Verse 3.129

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

एकैकमपि विद्वांसं दैवे पित्र्ये च भोजयेत् ।
पुष्कलं फलमाप्नोति नामन्त्रज्ञान् बहूनपि ॥ १२९ ॥

ekaikamapi vidvāṃsaṃ daive pitrye ca bhojayet |
puṣkalaṃ phalamāpnoti nāmantrajñān bahūnapi || 129 ||

By feeding at least one learned brāhmaṇa each at the rite performed in honour of the gods and that performed in honour of the ancestors,—one obtains a full reward; and not by feeding even many men ignorant of the Veda.’—(129)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

What has been said above in regard to the ‘most deserving Brāhmaṇa’ is further explained.

‘By feeding at least one learned Brāhmaṇa, one obtains a full reward;—what is meant by ‘learning’ has already been explained; it consists in knowing the Veda and its meaning; that this is so, is also shown by what follows in the text: ‘not by feeding even many men ignorant of the Veda;’ the term ‘mantra’ here stands for the Veda.

In the absence of five Brāhmaṇas learned in the Veda, one should feed at least one;—such is the meaning of the present injunction.

‘Full’—great, large.—(129)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted without any comment in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 679);—and in Aparārka, (p. 437).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Gautama (15.21).—‘One duly qualified.’

Vaśiṣṭha (11.26).—‘Or, one may feed even a single Brāhmaṇa who is fully conversant with the Veda, and endowed with learning and character, and free from all bad qualities.’

Yājñavalkya (1.219-221).—‘The following Brāhmaṇas are conducive to the perfection of the Śrāddha: learned in all Vedas, learned in one Veda, conversant with Brahman, young, knowing the meaning of the Veda, the Jyeṣṭhasāman, Trimadhu, Trisuparṇaka, sister’s son, officiating priest, son-in-law, one for whom the performer officiates at sacrifices, father-in-law, maternal uncle, Triṇāciketas, daughter’s son, pupil. marriage-relations, relations, perfect in knowledge, perfect in austerities, maintainor of five Fires, religious student, those devoted to their parents.’

Vaśiṣṭha (Aparārka, p. 439).—‘One shall feed ascetics, well-behaved householders, old men, persons devoted to good acts, those learned in the Veda, pupils not residing with the teacher; life-long resident students also may be fed if exceptionally qualified.’