Verse 3.224

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

पाणिभ्यां तूपसङ्गृह्य स्वयमन्नस्य वर्धितम् ।
विप्रान्तिके पितॄन् ध्यायन् शनकैरुपनिक्षिपेत् ॥ २२४ ॥

pāṇibhyāṃ tūpasaṅgṛhya svayamannasya vardhitam |
viprāntike pitṝn dhyāyan śanakairupanikṣipet || 224 ||

Taking up with his hands the supply of food, he shall himself gently place it near the Brāhmaṇas, thinking of his Pitṛs (all the time).—(224)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

With both hands he should himself take up ‘the supply of food,’—i.e., the dish supplied with food,—from the kitchen-house, to the place where the Brāhmaṇas are being fed, and—‘place it near the Brāhmaṇas.’

Others explain the verse as follows:—The term ‘vardhitam,’ ‘supply,’ stands for the massed food; this he should place before the Brāhmaṇas, ‘thinking of his Pitṛs’—i.e., in his mind saying, ‘this is for you’—he should scatter the food.

This is not right. Later on (228), our author is going to declare that ‘having brought up the food, he should serve it all;’ hence the ‘placing’ mentioned in the present verse must simply mean the bringing of the food from another place and depositing it near the Brāhmaṇas.—(224)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Hemādri (Śrāddha, p. 1368), which has the following notes:—‘Annasya vardhitam’, ‘pot filled with food’, should be brought from the kitchen, with both hands, and placed before the Brāhmaṇa, in a clean place,—‘śanakaiḥ’ gently, so that the pot does not break or make any sound,—‘Svayam’, himself,—this is the best course; other Smṛti texts permit of the cooking etc. being done by the wife;—in ‘Śrādhakriyākaumudī (p. 158), which explains ‘vardhitam’ a s ‘filled’;—it adds that the man should himself place the vessel near the Brāhmaṇa on the square platform made for that purpose and in Gadādharapaddhati (Kāla, p. 545), which explains ‘annasya’ as ‘annena’ and ‘vardhitam’ as ‘filled’.

It is quoted in Smṛtitattva (p. 229), which adds the following notes:—The genitive ending in ‘annasya’ has the sense of the instrumental;—‘vardhitam’ means ‘filled’, which qualifies the ‘pātra, receptacle’ understood;—‘upanikṣipet’—keep near, for serving; i. e., the food should not be served into the dish directly from the cooking-pot; the cooking pot should be brought near the dish, and placed on the ground; the food should be served on the dish with the two hands, with which another vessel is held.

It is quoted in Aparārka (p. 492), which adds the explanation that ‘the man should carry with his own hands the vessel which has been filled with food in a place other than the one where the Brāhmaṇas are to be fed, to a place near the Brāhmaṇas and keep it there gently, all the time thinking of his Pitṛs’;—‘annasya vardhitam’ meaning that quantity of food which has been set aside as the share of one feeder.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Kālikāpurāṇa (Do. p. 1369).—‘Self-controlled, and with speech suppressed, he shall, with his two hands, place the dish before the Brāhmaṇa and then serve out the articles of food.’

Yama (Do.).—‘Bringing up the food, he shall feed the Brāhmaṇas with care,—serving to them cooked rice, soup, butter, vegetables, meat, curds, milk and honey.’

Śaunaka.—‘ Bringing up all the food that has been cooked, he shall begin to serve each article separately.’

Paiṭhīnasi.—‘Having dressed up the Brāhmaṇas, he shall serve to them meat, cakes, curds, butter, milk-pudding, mixed rice, and preparations of fruits.’