Verse 4.192

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

न वार्यपि प्रयच्छेत् तु बैडालव्रतिके द्विजे ।
न बकव्रतिके पापे नावेदविदि धर्मवित् ॥ १९२ ॥

na vāryapi prayacchet tu baiḍālavratike dvije |
na bakavratike pāpe nāvedavidi dharmavit || 192 ||

The man knowing the Law, shall not offer even water to the Brāhmaṇa who behaves like a cat; nor to the wicked Brāhmaṇa who behaves like a heron, nor to one ignorant of the Veda.—(192)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The duties of the Receiver having been described, the Text proceeds to describe those of the Giver.

The term, ‘even,’ precludes the giving of all things; when even water is prohibited, how can anything else be given to the man? This is a hyperbolical way of forbidding the gift of other things. As for water itself, there can be no prohibition regarding it, as it is of use to all beings.

“It has been already said that one shall not honour, even with speech, those who behave like cats (4.32).”

True; what is forbidden there, is the act: of honouring them; what is forbidden here, is the offering of gifts to them; and these, the gifts of wealth, not of anything else. Thus, both prohibitions become useful, as is going to be asserted later on (193)—‘Property, though earned according to law, etc.’ It is for this reason that the giving of food, in a disrespectful manner, to heretics and others is not forbidden.

In this connection, some people argue as follows:—“Though the text has mentioned the person ‘ignorant of the Veda,’ this should be taken to include also the person who is not studying the Veda. Because all interested gifts have been laid down as to be offered to only such persons as are studying the Veda; and it is not right to put them on the same footing as heretics.”

These persons should be asked the following question:—Where has it been laid down that gifts are to be offered to only such persons as are studying the Veda, and are still without full knowledge of it ?

It might be said that this has been laid down in 3.128, where it is said that—these things are to be given only to the Śrotriya (Vedic student).

But, since the same passage contains the qualification ‘worthy’—and this is not possible without complete learning,—the passage cannot refer to the mere student still pursuing his studies. Specially, as we have such other passages as—‘the fee shall be paid to a learned person’—which occur in the same context as the passage quoted. Hence, by taking the two passages together, it follows that gifts are to be offered to persons possessed of both the qualifications. Thus we do not find any ground for renouncing the direct meaning of the text.

As for the impropriety of the Vedic Student being put on the same footing as heretics,—there can be no impropriety in what is directly asserted by the text.

‘Vaiḍālavratika’ is one who behaves in the manner of a cat; and, similarly, ‘vakavratika’ is one who has the maimers of a heron.

The Locative endings have been used because it is the idea of receptacle that is meant to be conveyed. If the recipient were meant to be expressed, the Dative would have been the right form to use.—(192).

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Aparārka (p. 285);—and in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 74).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Viṣṇu (3.7).—[Same as Manu.]

Yājñavalkya (1.201).—‘Cows, land, sesamum, gold and such things should be respectfully offered to proper recipient, never to improper ones.’

Vyāsa (Aparārka, p. 256).—‘What is given to one devoid of good deeds is neither here nor there.’

Dakṣa (Do.).—‘What is given to a rogue... is absolutely futile.’