Verse 3.95

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

यत् पुण्यफलमाप्नोति गां दत्त्वा विधिवद् गुरोः ।
तत् पुण्यफलमाप्नोति भिक्षां दत्त्वा द्विजो गृही ॥ ९५ ॥

yat puṇyaphalamāpnoti gāṃ dattvā vidhivad guroḥ |
tat puṇyaphalamāpnoti bhikṣāṃ dattvā dvijo gṛhī || 95 ||

The twice-born householder, giving alms, obtains the same reward for merit which reward for merit one obtains by giving a cow, in the proper form, to his Teacher.—(95)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

That une should always give food to one in want of it, according to his means—(having been declared in the preceding verses), the present verse supplies another incentive.

The reward that one obtains by giving a cow to the Teacher is obtained by giving alms ; i.e., it does not differ in any way from that of the giving of a cow. In another Smṛti, the giving of the cow has been described as buying ‘all rewards,’ and also as ‘freeing from all sins.’ Whenever a text declares that same rewards follow from the rendering of small help und of greater help, we should understand that there will be a difference in the quantity, as there is in ordinary life. That is, the same reward is obtained, but it does not continue for an equally long time. [There must be some such difference] for there is the well-known maxim—‘what wise man will buy with ten pice a thing that can be obtained for only one?’ If the results in the two casus were really equal in all respects, then there would be no use in undertaking the work that requires u greater effort.

Some people read ‘gāndatvā guryathāvidhi’ (‘by the person without cows giving a cow’); and in this case, the negative particle (in the compound ‘aguḥ,’ ‘without cows’) means few; i.e., one who possesses only a few cows.

‘Merit’ is meritorious act; the reward of this.—(95)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted without comment in Vīramitrodaya (Āhnika, p. 434).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Viṣṇu (59.15).—‘One acquires the merit of giving away the cow, if he gives food to one who is seeking for alms.’

Viṣṇu (67.28, 32, 44, 46).—‘By honouring the guest, one obtains the highest reward: by worshipping him, he attains heaven; neither by Vedic Study, nor by Agnihotra, nor by sacrifices and Purāṇas does the Householder attain those regions which he attains by the honouring of the guest; shelter, bed, oiling of the feet and light, by giving to the guest each one of these, one obtains the same reward that one does by giving a cow.’