Verse 4.248

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

आहृताभ्युद्यतां भिक्षां पुरस्तादप्रचोदिताम् ।
मेने प्रजापतिर्ग्राह्यामपि दुष्कृतकर्मणः ॥ २४८ ॥

āhṛtābhyudyatāṃ bhikṣāṃ purastādapracoditām |
mene prajāpatirgrāhyāmapi duṣkṛtakarmaṇaḥ || 248 ||

Alms brougt forward and offered, and not previously begged, Prajāpati has declared to be acceptable, even from a sinful person.—(248).

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

This verse asserts the acceptability of even things other than fuel and the rest (mentioned in the preceding verse).

The term ‘bhikṣā,’ ‘alms,’ has been used in an appreciatory sense; and it is not striclty alms that is meant here; though, in reality, the term ‘alms’ denotes a small quantity of cooked food,—and it is on account of smallness of its quantity that its acceptance is not regarded as open to serious objection; Specially as, for the Student, it has been permitted as coming from all castes. And what is meant by the present text is that other things also may be treated on the same footing. The term ‘alms’ is often found to be used in this sense; e.g., in the Mahābhārata (1.206.1)—‘The two high-souled sons of Pṛthā went to Pṛthā at the carpenter’s shop and joyously informed her of their having received Draupadi as alms.’

‘Brought forward’—to that place where the recipient stands.

‘Offered’—placed before the recipient, who is told, either by a gesture, or with actual words, to accept it. ‘Previously’—at any previous time.

‘Not begged,’—not asked for by the recipient; nor promised by the giver, either directly, or through some one else, to the effect that,—‘such and such a thing there is in my house; please have the kindness to accept it;’ only what is offered without premeditation, actually thought of at the moment itself.

Such alms ‘Prajāpati’—Hiraṇyagarbha—has declared,—what?—to be acceptable even from a sinful person,—the sinful person being one whose actions are sinful—(248)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Aparārka (p. 407), which adds that the term ‘bhikṣā’ here stands for ‘cooked food’ and in Hemādri (Dāna, p. 56).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Vaśiṣṭha (14.13).—(See above.) (Almost the same as Manu.)

Āpastamba (1.19.12).—(Same as Manu, the reading being slightly varied.)

Viṣṇu (3.7.11).—(Do.)

Yājñavalkya (1.215).—‘What is presented without asking should be accepted, even though it come from a sinner,—except from a loose woman, a eunuch, an outcast and an enemy.’

Yama (Aparārka, p. 407).—‘Of the physician, the hunter, the prostitute, the eunuch, the dancer—gifts of these should be refused, even when presented without asking.’