Chapter 11 of Manu Smriti has 266 shlokas. I have said this earlier too. Manu Smriti has specific terms and specific definitions. Take the term स्नातक. In the ashrama classification, there is a brahmacharya stage, during which, one studies. One then steps into the householder or garhasthya stage. A स्नातक will usually be interpreted as someone who has completed studies, has graduated and is about to step into the householder stage. However, 11.1-2 of Manu Smriti tell us that there are 9 types of snatakas – one who marries to have offspring, one who wishes to perform a sacrifice, one who is a traveler, one who has given away all his property, one who begs for his preceptor, his father, or his mother, one who studies and one who is sick. Food and gifts must be given to such people. Several shlokas follow on sacrifices.
Let’s skip those and jump to 11.48. This tells us that because of evil acts in this life and in an earlier life, the appearances of evil-acting men may become distorted and malformed. For example, someone who steals gold will have malformed nails. Someone who drinks liquor (सुरा) will have blackened teeth. Someone who kills a brahmana will suffer from tuberculosis. Someone who has intercourse with a teacher’s wife will have skin disease. (11.49). Someone who indulges in slander or back-biting (पिशुन) will have an evil-smelling nose. Someone who is treacherous (सूचक) will have an evil-smelling mouth, or bad breath. Someone who steals grain will lose a limb. Someone who adulterates will have a diseased limb. (11.50). Someone who steals food will have problems with digestion. Someone who steals the words of the Vedas will become dumb. Someone who steals clothes will have white leprosy. Someone who steals horses will become crippled. (11.51). And so it goes on. You get the general idea.
You must have heard of the term महापातक, grave or major crime. Lists vary as to what constitutes महापातक. 11.55 of Manu Smriti gives us a list of 5 महापातकs - killing a brahmana, drinking सुरा, stealing, having intercourse with a preceptor’s wife and associating with such offenders. However, it doesn’t quite end there. Lies about one’s birth (stating the wrong varna), informing the king (about a crime) and false accusations about the preceptor are equivalent to the killing of a brahmana (11.56). Forgetting the Vedas, criticizing the Vedas, giving false evidence, slaying a well-wisher, eating food that should not be eaten, or swallowing something that is not food are equivalent to drinking सुरा (11.57). Stealing something left in trust, stealing men, stealing horses, stealing silver, stealing land, stealing diamonds and stealing jewels are equivalent to stealing. (11.58). Since stealing has already been covered in 11.55, why do we have these additional clauses on stealing? Probably because, although 11.55 is a general clause on stealing, it actually means stealing the gold of brahmanas, not all kinds of stealing. However, this is an inferred meaning, not something 11.55 obviously states. Finally, having sexual intercourse with one’s sister, with maidens (not someone one has married), with women from low castes, with the wives of one’s friend or one’s son are equivalent to having intercourse with a preceptor’s wife (11.59). In this sense, the list of mahapatakas gets extended. There follows a list of upapatakas or minor crimes and penances if these are committed. Let’s ignore that.
By the way, 11.94 tells us that there are 3 kinds of सुरा. These are known as गौडी, पैष्टी and माध्वी. Though Manu Smriti does not tell us this, गौडी was made from molasses, पैष्टी was made from rice that had been crushed or ground and माध्वी was made from madhuka flowers. But 11.146 mentions another kind of liquor known as वारूणी. I don’t think it is specifically known what kind of liquor this was.
That some kinds of sexual intercourse should be forbidden is understandable. However, I don’t know if it is known that Manu Smriti goes beyond that. For example, 11.173 forbids intercourse with a woman when she is menstruating. 11.173 also forbids intercourse that is not human, though what is inhuman has to be deduced. 11.173 also forbids casting one’s semen in the water, which can be interpreted (though that’s not obvious) as having intercourse in water. 11.174 forbids sodomy, intercourse in water, intercourse during the day and intercourse with a woman in a cart drawn by cattle.
In sum, Chapter 11 is about crimes, punishment and penances, though it is more about crimes and penances/atonements, not that much about punishments meted out by kings. In the next tidbit, we will complete Manu Smriti and its last or 12th chapter
