Manava Dharmashastra 2.239

2.239

pūrvaṃ imau cāpadyabrāhmaṇādapyadhyetavyamityasya vidheḥ śeṣaḥ | anena lokapravādo dṛṣṭāntīkriyate | evaṃ hi laukikā āhuḥ ‘asatassamupādeyam |’ viṣe'pi yadamṛtaṃ tadgrāhyameva yathā haṃsa udakātkṣīraṃ gṛhṇāti | rasāyaneṣu keṣucidviṣaṃ ityetadabhipretyoktam | bālo'pi yatkiñcidakasmātsubhāṣitaṃ māṅgalikaṃ prasthānādau vakti tadgrāhyam | amitrāderapi satāṃ yadvṛttaṃ śiṣṭācāraḥ | na dveṣyaḥ—tenaitadācaritamiti tyājyam | prasiddhataro'yaṃ dṛṣṭāntaḥ- amedhyādapi kāñcanaṃ suvarṇam | asadāśrayādapyete yathā gṛhyante tadvadabrāhmaṇādadhyayanamiti |

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
The preceding verse as well as these two verses (239 and 240) are supplementary to the injunction contained in verse 241.

The present verse cites an ordinary saying in support of the injunction. Ordinary people say that ‘good may be taken even out of evil.’ If there is nectar in poison, that should be taken in the same manner as the swan takes the milk out of water. This is said in reference to certain medicinal preparations which contain poisonous ingredients.

Even if a child should happen to say something good,—if be pronounces, for instance, some auspicious words at the time of one’s starting for a journey,—it should be accepted.

‘Even from a foe’—one should learn —‘good conduct,’—i.e., of cultured behaviour; and it would not be right to shun such behaviour simply because it happens to be followed by one’s enemy.

The next instance is still more well known—‘gold may be taken even from an impure source.’

The sense of all this is tbat just as the good things herein enumerated are accepted even from evil sources, so may learning be acquired even from a non-Brāhmaṇa.—(239)