'एक्कश्शिं दिअशे खण्डशो लोहिमच्छे मए कप्पिदे जाव। * ततस्ततः । b एकस्मिन्दिवसे खण्डशो रोहितमत्स्यो मया कल्पितो यावत् । though in-bad-repute, verily must not be abandoned. The same Brahman, who is savage in the act of slaughtering animals, may be (of a disposition) tender with compassion.' Saha-jakula-kramānugata, 'inherited from one's forefathers.' See Indian Wisdom, p. 140 and note. Manu is very peremptory in restricting special occupations to the different castes, especially to the mixed and lowest castes, formed by intermarriage with the others. 'A man of the lowest class, who, through covetousness, lives by the acts of the highest, let the king strip of all his wealth and banish. His own office, though badly performed, is preferable to that of another, though well performed; for he who lives by the duties of another class, immediately falls from his own' (Manu x. 96, 97). Hence we find the employments of fishing, slaughtering animals for food, leather-selling, basket-making, burning the dead, &c. &c., assigned to men born in certain impure castes, and confined perpetually to their descendants. To the higher and purer castes a greater variety of employment was allowed. S. observes that the Brahman is called Shat-karman, from the precept of Manu (i. 88), which enjoins upon him six occupations, viz. reading, teaching, sacrificing, assisting others to sacrifice, giving, and receiving. See Indian Wisdom, p. 244. Under certain circumstances he was allowed by Manu to engage even in trade, and other employments. The sacrifice of animals was enjoined only on the priests of the god Siva. The Brāhman, in the worship of this god, might have to kill animals; but this was as much a necessary part of his business, as killing fish, of the fisherman, and was no proof of any natural cruelty of disposition. S. defines a Srotriya Brahman thus: Janmanā Brāhmaṇo jneyaḥ, sanskārair dvija ućyate, vidyayā yāti vipratvam, tribhiḥ śrotriya ućyate, ‘birth constitutes the title Brahman; sacramental rites (especially that of investiture with the sacred thread), the title Dvija, or twice-born; knowledge, the title Vipra; and all three Srotriya.' The usual definition of this word is, a Brāhman conversant with śruti, or scripture. 1 The Rohita or Rohi fish (Cyprinus Rohita), lit. 'red-fish,' is a kind of carp, found in lakes and ponds in the neighbourhood of the Ganges. It grows to the length of three feet, is very voracious, and its flesh, though a "तश्श उदलब्भन्तले एदं लदणभाशुलं अङ्गुलीअ देक्खियं । पच्छा अह के शे विक्का दंश अन्ते गहिदे भावमिश्शेहिं । मालेह वा । मुश्चेह वा । असं शे आश्रम वुत्तन्ते । b श्यालः। जाणु | विस्सगन्धी गोहादी मच्छबन्धी एव णिस्संसंअं । अङ्गुली अदंसणं से विमरिसिदेव्वं । राउलं एव गच्छामी। रक्षिणौ । ' तह । गच्छ अरे गण्ठिभेदं । ॥ सर्वे परिक्रामन्ति ॥ d श्यालः । 