offers a fascinating glimpse into how ancient lawgivers viewed "public nuisances" and the king's responsibility to protect the moral and social fabric of his capital. The Verse (Sanskrit & Translation)
Gambling is viewed in the Manusmriti not just as a vice, but as a source of severe social disorder, leading to fraud, debt, and familial ruin.
The 225th verse sits within a section that describes "disguised thieves" ( pracchanna-taskara ). The subsequent verse, , explains the rationale for these banishments: these individuals constantly harass "well-behaved people" through their "evil deeds" while living within the protection of the King’s realm.
In ancient Indian political philosophy, a king's primary spiritual and civil duty was to protect his subjects from chaos ( matsya-nyaya , or the law of the fish, where the big fish eat the small). Expelling disruptive elements was considered an act of protection, not arbitrary tyranny.
This verse focuses on maintaining hierarchical respect within the family and social structure. Medhātithi's commentary further clarifies that while no one should be treated with disrespect, transgressions against these specific individuals invite a "heavier expiation" and that "treating with disrespect" includes any form of insult or omission of due honor.
"Yeṣāṃ hi nāsty aṅgakṛtaḥ sadācāro na parāṅmukhaḥ | Tāṃś ca yatnād gopayet tāsāṃ rakṣāṇāṃ hi mūlam idam ||"
The text of Manusmriti Chapter 9, Verse 225 is presented in its original, unaltered Sanskrit form, as transcribed by scholars.
