Verse 3.240

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

होमे प्रदाने भोज्ये च यदेभिरभिवीक्ष्यते ।
दैवे हविषि पित्र्ये वा तद् गच्छत्ययथातथम् ॥ २४० ॥

home pradāne bhojye ca yadebhirabhivīkṣyate |
daive haviṣi pitrye vā tad gacchatyayathātatham || 240 ||

At the offering into Fire, at gifts, at feeding, or at any rite in honour of the Gods or of the Pitṛs,—whatever is seen by these goes wrong.—(240)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘At the offering into Fire’—such as the Agnihotra, or the propitiatory offerings.

‘At gifts’—of such valuable things as the cow, gold and so forth—made for the purpose of attaining prosperity.

‘Feeding’—where Brāhmaṇas are fed for a religious purpose.

‘Rite in honour of the gods’—such the as offering at the Darśa-pūrṇamāsa and other sacrifices.

‘Rite in honour of the Pitṛs’—i.e., Śrāddha.

‘Goes wrong,’—that is, it brings about results contrary to what it was intended for.

Though Śrāddha forms the subject-matter of the present context, yet, through syntactical connection, the present prohibition applies to other acts also, in the shape of the offering into fire and so forth.—(240)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Aparārka (p. 472);—in Śrāddhakriyākaumudī, which explains ‘ayathāyatham’ as ‘nullified’;—also in Gadādharapaddhati (Kāla, p. 521), which explains the same word as ‘leading to results contrary to those expected’;—and in Hemādri (Dāna, p. 108, and Śrāddha, p. 516).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 3.239-241)

See Comparative notes for Verse 3.239.