Verse 3.128

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

श्रोत्रियायैव देयानि हव्यकव्यानि दातृभिः ।
अर्हत्तमाय विप्राय तस्मै दत्तं महाफलम् ॥ १२८ ॥

śrotriyāyaiva deyāni havyakavyāni dātṛbhiḥ |
arhattamāya viprāya tasmai dattaṃ mahāphalam || 128 ||

Food offered to the gods and that offered in the Pitṛs are to be given to the most deserving; Brāhmaṇa learned in the Vedas. What is given to him is conducive to great results.—(128)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Learned in the Veda’—he who recites the entire Vedic text, Mantras as well as Brāhmaṇas: to him;—‘the food offered to the gods’—i.e., those articles of food that are offered, in connection with Śrāddhas to the Visve-devas:—‘should be given;’—as also ‘the food offered to the Pitṛs,’

‘Most deserving;’—‘desert (deserve?)’ here stands for respectability and ability. It is a person born of a noble family that is respected; and a person born of a noble family is generally equipped with learning and character.

‘What is given to him,’—even things other than the Śrāddha- offerings,—‘is conducive to great results.’ The meaning is that—‘gift made to the unlearned is fruitless; that made to a person learned in the Veda, but devoid of nobility and other good qualities, is conducive to some slight results; and that to the most deserving is conducive to great results.’—(128)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 350) as laying down that the learned man alone is entitled to be fed at religious rites;—and again on page 679 to the same effect;—in Aparārka (p. 437);—also in Hemādri (Śrāddha, p. 377);—in Śrāddhakriyākaumudī (p. 34); and. in Nṛsiṃhaprasāda (Śrāddha, p. 6b).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Vaśiṣṭha (3.9).—‘Offerings made to Gods and Pitṛs should be presented to the Vedic scholars; that which is presented to one ignorant of the Veda reaches neither the Pitṛs nor the Gods.’

Āśvalāyana-Gṛhyasūtra (4.2).—(See under 125.)

Gautama (15.9).—‘Vedic scholars, endowed with eloquence, beauty, age and character.’

Prajāpati-Smṛti (70, 71, 74).—‘Those engaged in Vedic rites, calm, sinless, maintainers of Fire, devoted to their duties, austerities, conversant with the meaning of the Veda, born in noble families, devoted to parents, maintaining themselves by means of livelihood recommended for Brāhmaṇas, teachers knowing Brahman,—such are the Brāhmaṇas that are helpful in the success of Śrāddhas.

Smṛtyantara (Parāśaramādhava, p. 350).—‘If food is offered to a Brāhmaṇa who is devoid of cleanliness, fallen from his vows, and ignorant of the Veda, it weeps and says —what sin have I committed!’

Mahābhārata-Āśvamedhika (Do.).—‘Food should be offered to one who arrives at the right time and place, suffering from hunger, thirst and fatigue.’