DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.52452#0044
NARADA.
16
and difficult to understand. Therefore (the king)
must try causes according to the visible path.
* 42. One who has never committed robbery may
be charged with robbery. An actual robber, on the
other hand, may be acquitted of the charge of
robbery. MaWavya was tried and declared to be
a robber.
*43. In the case of a woman, at night, outside of
internal or circumstantial evidence, or it may mean a sound
decision. A. Gautama XI, 24.
42. ‘ Justice has been stated (in 41) to be difficult to attain,
because a man may be suspected to be a thief merely on account
of stolen chattels being found amongst his property. Thus the
great sage Maw<7avya even was reproached with theft by an in-
judicious king, because, faithful to his vow of silence, he did not
make a reply when he was charged with theft. Therefore it is
necessary to adhibit great care in discerning righteous men from
evil-doers.’ A. The history of MaWavya is related in the Maha-
bharata I, 4306 foil. A gang of robbers (Dasyus) being pursued
by a guard, dropped their booty in the habitation of Ma«<Zavya the
ascetic, and hid themselves in his hermitage. Soon after, their
pursuers arrived, and asked Mara^avya in which direction the
robbers had proceeded. The saint made no reply, whereupon the
guard took to searching the hermitage, in which they discovered
both the robbers and the stolen chattels. The thing looking sus-
picious, they conducted both the saint and the robbers before the
tribunal of the king, who ordered the saint to be tied to a stake.
However, though tied to the stake and left without food, the saint
remained alive. After some time, the king ordered him to be
released, and asked his forgiveness for the ill-usage offered to him.
43. ‘In the case of a woman,’ i. e. if the lawsuit has been insti-
tuted by a wife or daughter; or if it has been decided by a woman.
‘ At night,’ as the night is the proper time for sleeping, and not the
proper time for attending to judicial business; for it is obviously
impossible to try a cause at night. ‘ Outside of the village,’ means
‘ in the wood.’ A lawsuit, when decided in one of these places
(or special circumstances), is not finally decided and settled; the
cause has therefore to be tried anew. Such is the meaning of
this rule. A.
16
and difficult to understand. Therefore (the king)
must try causes according to the visible path.
* 42. One who has never committed robbery may
be charged with robbery. An actual robber, on the
other hand, may be acquitted of the charge of
robbery. MaWavya was tried and declared to be
a robber.
*43. In the case of a woman, at night, outside of
internal or circumstantial evidence, or it may mean a sound
decision. A. Gautama XI, 24.
42. ‘ Justice has been stated (in 41) to be difficult to attain,
because a man may be suspected to be a thief merely on account
of stolen chattels being found amongst his property. Thus the
great sage Maw<7avya even was reproached with theft by an in-
judicious king, because, faithful to his vow of silence, he did not
make a reply when he was charged with theft. Therefore it is
necessary to adhibit great care in discerning righteous men from
evil-doers.’ A. The history of MaWavya is related in the Maha-
bharata I, 4306 foil. A gang of robbers (Dasyus) being pursued
by a guard, dropped their booty in the habitation of Ma«<Zavya the
ascetic, and hid themselves in his hermitage. Soon after, their
pursuers arrived, and asked Mara^avya in which direction the
robbers had proceeded. The saint made no reply, whereupon the
guard took to searching the hermitage, in which they discovered
both the robbers and the stolen chattels. The thing looking sus-
picious, they conducted both the saint and the robbers before the
tribunal of the king, who ordered the saint to be tied to a stake.
However, though tied to the stake and left without food, the saint
remained alive. After some time, the king ordered him to be
released, and asked his forgiveness for the ill-usage offered to him.
43. ‘In the case of a woman,’ i. e. if the lawsuit has been insti-
tuted by a wife or daughter; or if it has been decided by a woman.
‘ At night,’ as the night is the proper time for sleeping, and not the
proper time for attending to judicial business; for it is obviously
impossible to try a cause at night. ‘ Outside of the village,’ means
‘ in the wood.’ A lawsuit, when decided in one of these places
(or special circumstances), is not finally decided and settled; the
cause has therefore to be tried anew. Such is the meaning of
this rule. A.