'सू । इमं पुरदुवारे अप्पमत्ता पडिबालह । जाव इमं a तस्योदराभ्यन्तर एतद्रत्नभासुरमङ्गुलीयकं दृष्टम् । पश्चादहमस्य विक्रयाय दर्शयन्गृहीतो भावमित्रैः । मारयत वा । मुञ्चत वा । अयमस्यागमवृत्तान्तः । b जानुक । विस्रगन्धिर्गोघाती मत्स्यबन्ध एव निःसंशयम् । अङ्गुलीयकदर्शनमस्य विमष्टव्यम् । राजकुलमेव गच्छामः । c • तथा । गच्छ अरे ग्रन्थिभेदक । पुरद्वारेऽप्रमत्तौ प्रतिपालयतम् । यावदिदम् d सूचक । इमं coarse, is eaten. Its back is olive-coloured, its belly of a beautiful golden hue, its fins and eyes red. 1 ‘O Jānuka, the villain stinking (as he does) of raw flesh (is) doubtless a fisherman.' Januka is the name of the other policeman, who is supposed to have detected the thief ( jāmuka iti Cora-jnātur apara-padāter nāma, S.) Some Beng. MSS. have jālua ( = jāluka). Visra-gandhi=āmisha-gandhi, C. Go-ghātī, the killing of a cow ( go-hatyā), is reckoned by the Hindus a most heinous crime (cf. Hitop. 1. 162). Hence go-ghatin, 'cow-killer,' is applied as a reproachful epithet to any rogue or low person. Thus in the Mriéćhak. p. 299, 1.4; p. 317, 1. 2, the Cāndāla is called go-ha or go-ghna. 26 ' (But) the finding [seeing, shewing] of the ring by him must be (more closely) inquired into.' Vimarshṭavyam=jijñāsitavyam, S. Root mṛiś with vi has usually the sense of 'to consider,' 'investigate;' but if the root be mrij, the sense would be 'must be pardoned, ' ' overlooked.' K. has vimārshtavyam, from mrij. 3 Granthi-bhedaka, ' cut-purse,' lit. 'knot-breaker' or 'knot-cutter.' The Hindus generally carry their money tied up in a knot in one end of a cloth, which is bound round the waist. जाणु । फुलन्ति मे हत्या इमश्श बज्झश्श शुमणो पिणंडुं । ॥ इति पुरुषं निर्दिशति ॥ पुरुषः । 'ण अलुहदि भावे अकालणमालणे भवितुं । g द्वितीयः ॥ विलोक्य ॥ # एशे अम्हाणं शामी पत्तहत्थे लाअशाशणं पडिच्छि इदोमुहे देखीअदि । गिडवली भविश्शशि शुणो मुहं а c । b प्रवि d नन्वव * अङ्गुलीयकं यथागमनं भर्तुर्निवेद्य ततः शासनं प्रतीष्य निष्क्रमामि । शत्वाबुत्तः स्वामिप्रसादाय । जानुक । चिरायति खल्वाबुत्तः । सरोपसर्पणीया राजानः । ● जानुक । स्फुरतो मे हस्तावस्य बध्यस्य सुमनः पिनडुम् । f नार्हति भावोऽकारणमारणो भवितुम् । 8 एष नौ स्वामी पत्रहस्तो राजशासनं प्रतीष्येतोमुखो दृश्यते । गृधबलिर्भविष्यसि शुनो मुखं 1 • My hands tingle [my fingers itch] to bind a flower (about the head) of this victim [criminal about to be executed].' All the Deva-n. MSS. have sumanah pinaddhum, excepting the Mackenzie, which has sumahanam for sumano. The Beng. have got rid of the difficulty by substituting vyāpādayitum, ‘to kill.' It is clear from what follows that the two policemen expected that their master would return with the king's order for putting the fisherman to death. From the Mālati-m. and other plays, it is evident that a person about to be offered as a victim to Siva or Durgā had a wreath of flowers bound round the head. This was also the case with common criminals, previous to their execution. b श्यालः ॥ प्रविश्य ॥ 'सूअअ । मुञ्चेदु एसो जालोअजीवी । उबबलो किल अअं अङ्गुलीअअस्स आश्रमो । 'जह आबु भणादि । सूचकः । द्वितीयः । d एशे जमशदेणं पविशिअ पडिणिवुत्ते । e ॥ इति पुरुषं परिमुक्तबन्धनं करोति ॥ पुरुषः ॥ श्यालं प्रणम्य ॥ भट्टा । अह कीलिशे मे आजीवे । श्यालः । 