Verse 3.83

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

एकमप्याशयेद् विप्रं पित्र्यर्थे पाञ्चयज्ञिके ।
न चैवात्राशयेत् किं चिद् वैश्वदेवं प्रति द्विजम् ॥ ८३ ॥

ekamapyāśayed vipraṃ pitryarthe pāñcayajñike |
na caivātrāśayet kiṃ cid vaiśvadevaṃ prati dvijam || 83 ||

At that (Śrāddha) which forms part of the Five Sacrifices, one should feed even one Brāhmaṇa in honour of the pitṛs; and on this occasion he shall not feed any Brāhmaṇa in honour of the Viśve-devas.—(83)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

Since the offering to the Viśvedevas has been enjoined under the name ‘Śrāddha,’ it would follow that the entire procedure of the Śrāddha has to be gone through at that offering also; hence the present verse proceeds to preclude a certain portion of that procedure. ‘On this occasion’—of the daily Śrāddha—one should not feed any Brāhmaṇas in honour of the Viśvedevas,—i.e., with reference to these.

On this point, some people make the following observations:—“Since feeding is already understood as forming part of the Śrāddha, the presence of the verb ‘should feed’ in this verse indicates that this feeding is something new (different from the feeding that forms an integral part of all Śrāddhas.) Hence the Śrāddha that is laid down in the present verse is to be regarded as consisting merely in the act of feeding one Brāhmaṇa, and there is nothing else to be done at it, in the shape of the offering of a vessel of water, oblations, and so forth; nor are the restraints relating to ‘avoidance of sexual intercourse,’ ‘omitting of Vedic Study,’ and so forth to be observed in this connection.”

‘Should feed even one Brāhmaṇa’—the number of Brāhmaṇas to be fed having been fixed at three,—and what is said (under 3.125) regarding the feeding of ‘one at each of the two’ not being of.the nature of an Injunction—the number ‘one,’ which has not been indicated by any other authority, is what is distinctly enjoined here;—the sense being that ‘one should feed even one Brāhmaṇa,—but also many, if possible.’

‘In honour of the pitṛs’—i.e., for the purpose of satisfying the pitṛs.

‘That which forms part of the Five Sacrifices’—i.e., that which is included among the Five Sacrifices; this term being used here in the sense of ‘Śrāddha;’ what is spoken of as ‘what forms part of the Five Sacrifices’ is not the Tarpaṇa—offering (of water); but the combination of this water—offering and the feeding of the Brāhmaṇa. The optional alternative to this shall be described below, under 3.283.—(83)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Āhnika, p. 432), where the following notes are added:—‘Pāñcayajñike’ means ‘at that Pitṛyajña which forms part of the Five Great Sarifices;’—the particle ‘api’ implies that, if possible, one should feed several Brāhmaṇas also;—the second half of the verse means that ‘Viśvedeva-Śrāddha’ does not form part of ‘Nityaśrāddha’, in support of which it quotes a text from Bhaviṣya Purāṇa;—also in Hemādri (Śrāddha, p. 1565).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Viṣṇu-Smṛti (95.65.66).—‘May some such person be born in our family, as would make to us offerings of water out of deep rivers, specially those whose water is cool! May some excellent man be horn in our family who, with mind composed, would offer Śrāddha to us at Gayā, under the banyan tree!’

Yājñavalkya (1.104).—‘Daily should food and water he offered to Pitṛs and Men; one should constantly carry on Vedic study; he shall not cook food for himself alone.’

Mahābhārata (13.97.8).—(Reproduces Manu 82.)

Vaśiṣṭha (11.2.4).—‘Or he may feed a single Brāhmaṇa fully learned in the Veda, endowed with learning and character, and free from all evil characteristics.’

Vaśiṣṭha (Vīramitrodaya-Āhnika, p. 430).—‘Having made the offering to the Vedic Scholar, and to the Religious Student, he shall make it to the Pitṛs, and then feed the guests.’

Chandogapariśiṣṭa (Do., p. 431)—‘For the fulfilment of the offering to the Pitṛs, he may feed at least one Brāhmaṇa;...... if there is no one present to he fed, or if there is not sufficient food left, he shall take up as much food as there may be and offer it daily to Pitṛs and Men.’

Ādi-purāṇa (Do.).—‘In honour of all the six Pitṛs, he may feed at least one Brāhmaṇa every day.’

Mārkaṇḍeya-purāṇa (Do., p. 432).—‘Every day, one shall offer śrāddha, either with food or with water; and in honour of the Pitṛs, he shall feed several Brāhmaṇas, or a single one.’

Yogi-Yājñavalkya (Do.).—‘Every day one shall offer śrāddha to the Pitṛs, either with food or with water.’

Vyāsa (Do., p. 433).—‘At the daily śrāddha, the Viśvedevas are to be omitted.’

Bhaviṣya-purāṇa (Do.).—‘At the daily śrāddha, there is to he no offering to the gods.’

Puraṇa (Do.).—‘That which is called the daily śrāddha is observed as being devoid of the offering to the gods; it is offered to only six ancestors, and there is to be no offering of balls or the sacrificial fee.’

Laghu-Hārīta (Aparārka, p. 145).—‘At the daily śrāddha, there is to he no offering to the gods, also no water-offering or hall-offering.’

Matsya-purāṇa (Aparārka, p. 115).—‘The daily śrāddha I am going to describe as without the water-offering or the invocation, and also without the offering to gods.’

Kātyāyana (Aparāka, p. 145).—‘For the accomplishment of the Pitṛyajña, one shall feed at least one Brāhmaṇa, without making any offering to the gods. If there is no Brāhmaṇa available, a small quantity of food should be taken out and offered to Pitṛs and Men.’

Pracetas (Aparārka, p. 140).—‘The daily offering is not to be made into fire; there is to he no invocation, nor dismissal.’

Nārāyaṇa (Aparārka, p. 146).—‘Having invited one or several śrotriyas, making them sit facing the east......... he shall offer him water and seat; and also water for washing, after he has eaten the food offered to him to the best of one’s capacity.’