Verse 3.258 [Request for Benediction of Ancestors]

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

विसृज्य ब्राह्मणांस्तांस्तु नियतो वाग्यतः शुचिः ।
दक्षिणां दिशमाकाङ्क्षन् याचेतैमान् वरान् पितॄन् ॥ २५८ ॥

visṛjya brāhmaṇāṃstāṃstu niyato vāgyataḥ śuciḥ |
dakṣiṇāṃ diśamākāṅkṣan yācetaimān varān pitṝn || 258 ||

Having dismissed those Brāhmaṇas, he, with collected mind, controlled in speech and pure, turning towards the southern quarter, shall beg these boons of his ancestors.—(258)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The preceding verse was only by the way; the present verse takes up the thread of the context.

‘Dismissed’—having permitted them to go wherever they please.

‘Those Brāhmaṇas’—who have dined.

After this, looking towards the southern direction, he should ‘beg’—ask for—the following ‘boom’—desirable things —‘of his ancestors;’ thinking all the time of his ancestors. He should beg—with such words as—‘may this and this be mine after you have been satisfied.’—(258)

The next verse describes what the boons are that should he begged.

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

The second half of this verse is quoted in Smṛtitattva (p. 183), which adds the following notes:—Vācaspati Miśra has explained this to mean that ‘though actually facing the East, the man should, in thought face the South’; but this is not right; as Gobhila has distinctly laid down that the man should be actually facing the South.—Nor is there any reason for taking the words of Manu in that sense; it is for this reason that the commentators have explained the phrase ‘dakṣiṇām diśamākāṅkṣan’ as ‘looking towards the South’.

The verse is quoted in Śrāddhakriyākaumudī (p. 207), which has the following notes:—‘facing the East but looking sideways towards the South’; Kullūka has explained ‘ākāṅkṣan’ as looking towards; but such is not the meaning of the word;—and in Hemādri (Śrāddha, p. 1483), which explains the meaning as—‘Dismissing them, to go their way, rising and following them and bringing them to the place for washing the feet, and then looking towards the South, should ask for the desired boons.’

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 3.258-259)

Viṣṇu (73.27-30).—‘Pronouncing the name and the gotra, he shall offer the imperishable water; then he shall address the words—Viśvedevāḥ priyantam—to those facing the east; and then with joined hands and mind calm and concentrated on them, he shall beg for the following blessings—(Manu, 259 and the following) May we have much food! May we have guests! May there be persons to beg from us! May we not beg of any one!.’

Yājñavalkya (1.246).—[Reproduces Manu 259.]