Verse 8.206 [Joint Concerns]

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

ऋत्विग् यदि वृतो यज्ञे स्वकर्म परिहापयेत् ।
तस्य कर्मानुरूपेण देयोंशः सहकर्तृभिः ॥ २०६ ॥

ṛtvig yadi vṛto yajñe svakarma parihāpayet |
tasya karmānurūpeṇa deyoṃśaḥ sahakartṛbhiḥ || 206 ||

If a priest appointed at a sacrifice abandons his work, his associates shall pay him only such share as may be in keeping with the work actually done by him.—(206)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

This verse introduces the head of ‘Joint Concerns’: and as an example, the author takes up the ease of ‘Joint action’ at Vedic rites.

‘Sacrifice’—The Jyotiṣṭoma and the rest. For the proper performance of the numerous details of these sacrifices, when a certain ‘priest has been appointed,’—with the words—‘you should perform the duties of the ‘Hotṛ,’ or ‘of the Adhvaryu,’ or ‘of the Udgātṛ,’—and the further condition is made—‘you should do the work according to the śrauta-rules’;—if, on account of his inefficiency or other causes, he happens to abandon it after it has been half-done,—then the share of the sacrificial fee payable to him shall be in accordance with the amount of work done by him. For instance, if the man goes away after having done only a fourth part of his work, he should be paid the quarter of the third part of the entire ‘fee’ prescribed in connection with the particular sacrifice concerned. This would be ‘in accordance with the work done.’

‘By h is associates’—i.e., the other priests, the Hotṛ, the Udgātṛ and the rest.—(206)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Aparārka (p. 836);—in Vivādaratnākara (p. 118), which adds the following notes:—‘Svakarma parihāpayet,’ i.e., through sickness or such causes, a part of the sacrificial fee shall be paid to him, after duly considering the total fee payable for the entire sacrifice and the part of the work that may have been done by him;—in Parāśaramādhava (Vyavahāra, p. 222), which explains ‘sahakartṛbhiḥ’ as ‘by his colleagues’;—in Vivādacintāmaṇi (p. 48), which says that ‘if a priest, through disease or other disability, is unable to perform his work, then he is to be paid his fee in proportion to the work actually done by him;—in Kṛtyakalpataru (89b);—and in Vīramitrodaya (Vyavahāra, 120a), which explains ‘sahakartṛbhiḥ’ as ‘by his collaborators,’—or the meaning may be ‘he should be paid his share of the fee, along with, at the same time as, the other priests are paid.’

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(See Manu below, 388.)

Yājñavalkya (2.265).—‘Among a company of joint workers, if one happen to be dishonest, the others should expel him without payment; if he happen to omit his share of the work on account of his inability to do it, then he should have it done by another. This same rule applies to the case of sacrificial priests, cultivators and artisans.’

Vaśiṣṭha (Aparārka, p. 836).—‘If the Sacrificial Priest fails to officiate at a sacrifice, or if a Teacher fails to teach, he should be abandoned; one becomes degraded if he abandons them in other circumstances.’

Nārada (Aparārka, p. 836).—‘If the Sacrificial Priest happen to be in trouble, some one else may officiate for him and receive a proportionate share out of the fee payable to the former.’

Bṛhaspati (Vivādaratnākara, p. 117).—‘From among men employed in a common work, if one happen to die, his share of the work should be done by a relation of his, or by his colleagues collectively.’

Śaṅkha-Likhita (Do.).—‘If on the approach of the Savana, a priest should happen to die, what should be done is that his work should be completed by his Sagotra or by his pupil; if he has no relations, then the sacrificer should appoint another Priest.’