Verse 4.249

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

नाश्नन्ति पितरस्तस्य दशवर्षाणि पञ्च च ।
न च हव्यं वहत्यग्निर्यस्तामभ्यवमन्यते ॥ २४९ ॥

nāśnanti pitarastasya daśavarṣāṇi pañca ca |
na ca havyaṃ vahatyagniryastāmabhyavamanyate || 249 ||

Of the man that disdains it, the Pitṛs do no eat any food for ten and five years; nor does fire convey his offering to the gods.—(249)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

This is an imaginary assertion, deprecating the non-acceptance of the said gifts.

That person who disdains, refuses to accept it,—his Śrāddha the ‘Pitṛs do not eat’—do no accept; nor does Fire convey his offerings to the gods. That is, such a man does not derive any benefit from rites performed for the Pitṛs or for the gods.

In this connection, some one has asserted that—“Even though what is offered happens to be of no use, it should be accepted, as a favour to the giver.”

This, however, is not right; as all that the text means is that gift, offered unasked, may be accepted without harm; and what is said here is a counter-exception, and there can be ‘counter-exception’ only in favour of what has been forbidden; so that, what may he had recourse to by reason of ordinary want having been forbidden (by a previous text), the present text lays down a counter-exception.—(249)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Aparārka (p. 407);—and in Hemādri (Dāna, p. 56).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Vaśiṣṭha (14.15).—(Same as Manu.)

Āpastamba (1.19.13).—(Do.)

Viṣṇu (57.12).—(Do.)