'एस भट्टिणा अङ्गुलीअमुल्लसम्मिदो पसांदोवि दाविदो । c ॥ इति पुरुषायार्थं प्रयच्छति ॥ ० भर्तः । " वा द्रक्ष्यसि । b सूचक । मुच्यतामेष जालोपजीवी । उपपन्नः किलायमङ्गुलीयकस्यागमः । • यथाबुत्तो भयति । d एप यमसदनं प्रविश्य प्रतिनिवृत्तः । अथ की दृशो म आजीवः । एष भत्रङ्गुलीयकमूल्य सम्मितः प्रसादोऽपि दापितः । f 1 ‘Thou wilt be food for [an offering to] the vultures, or wilt see the face of a dog.' Gridhra-bali, see p. 179, n. I. Suno mukham, so read all the Deva-n. MSS., excepting the Mackenzie, which omits the clause entirely. Dr. Boehtlingk has adopted as an emendation, sisuno muham, i.e. śiśor [not śiśuno] mukham, and translated ‘or thou wilt see the face of (thy) child (once more).' He has supported this interpretation by a reference to two other passages, one in Act VII. of this play (putramukha-darśanena), another in Mriććhak. p. 303, 1. 4. Doubtless putramukham dris is a common phrase, but the whole point of this passage seems to me to lie in the ludicrous substitution of sunaḥ for putrasya. 2 Yama-sadana, 'the abode of Yama,' i. e. the infernal city, Yama-pur, whither the Hindus believe a departed soul immediately repairs, and receives a just sentence from Yama, the Hindu Pluto or Minos. The name Yama, i. e. Restrainer or Punisher (from yam, ' to restrain'), is given to him as judge of departed spirits and god of punishment. 3 This is said ironically, in reference to p. 219, 1.7, n. 3. 4 Prasāda, properly 'a favour, here a present,' 'a gift' पुरुषः ॥ सप्रणामं प्रतिगृह्य ॥ " भट्ट के अणुग्गहिदम्हि । b c सूचकः । 'एशेणाम अणुग्गहिदे जे शूलादो अवदालिअ हत्यिक्कन्धे पडिट्ठाविदे । जानुकः । आबुत । पालिदीशियं कहेदि तेण अङ्गुलीअएण भट्टिणी शम्मदेण होदेवं । श्यालः । dण तस्तं महारुहं रदणं भट्टिणी बहुमदंति तक्केमि । तस्स दंसणेण भट्टिणो अभिमदो जणी सुमरिदो | मुहुत्तअं पकिदिगम्भीरोबि पज्जुस्सु श्रमणो आसिं । 'शेविदं णाम आबुत्त्रेण । а C सूचकः । * भानुगृहीतोऽस्मि । b एम नामानुगृहीतो यः शूलादवतार्य हस्तिस्कन्धे प्रतिष्ठापितः । आवृत्त | पारितोषिकं कथयति तेनाङ्गुलीयकेन भर्तुः सम्मतेन भवितव्यम् । d न तस्मिन्महार्ह रत्नं भर्तुर्बहुमतमिति तर्कयामि । तस्य दर्शनेन भर्तुरभिमतो जनः स्मृतः । मुहूर्तं प्रकृतिगम्भीरोऽपि पर्युत्सुकमना आसीत् । Sanga | 1 • सेवितं • 'This (fellow) forsooth (may well say he) has been favoured, who, after being made to descend from the stake, has been mounted on the withers of an elephant' Sūla, ' a stake for impaling criminals.' The act of impaling was called sulāropana, and one who deserved it sulya. Mounting on an elephant' denotes elevation to high dignity, elephants being used in triumphal processions. 2 This is the reading of K. Most of the Deva-n. have palidośam kahehi (=paritosham kathaya ). Translate : The present proves [betokens, bespeaks] that this ring must be highly prized by the king.' 6 3 — Though naturally reserved [unruffled, deep, profound] he became for a moment agitated in mind.' Gambhīra, see p. 39, n. 1, and p. 204, n. 3. K. reads pajjassu-ņaano (=paryaśru-nayanaḥ). All Asiatics are skilful in concealing emotion. |