Verse 3.251

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

पृष्ट्वा स्वदितमित्येवं तृप्तानाचामयेत् ततः ।
आचान्तांश्चानुजानीयादभितो रम्यतामिति ॥ २५१ ॥

pṛṣṭvā svaditamityevaṃ tṛptānācāmayet tataḥ |
ācāntāṃścānujānīyādabhito ramyatāmiti || 251 ||

Having asked—“Have you dined well?”—he shall, after they have been fully satisfied, make them wash; and when they have washed, he shall say—“You may rest where you choose.—(251)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

After food, drink and water for sipping have been offered, the guests should be questioned—with the words ‘have you eaten well?’

According to another Smṛti, the question should be put by the host, food in hand. It is the nature of some people that if the food is not near at hand, they do not ask for it, even though they may have desire for it, fearing the trouble they would cause; but if the food is close by, they take it.

‘After they have been fully satisfied, he shall make them wash.’

Others have explained this to mean that the guests should be put the question—‘Are you fully satisfied?’ And when they have ascertained the fact of their having been fully satisfied, they should be further propitiated by the question—‘Have you dined well?’ It is going to be declared (under 254) that ‘at the rite in honour of the Pitṛs one should say Have you dined well?’

‘When they ham washed, he shall say &c.’—‘Where you choose’—i.e., at either of the two places,—here or at your own house, you may take your rest, in any manner you choose.—(251)

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Viṣṇu (73. 25-26).—‘After the Brāhmaṇas have eaten and become fully satisfied, he shall sprinkle water with grass on the food, with mantra ‘Māmekṣeṣṭha,’—scatter the food near the leavings,—ask the Brāhmaṇas, Are you fully satisfied—and having made them sit facing the north, he shall offer them water for rinsing the mouth; after that he shall thoroughly wash the spot where Śrāddha had been offered;—he shall do all this with kuśa in hand,—going round the Brāhmaṇas facing the east with the mantra Yanme rama, etc., he shall honour them with such gifts as may be within his power, and address to them the words Abhiramantu bhavantaḥ; on which they should say Abhiratāḥ smaḥ devāśca pitaraśca.’

Yājñavalkya (1.242).—‘Taking up the food, saying Vriptāḥ sthaḥ, he shall obtain their permission and scatter the food on the ground and pour water once.’

Āśvalāyana-Gṛhyasūtra (4.8.22).—‘Having asked sampannam (Is it completed?), he shall gather all the food that has been used and having taken out of it just what may be needed for the Sthālīpāka and Piṇḍa offerings, the rest he shall hand over.’