Verse 3.125

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

द्वौ दैवे पितृकार्ये त्रीनेकैकमुभयत्र वा ।
भोजयेत् सुसमृद्धोऽपि न प्रसज्जेत विस्तरे ॥ १२५ ॥

dvau daive pitṛkārye trīnekaikamubhayatra vā |
bhojayet susamṛddho'pi na prasajjeta vistare || 125 ||

Even though wealthy, one should feed two at the rite performed in honour of the gods, and three at that in honour of the Pitṛs; or one only at each of the two rites he should not indulge in large company.—(125)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

Though as a rule each subject should be propounded in the same order in which it has been mentioned before,—and according to this the persons to be fed should have been described first,—yet the present verse describes their number first; because there is very little to be said on this point.

With reference to the gods, one should feed two Brāhmaṇas, and at the rite performed in honour of the Pitṛs he should feed three; ‘or one at each of the two’—i.e., one at the rite in honour of the Gods and one at that in honour of the Pitṛs.

Though the word used in the Text is ‘pitṛ,’ which shows that the entity to whom the offering is to be made is the Father, yet, as a matter of fact, the offering is to be made to the Father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Hence, at the śrāddha, one should food one Brāhmaṇa for each of these three,—and not one only for all three; because each of them constitutes a distinct ‘recipient of offering.’ Says the author of the Gṛhyasūtra (Āśvnlāyana, 4. 7.2-4)—‘Not only one for all; it has been explained by means of the balls;’ that is, just as only one ball is not offered to all, so only one Brāhmaṇa should not be fed for all. Here also the author will say later on—‘he should invite at least three;’ and the invitation there spoken of is for the purpose of feeding them, and not for the purpose of any merely transcendental result. It is for this reason that at the rite in honour of ancestors one should feed three,—that is, three times three, specially as it has been declared that ‘one should not feed the least number.’ This same explanation applies also to what is said below (in 129) regarding the feeding ‘even one learned person at each;’ which means that one for each of the three ancestors.

Further, the words ‘or only one at each of the two’ does not contain an injunction; it is only a reiteration made for the propose of introducing the prohibition of ‘large company;’ just as we have in the statement—‘eat poison, do not eat in his house.’

“If that be so, then the assertion ‘he should feed two at the rite in honour of the gods’ also may not be an injunction; as this also could be explained as subservient to something else. If, however, this be regarded as an Injunction, on the ground that what it says is not knowable from any other source,—then, why cannot the statement ‘one at each’ also be an Injunction?”

The answer to this is that neither of the two statements may be regarded as an Injunction.

“Whence, then, could we know the number (to be fed)?”

From the assertion—‘he should invite at least three.’

“But in that passage there is no mention of the rite in honour of the gods.”

Well, in that case, we can learn the number from another Smṛti:—‘an odd number, according to one’s enthusiasm,’ ‘an even number at the rite in honour of the gods’ (Yājñavalkya, ācāra, 227).

Further, if the present verse contained an Injunction of the number to be fed, then, since there would be no possibility of any idea arising regarding the ‘large company,’ the prohibition of it would be absolutely uncalled for.

From all this it follows that only so many Brāhmaṇas should be fed, by feeding whom one would not fall into those difficulties that might arise from the feeding of too many men. That is, at the rite in honour of the ancestors, an odd number, and at that in honour of the gods, only two.

Even when the man is extremely wealthy,—very rich,—‘he should, not indulge in large company.’—(125)

This prohibition of feeding a very large number is not with a view to any transcendental result. In fact—

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

Buhler is not quite fair to Medhātithi when he says that he takes the first part of the verse in a peculiar manner, “one must feed two Brāhmaṇas at the offering to the gods and three for each ancestor (or nine in all) at the offering to the manes”. This is not quite what Medhātithi takes the text to mean; what he mentions is what ought to be done, in consideration of the other texts that he quotes.

This verse is quoted in Gadādharapaddhati (Kāla, p. 511);—in Nṛsiṃhaprasāda (Śrāddha, p. 24b);—in Hemādri (Śrāddha, pp. 159 and 114);—and in Śrāddhakriyākaumudī (p. 94), which explains ‘ubhayatra’ as ‘one in Devakṛtya and one in Pitṛkṛtya.’

The first quarter of this verse is quoted in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 698) as laying down the proportion of Brāhmaṇas to be fed at the two sorts of rites. If five Brāhmaṇas are to be fed, two should be fed in connection with the offering to the Gods and three in connection with that to the Pitṛs.

Madanapārijāta (p. 592) quotes the verse, and explains that the forbidding of the feeding of a large company is based on the fear that if a large number of people are invited at a time or place not quite suited for the purpose, there may be many defects that, would go to vitiate the entire rite.

Nirṇayasindhu (p. 287) quotes this verse;—also Aparārka (p. 430), which adds that the term ‘Pitṛ’ here includes the maternal grandfather and all those who have been declared to be ‘deities’ (for the Śrāddha);—again on p. 463, where it adds that it is meant to eulogise the lesser number, and not to prohibit large numbers; if it meant the latter, it would be wrong to feed a large number of men, which is actually enjoined by other Smṛtis.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Vaśiṣṭha (11.24).—[Reproduces Manu.]

Gautama (15.8, 21).—‘At least nine; or an odd number; or any number, in accordance with his zeal; (the man invited) should be possessed of excellent qualities.’

Viṣṇu (73, 3-4).—‘In connection with the offering to the gods one should feed two men, who should be facing the east; and in connection with the offering to Pitṛs, three men, who should he facing the north; or one in connection with each of the two offerings.’

Yājñavalkya (1.227-229).—‘At the offering to gods, an even number, and at that to Pitṛs, an odd number of Brāhmaṇas should be invited, to the best of one’s capacity. Two men facing the east, in connection with the offering to the gods; three facing the north, in connection with the offering to Pitṛs; or one in connection with each of the two offerings; so also in the case of the offering to the maternal grand-fathers.’

Āśvalāyana-Gṛhyasūtra (4.2).—‘Brāhmaṇas endowed with learning and character and good conduct, invited in time, bathed and purified, should be made to face the north, as if they were Pitṛs, either one or two or three for each one of the Pitṛs; but never only one for all.’

Baudhāyana (2.9.21).—[The same as Manu.]

Paiṭhīnasi (Parāśaramādhava, p. 698).—‘One shall invite seven or five or two Brāhmaṇas learned in the Veda.’

Śaunaka (Do.).—‘Two for each Pitṛ; one for each; or three for each.’

Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa (Do., p. 699).—‘Even though he has the capacity, he should feed less than nine, never more; so say those who perceive difficulties in feeding a large number,’

Vṛddha-Bṛhaspati (Do.).—‘At the rite in honour of Pitṛs and gods, one shall feed one or two or three on behalf of each; due honour and observance of right time and place cannot be fulfilled if there is an excess.’

Śaṅkha (Do.).—‘Or one may feed a single Brāhmaṇa, who is the sanctifier of company.’

Vaśiṣṭha (Aparārka, p. 461).—‘Or, one may feed a single Brāhmaṇa, thoroughly versed in the Veda.’