Verse 4.32

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

शक्तितोऽपचमानेभ्यो दातव्यं गृहमेधिना ।
संविभागश्च भूतेभ्यः कर्तव्योऽनुपरोधतः ॥ ३२ ॥

śaktito'pacamānebhyo dātavyaṃ gṛhamedhinā |
saṃvibhāgaśca bhūtebhyaḥ kartavyo'nuparodhataḥ || 32 ||

The Householder shall give as much as he can to those who do not cook their own food; and, for the sake of all living beings, he shall make apportionment, without detriment (to himself).—(32)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Those who do not cook their own food.’—Students and Renunciates are meant,—say some.

But this is not right, as gifts to students and hermits has already been laid down as an obligatory duty. Hence, what is meant by the present text is that one shall give as much as one can to the poor and also to impostors (who are unable to cook for themselves). That is, his giving shall be in due consideration of what he can give and of the quantity of food cooked in his house. Since the recipients are described as doing no ‘cooking,’ it follows that cooked food is to be given to them.

‘Apportionment.’—He shall distribute out of his other belongings also,—such as fuel, clothing, medicines and other useful things.

‘Among ail beings’—The term ‘beings’ stands for all living things in the world; just as it is used in such declarations as ‘gāyatri is all this being.’ Since inanimate beings cannot be helped in the same manner as living beings, this term here stands for conscious, living, beings only. Thus, according to the view that plants are capable of growing and endowed with consciousness, it would follow that some apportionment of wealth should be made for providing for the watering of plants, &c., also.

The term ‘bhūta,’ ‘being,’ has many meanings: (1) In some cases, it means the principal thing, e.g., in such expressions as ‘this Brāhmaṇa woman is the being in this house;’ (2) sometimes it means ‘ghost;’ e.g., ‘this person is obsessed by a being;’ (3) sometimes it means the contrary thing; e.g., ‘he says, what is bhūta;’ (4) sometimes it is used in the sense of the past,—e g., ‘this verb denotes the bhūta;’ (5) sometimes it stands for particular deities,—e.g., ‘offering to the bhūtas;’ (6) sometimes it stands for all conscious beings,—e.g., ‘one should not kill bhūtas;’ (7) sometimes it denotes approach,—‘our Moon is bhūta, become, large;’ (8) sometimes it denotes similitude,—e.g., ‘this is kāvya—bhūta, as if it were a poem;’ and (9) sometimes it means coming into existence,—e.g., ‘Devadatta’s son is bhūta, born.’ What the term means in the present context we have already explained.

The Dative ending in ‘bhūtebhyaḥ’ denotes ‘for the sake of.’

‘Without detriment;’—so that no suffering be caused to his own family; that is, he shall keep back enough for his own family, and then, with the remainder, he shall ‘make the apportionment.’ This is what is taught also in 11-10.—(32)

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Āpastamba (2.4.13).—‘If any one should beg for food at the time, the master and mistress of the house shall not refuse him.’

Do. (2.10.10).—‘Distribution of food has been laid down for such seekers for food as may be coming daily,—but without detriment (to the master).’