Verse 3.176

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

अपाङ्क्त्यो यावतः पङ्क्त्यान् भुञ्जानाननुपश्यति ।
तावतां न फलं तत्र दाता प्राप्नोति बालिशः ॥ १७६ ॥

apāṅktyo yāvataḥ paṅktyān bhuñjānānanupaśyati |
tāvatāṃ na phalaṃ tatra dātā prāpnoti bāliśaḥ || 176 ||

If one who is unworthy of company happen to look upon a number of those that are worthy of company, while those are eating, then the foolish giver (of food) does not obtain the reward of feeding so many men.—(176).

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Pāṅktya’ are those that deserve the paṅkti, line. One is called ‘pāṅktya’ when one is deserving of sitting on the same seat as, and eating in the company of, good men. He who is not so deserving, is ‘a-pāṅktya.’

As many worthy people—learned men, ascetics and persons learned in the Veda—the unworthy man happens to look upon while the former are eating,—the reward of feeding so many men,—in the shape of the satisfaction of his ancestors—fails to be accomplished.

For this reason, when one is performing śrāddhas, one should send away from that place all thieves and others.

‘Foolish’—ignorant.—(176)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Hemādri (Śrāddha, p. 498.)

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Mahābhārafa (13.137.17).—‘The one-eyed person defiles sixty; the eunuch, a hundred; the man suffering from leucoderma, as much as he sees _;—in the line of invitees seated in a line.’