Verse 2.246

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

क्षेत्रं हिरण्यं गामश्वं छत्रौपानहमासनम् ।
धान्यं शाकं च वासांसि गुरवे प्रीतिमावहेत् ॥ २४६ ॥

kṣetraṃ hiraṇyaṃ gāmaśvaṃ catraupānahamāsanam |
dhānyaṃ śākaṃ ca vāsāṃsi gurave prītimāvahet || 246 ||

Joyfully bringing to the teacher, a field, or gold, or a cow, or a horse, or at least an umbrella and a fair of shoes, grain, vegetables or clothes.—(246)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

It has been said that he should present something to the Teacher; and the present verse shows that any and everything should not be presented; the sense being that if the Teacher orders—‘bring me the wife of such and such a person,’ or ‘let me have all that you possess,’—then the pupil shall not do what he says; what he should givo are as fellows,—‘Field’—agricultural land;—‘Gold.’

‘Or’—signifies option; the sense being that all the things mentioned shall not be given.

‘Or at least,’—i.e., in the absence of the other things.

‘An umbrella and a pair of shoes’;—these two being mentioned in a copulative compound, it follows that both together have to be given.

‘Clothes;’—no significance is meant to be attached to the nouns in this passage.

‘Bringing joyfully’;—this has to be construed with ‘should present,’ (of the preceding verse). If, however, we read this as ‘prītimāharet,’ ‘should bring pleasure to his Teacher,’—then this sentence becomes self-contained. ‘Prītimāvahet’ is another reading; the sense being tbat ‘he should present the grain, etc., for bringing pleasure to the Teacher’: or the pleasure may by itself be regarded as the object to be brought to the Teacher: and in that case the mention of the things becomes purely suggestive; the sense being that other things likely to give him pleasure,—such as gems, pearls, corals, elephants, mules, chariots, etc.,—may also be given. To this effect we have the saying of Gautama (2.48)—‘On the completion of study the Teacher should be presented with something useful.’

Only such things have to be presented as the pupil happens to possess, he should not go about obtaining things by begging and other means, for presenting.—(246)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Smṛticandrikā (Saṃskāra, p. 178), which adds that what is meant is that if possible, the best articles should be presented;—in Saṃskāraratnamālā (p. 368), which adds the following notes:—‘Kṣetram,’ field with corns standing,—the umbrella and shoes, should both go together, such being the sense of the compounding,—‘Vāsāṃsi’ three pieces of cloth,—‘gurave prītimāvahan,’ the ‘completion of the study should be done only when the Teacher permits it’;—also in Nṛsiṃhaprasāda (Saṃskāra, p. 48a).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Vyāsa (Vīramitrodaya-Saṃskāra, p. 574).—‘Having completed his study, the pupil should with bis permission take the Bath, after having offered to him a cow as his fee.’