Verse 4.190

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

अतपास्त्वनधीयानः प्रतिग्रहरुचिर्द्विजः ।
अम्भस्यश्मप्लवेनैव सह तेनैव मज्जति ॥ १९० ॥

atapāstvanadhīyānaḥ pratigraharucirdvijaḥ |
ambhasyaśmaplavenaiva saha tenaiva majjati || 190 ||

If the twice-born person,who is without austerities and does not study the Veda, seeks for gifts, he sinks along with him into water; just like one who sinks along with the stone-raft.—(190)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

He who has not performed any austerities and who does not study the Veda:—this ‘studying’ stands for the full knowledge of the Veda, which is what has been referred to in the text. Both these qualifications combined are necessary for entitling a man to receive gifts.

He who does not possess these two qualifications, and yet hankers after gifts, ‘sinks along with him;’—with whom?—Since no other person is mentioned, and the giver is the person mentioned in close proximity to the present context, it follows that it is along with the giver that the receiver sinks. The giver has recourse to the Recipient, for the purpose of crossing over (to heaven); if, therefore, the recipient happen to be unqualified, he makes both himself and the giver sink into water; just as the ‘stone-raft,’—the raft made of stone—does in water. ‘Raft’ is that by which people cross rivers, such as boat and other things. One who gets on a piece of stone for crossing a river sinks into the water along with the stone-raft; in the same manner, the giver of gifts to the unqualified Brāhmaṇa, and the Brāhmaṇa receiving the gifts,—both go to hell.—(l 90).

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Hemādri (Dāna, p. 60).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 4.190-191)

Yājñavalkya (1.202).—‘A gift should never be accepted by one devoid of learning and austerities; if he does accept it, he drags down himself as well as the giver.’