additional conditions on how and where you can urinate and ease yourself. Ignore the fact that all this is in a chapter meant for brahmanas. Manu Smriti was put together at a certain point in time, reflecting of the norms then. It seems a bit strange that we should invoke parts of it to suit our preferences now, and ignore the rest. If you are going to follow it as a true brahmana, do not sing, dance or play musical instruments (4.64). Eat when your feet are still wet after washing them (4.76). That is, do not dry your feet before eating.
What happens to a boat that is made of stone? It sinks into the water. In that way, a brahmana who does not perform austerities, or does not study, but happily accepts gifts, sinks (4.190). Sinks into hell that is, together with the person who has given such an undeserving brahmana gifts. Indeed, if you know about dharma, you should never give gifts to a brahmana who is wicked and is not learned and acts like a cat or like a crane (4.192). I am not sure why a cat or a crane/stork/heron have been singled out. Perhaps they were examples of the undeserving. Actually, 4.195 and 4.196 explain this a bit. You may brandish the banner of dharma, but you may be avaricious, act with deceit towards people and be a hypocrite. In these cases, you act like a cat. You may be selfish, falsely modest, but actually dishonest. Despite that, you have a downcast look. In these cases, you act like a crane/stork/heron. How will you translate the words yama and niyama? Yama is restraint, niyama is rituals. Both are familiar expressions in ashtanga yoga. Manu Smriti 4.206 tells us that learned people (brahmanas) always follow yama, but need not necessarily follow niyama. If you follow niyama, but do not follow yama, you are destined to sink. Read thus, the rituals prescribed in Manu Smriti are not the important part and it is important to remember this.
If you remember, I told you that the shlokas of Manu Smriti are in twelve chapters. This tidbits has been about the 4th and this chapter is entirely about the conduct of brahmanas. So if you see a shloka from the 4th chapter, do remember that it is for brahmanas.