Verse 3.99

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

सम्प्राप्ताय त्वतिथये प्रदद्यादासनौदके ।
अन्नं चैव यथाशक्ति सत्कृत्य विधिपूर्वकम् ॥ ९९ ॥

samprāptāya tvatithaye pradadyādāsanaudake |
annaṃ caiva yathāśakti satkṛtya vidhipūrvakam || 99 ||

To the guest that has happened to come, he should offer; according to rule, water and seat, and also food prepared to the best of his abilitv.—(99)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘That has happened to come’—i.e., who has come of his own accord, and has not been invited; one who has been invited is not a ‘guest.’ The proper place where the guest is to arrive shall be described later on—‘where the wife and the Fires are, &c., &c.’ (103).

‘Water and seat he should offer;’—first of all he should offer water for the washing of his feet, and then the seat; ‘and also food.’

‘Prepared to the best of his ability;’—this qualifies ‘food.’ The meaning is that he should prepare the food with special care and then offer it—feed him with it.

‘According to rule’—i.e., that offering which is preceded—supported—by injunction; i.e., that which is sanctioned by scripture.—(99)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Āhnika, p. 441), which explains ‘samprāptāya’ as ‘one who has happened to come of his own accord, i. e., without invitation’; and ‘vidhipūrvakam’ as ‘in the manner prescribed for the entertaining of guests’;—and in Hemādri (Śrāddha, p. 433).

Between verses 99 and 100, Vīramitrodaya (Āhnika, p. 441) quotes the following two additional verses—

annaṃ hutvā vidhānena yatpuṇyaphalamaśanūte |
tena tus?yaṃ viśiṣṭaṃ vā brāhmaṇe tarpite phalam ||
mantr?akarmaviparyāsād? duritād? durgatādapi |
tatphalaṃ naśyate karturidaṃ na śraddhayā h?tam ||

and adds the following explanations:—‘annam hutvā’—i. e., in the fire;—‘mantra &c.’.—i.e., ‘from that sin which would accrue from the misuse of Mantras and Rites, and from the delinquencies of the Agent’;—‘tatphalam’—the result following from the Homa;—‘Idam na’—the construction is that ‘whatever is offered to the guest with due respect, in the shape of all this, seat and the rest, is never lost’.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Gautama. (5.32.34).—‘To the guest not learned in the Veda, water for washing the feet, an offering of water and also special kinds of food, always specially cooked.’

Vaśiṣṭha (4.12).—‘When a person comes to his house, he should welcome him, rising from his seat and offering him a seat and a bed, and receiving him with true and agreeable words, free from jealousy.’

Āpastamba-Dharmasūtra (2.4.13-16).—‘The master and mistress of the house should not refuse to receive anyone who comes to seek for anything at the proper time; if they have nothing else to offer, they should offer a place, water, grass and agreeable words.........To a Brāhmaṇa not learning or learned in the Veda, he shall only offer seat, water and food and he shall not rise to receive him.’

Āpastamba (6.7-14 ).—‘ Having gone up before him, and having met him, he shall offer to him a seat...... He shall wash his feet; some people hold that it is only the Śūdra householder and his wife that are to do this... He shall offer to him water in an earthen vessel, say some... But if the guest is one who has completed his study, no water is to be offered to him......... Having pleased him, he shall satisfy him with sweetly flavoured food.’ [So on, there are very full directions.]

Viṣṇu (67.45).—‘In the morning and in the evening, he shall offer to the guest both seat and water, as also food to the best of his power, after having received him with honour.’

Yājñavalkya (1.107).—‘To the guest one should make offerings to the best of one’s capacity; and in the evening the guest is not to be deprived of sweet words, place and water.’