Verse 3.199

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

अग्निदग्धानग्निदग्धान् काव्यान् बर्हिषदस्तथा ।
अग्निष्वात्तांश्च सौम्यांश्च विप्राणामेव निर्दिशेत् ॥ १९९ ॥

agnidagdhānagnidagdhān kāvyān barhiṣadastathā |
agniṣvāttāṃśca saumyāṃśca viprāṇāmeva nirdiśet || 199 ||

‘The Anagnidagdhas, the Agnidagdhas, the Kāvyas, the Barhiṣads, the Agniṣvāttas, and the Saumyas,—these one should regard as the Pitṛs of Brāhmaṇas.—(199)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

Soma (the Soma plant) is what is called ‘anagnidagdha’ (‘not burnt by fire’); because it is not cooked on fire; and the gods to whom sacrifices are offered with Soma, also come to be called ‘Anagnidagdha;’ which connotes the quality of prosperity.

Similarly, ‘agnidagdha’ (‘burnt by fire’) stands for such substances as cooked rice, cake, and the like, which are all prepared on fire; and the gods to whom sacrifices are offered with these are called ‘Agnidagdha.’

As before, we construe the verse to mean as follows:—‘Those that are called Agnidagdha should be mentioned as agnidagdha, and those that are called Anagnidagdha should be mentioned as Somapā.’

Similarly with ‘Kāvyas’ and ‘Barhiṣuds the ‘Kāvyas’ have been described (in 198) as ‘Somapā;’ and ‘Barhiṣads’ as ‘the sons of Atri.’

The particle ‘eva’ is not to be construed where it occurs; as, in that case, the meaning would be that all those mentioned are the Pitṛs of Brāhmaṇas only, not of Kṣatriyas and others; and this would be contrary to what has gone before. Nor have the beings in question been mentioned as the Pitṛs of various castes, which alone could justify a few of them being selected and marked as belonging specifically to Brāhmaṇas only. Hence the ‘eva’ should be construed along with the ‘Agniṣvāttas,’ the ‘Saumyas,’ and the rest.

The mention of the ‘Brāhmaṇa’ being purely reiterative, stands for the Kṣatriya, &c. also.

The Pitṛs bearing the names here mentioned are found mentioned in the Veda also:—‘The Pitṛs, named Agniṣvātta, Agnidagdha, Anagnidagdha.’ And it is out of those mentioned in this mantra that our author has selected some and described them here.

Or, the verse may be construed in the following manner:—‘The Pitṛs that are spoken of by these names, all these one should mention as the Brāhmaṇa’s Pitṛs:’ the mere difference in the names should not lead one to think of the named beings being different.’ In this case, the term ‘Brāhmaṇa’ would stand for ‘persons entitled to the performance of Śrāddha;’ the Brāhmaṇa being so, above all others; and it is always the predominant factor that serves as the indicative; as we find in the case of such expressions as ‘the king is passing by.’

[ This latter interpretation, being much the simpler of the two, has been adopted in the Text.]—(199)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

“This verse probably contains a second classification of the Manes, which differs from the preceding, because it is based on a different tradition.”—Buhler.

This verse is quoted in Hemādri (Śrāddha, p. 55).