Verse 3.182

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

इतरेषु त्वपाङ्क्त्येषु यथोद्दिष्टेष्वसाधुषु ।
मेदोऽसृङ्मांसमज्जाऽस्थि वदन्त्यन्नं मनीषिणः ॥ १८२ ॥

itareṣu tvapāṅktyeṣu yathoddiṣṭeṣvasādhuṣu |
medo'sṛṅmāṃsamajjā'sthi vadantyannaṃ manīṣiṇaḥ || 182 ||

The wise ones declare that food given to the other unfit persons unworthy of company, described above, becomes fat, blood, flesh, marrow and bone.—(182)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

A few unfit persons,—such as the blind, and the rest—have been specifically mentioned in the foregoing verses, describing the evil results of giving food to those unworthy of company; apart from these, there are others, the ‘thief,’ and the rest, mentioned in the several contexts; when these are fed, the following things accrue to the giver: viz., fat, blood, flesh, &c. That is, he becomes born as creatures who feed on these things; i.e., such creatures us insects and such carnivorous animals as vultures, and the like.

“The wise”—those learned in the Veda say this.

The upshot of the whole is as follows:—If one feeds such persons as are unworthy of company, the duty of performing the Śrāddha is not accomplished; and its nonperformance leads inevitably to the sin of disobeying an injunction;—specially, as the injunction of Śrāddha is absolutely obligatory.—(182)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

Cf. 4.220-221.

This verse is quoted in Aparārka (p. 454).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Mahābhārata (13. 90, 239).—‘Those unfit for the line should be avoided: those fit for the line alone should be invited; if one feeds the sinful man, he goes to hell.’