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506
LAWS OF MANU.
XII, 99.
99. The eternal lore of the Veda upholds all created beings; hence I hold that to be supreme,
verse Medh. remarks that many other varr. lectt. exist which he omits, because they are useless (vaikitryapâlhântarâni nishprayoganatvan na likhyante). The explanations differ still more than the readings. The translation follows Medh.'s interpretation. According to him the verse means that 'sound and the rest are known to be enjoyable and means of obtaining pleasure through the Veda, as they are perceived in the form of melodies and so forth at the performance of Vedic rites,' but that the Veda is not their material cause, the Vedic rites being secondary actions only with respect to their production' (sabdâdînâm bhogyatvena sukhasadhanânâm vedad eva prasiddhihi vaidikakarmânushthânâd gitâdisabdopapattih .... na punar veda upâdânakaranam .... etad âha prasûtir gunakarmatah I prasütih sabdâdînâm utpattih i tadartham gunakarma phalârthatvật pradhânakarme [ma] ka kitradishu gunadharma (karme) ty uktam). Gov.'s short note in substance agrees with this view (ye svargâdivipratâ (shayâ] upabhogyatvenâbhimatâh sabdâdayo vishayâs te 'bhimatavishayopabhogotpattyartham yad upakârakam karmâgnihotradikam tadanushthånadvârena vedad eva prasidhyanti). According to Kull. the meaning of the compound is, 'through the Vedic rites, (originating from) the (three) qualities (Goodness and so forth, which are the sources of sound and so forth).' Râgh. gives two explanations :'(The elements which are the substrata of) sound, touch, colour, taste, and fifthly (of) smell, are known through the Veda according to their origin, their qualities, and their actions.' Afterwards he gives for the last word an alternative version which closely agrees with Kull.'s view. Nand. says, Sound and so forth, together with their sources, i.e. ether and so forth, with their qualities, i.e. their manifold subdivisions, e.g. the shadga (note), and so forth, and with their actions, i.e. attracting the organs of sensation and so forth, are known from the Veda alone. Når. finally interprets his reading as follows: "(Sound and so forth) are produced from the Veda alone, which is characterised--the affix tasi has the meaning of the third and other cases-by the following, (viz.) the origin, i. e, the cause of production, quality, i.e. excessiveness and so forth, property, i.e. fragrance and so forth' (prasalih ganmahetur i guna utkalatvadi i dharmah surabhitvadih i tritiyâdi tasih i etair upalakshitâd vedât prasidhyanti gâyante).
99. In explanation of the first line the commentators point to
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