Verse 3.92

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

शूनां च पतितानां च श्वपचां पापरोगिणाम् ।
वयसानां कृमीणां च शनकैर्निर्वपेद् भुवि ॥ ९२ ॥

śūnāṃ ca patitānāṃ ca śvapacāṃ pāparogiṇām |
vayasānāṃ kṛmīṇāṃ ca śanakairnirvaped bhuvi || 92 ||

He should gently place on the ground food for dogs, outcasts, Cāṇḍālas, persons afflicted with filthy diseases, birds and insects.—(92)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

Having taken up some food in a vessel, he should place food on the ground, with a view to benefit the dogs and the rest.

‘Persons afflicted with filthy diseases’—Lepers, consumptives, and so forth.

‘Vayāṃsi’—birds.

‘Gently’—i.e., in such, a way that the food does not become mixed with the dust raised from the ground.

The ‘ground’ has been mentioned, not with a view to preclude the use of a vessel, but simply to indicate that food for the Cāṇḍāla, the outcast and the leper should not be given in their hands.

What the present verse prescribes is the according of help; that is why the verse contains the Genitive, not the Dative, ending.

For the birds, food should be placed on a spot where they can eat it without being scared away by dogs, &ç.

For insects, the food should be placed on a spot where they are likely to be present.—(92)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 342), which adds that the object of the verb is ‘annāni’ understood;—in Smṛtitattva (p. 424) in support of the view that (a) wherever such offering is laid down as to be given to ‘birds’, it is the crow that is meant (evidently the author adopts the reading Vāyasānām for Vayasām), and that (b) in texts laying down such offerings to the ‘unfit’, it is persons afflicted with ‘filthy diseases’ that are meant;—in Madanapārijāta (p. 316) as laying down the offering of food outside the house;—in Vīramitrodaya (Āhnika, p. 403), where ‘Śanakaiḥ’ is explained as ‘in such a manner as no food may be wasted,’ which adds that the offering made for the benefit of ‘crows’ and others should be put in places where they may be of the greatest use to them;—in Mitākṣarā (on 1.103, p. 75);—in Aparārka, which adds that the ‘patita’ here is meant to include such sects of mendicants as go about with human skulls in their hands;—and in Smṛtisāroddhāra (p. 286) as laying down the ‘offering to Bhūtas, living creatures’.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 3.84-93)

See Comparative notes for Verse 3.84.