Verse 3.213

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

अक्रोधनान् सुप्रसादान् वदन्त्येतान् पुरातनान् ।
लोकस्याप्यायने युक्तान् श्राद्धदेवान् द्विजोत्तमान् ॥ २१३ ॥

akrodhanān suprasādān vadantyetān purātanān |
lokasyāpyāyane yuktān śrāddhadevān dvijottamān || 213 ||

The ancients describe these good Brāhmaṇas as the “Gods of Śrāddha,” free from anger, easily satisfied, intent upon sustaining the universe.—(213).

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

This is a purely laudatory declaration; and it makes the Brāhmaṇas attain the dignity of gods. [The sense being]—Agni (Fire) is a god, and when a libation is poured into the Fire, the gods eat it, through the Fire as their mouth; the Brāhmaṇas also have the same character; and whatever is placed in their hands, that also the gods eat.

“What is that character of the gods, by virtue of which the Brāhmaṇas are spoken of as having the same character?”

It is in answer to this that the text adds—‘free from anger &c.’ As regards the question why they are so described, the explanation is that what is meant is that the libations of butter should be offered into the hands of such Brāhmaṇas as are endowed with the character here described.

Others have explained that in a foregoing verse (192),

‘freedom from anger’ and the rest have been laid down as the qualities to be sought for those invited in honour of the Pitṛs and who were meant to be eulogised,—while the present text lays down these as to be sought for in those, invited in honour of the gods. This is the difference between the two texts. It is in this sense that they have been described as ‘the gods of śrāddha.’

‘Ancients’—i.e., the sages.

Or, we may read the term ‘purātana’ with the accusative ending; ‘ancient’ (in this case) qualifying ‘gods;’—the ‘ancient gods’ standing for those deities born in this cycle who are called ‘sādhyas.’

‘Intent upon sustaining the universe,’—i.e., it is with a view to gratifying people that they eat at śrāddhas; hence one should not think that ‘these men are eating through greediness, and for the purpose of obtaining the perceptible pleasure (of eating tasty food), and hence why should any honour be rendered to them?’ Because these men sustain the universe,—i.e., the Earth, the Sky and the Heaven; therefore, they should not be treated with disrespect.—(213)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

Burnell is not right in saying that “Medhātithi omits verses 213-14.”

‘Purātanān’—‘Those deities born in this cycle who are called Sādhyas’ (Medhātithi, who adopts this reading only as an alternative, his own reading being ‘purātanāḥ’ explained as ‘the ancient sages’ and construed as nominative to the verb ‘vadanti’);—‘Those whose succession has been uninterrupted since immemorial times’ (Govindarāja, Kullūka and Rāghavānanda);—‘Those who were produced before all other castes’ (Nārāyaṇa)

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Mahābhārata (13.237.31).—‘At the Śrāddha, one should invite such persons as are free from anger, not fickle, tolerant, self-controlled, with senses suppressed, and benevolent towards all beings.’