मनु-स्मृतिः
manu-smṛtiḥ
-
chapter-4, verse-245
उत्तमानुत्तमानेव गच्छन हीनांस्तु वर्जयन ।
ब्राह्मणः श्रेष्ठतामेति प्रत्यवायेन शूद्रताम ॥२४५॥
ब्राह्मणः श्रेष्ठतामेति प्रत्यवायेन शूद्रताम ॥२४५॥
245. uttamānuttamāneva gacchan hīnāṁstu varjayan ,
brāhmaṇaḥ śreṣṭhatāmeti pratyavāyena śūdratām.
brāhmaṇaḥ śreṣṭhatāmeti pratyavāyena śūdratām.
245.
uttamānumattamāneva gacchan hīnāstu varjayan
brāhmaṇaḥ śreṣṭhatāmeti pratyavāyena śūdratām
brāhmaṇaḥ śreṣṭhatāmeti pratyavāyena śūdratām
245.
brāhmaṇaḥ uttamānu uttamāneva gacchan hīnāstu
varjayan śreṣṭhatāmeti pratyavāyena śūdratām
varjayan śreṣṭhatāmeti pratyavāyena śūdratām
245.
By associating with the best and avoiding the worst, a brahmin attains excellence; by transgressing, he becomes like a shudra.
Words meanings summery:
(Scroll down for elaborated words morphology)
- उत्तमानुम् (uttamānum) - the best people and those who are not the best (the best and not the best)
- उत्तमानेव (uttamāneva) - with the best people (indeed the best)
- गच्छन् (gacchan) - associating with (going, walking)
- हीनास्तु (hīnāstu) - those who are inferior (inferior and)
- वर्जयन् (varjayan) - avoiding (avoiding, abandoning)
- ब्राह्मणः (brāhmaṇaḥ) - a brahmin (Brahmin)
- श्रेष्ठतामेति (śreṣṭhatāmeti) - attains the highest status (attains excellence)
- प्रत्यवायेन (pratyavāyena) - by a transgression or falling away (by transgression, by sin)
- शूद्रताम् (śūdratām) - the status of a shudra (the state of a Shudra)
Words meanings and morphology
उत्तमानुम् (uttamānum) - the best people and those who are not the best (the best and not the best)
(adjective)
Accusative, masculine, dual of uttamānum
uttamānum - best, excellent
Note: Plural form used for singular or general reference, referring to people of different ranks.
उत्तमानेव (uttamāneva) - with the best people (indeed the best)
(adjective)
Accusative, masculine, dual of uttamāneva
uttamāneva - best, excellent
Note: The 'eva' suffix emphasizes association.
गच्छन् (gacchan) - associating with (going, walking)
(participle)
Nominative, masculine, singular of gacchan
gacchan - going
Present Active Participle
from root gam (to go)
Root: gam (class 1)
Note: Used here idiomatically to mean 'associating with' or 'behaving like'.
हीनास्तु (hīnāstu) - those who are inferior (inferior and)
(adjective)
Accusative, masculine, plural of hīnāstu
hīnāstu - inferior, low, fallen
Note: The 'tu' here functions more as a connective rather than contrastive 'but'.
वर्जयन् (varjayan) - avoiding (avoiding, abandoning)
(participle)
Nominative, masculine, singular of varjayan
varjayan - avoiding
Present Active Participle
from root vṛj (to avoid, to exclude)
Root: vṛj (class 1)
ब्राह्मणः (brāhmaṇaḥ) - a brahmin (Brahmin)
(noun)
Nominative, masculine, singular of brāhmaṇa
brāhmaṇa - Brahmin, one who knows Brahman
derived from brahma(n)
श्रेष्ठतामेति (śreṣṭhatāmeti) - attains the highest status (attains excellence)
(verb)
3rd person , active, present (laṭ) of śreṣṭhatāmeti
compound of śreṣṭhatā (excellence) and eti (goes, comes, attains)
Root: i (class 2)
प्रत्यवायेन (pratyavāyena) - by a transgression or falling away (by transgression, by sin)
(noun)
Instrumental, masculine, singular of pratyavāya
pratyavāya - transgression, fault, sin, drawback, calamity
compound of prati and avaaya
Compound type : dvandva (prati+avāya)
- prati – towards, against, back, in return
indeclinable - avāya – going down, decline, ruin, misfortune
noun (masculine)
from ava + i (to go)
Prefix: ava
Root: i (class 2)
शूद्रताम् (śūdratām) - the status of a shudra (the state of a Shudra)
(noun)
Accusative, feminine, singular of śūdratā
śūdratā - the state or condition of a śudra
derived from śūdra
Note: Indicates becoming or turning into the state of a śūdra.