Manava Dharmashastra 2.246

2.246

uktamuddiṣṭaṃ 'gurvarthaṃ' kuryāttatra na sarvaṃ kartavyamityevamartho'yaṃ ślokaḥ | yadi gururviruddhamādiśet- 'amuṣya striyamāhareti' 'sarvasvaṃ vā dehīti' - tanna kartavyam | kiṃ tarhi kṣetraṃ dhānyānāṃ bhavanabhūmiḥ kṣetramucyate | hiraṇyaṃ suvarṇam | vā śabdo vikalpārthaḥ | na samuditāni deyāni | antataḥ anyābhāve chatropānahamapi | dvandvanirdeśātsāhityadānam | vāsāṃsīti sarvatra saṃkhyā na vivakṣitā | prītimāharanniti | etadāharediti pūrvasambandhaḥ | 'prītimāharediti' vā pāṭhe atraiva kriyāparisamāptiḥ | 'prītimāvahediti' vā | prītimutpādayituṃ dhānyādāharet | svatantraiva vā prītirāhāryatayocyate | tataśca dravyopadeśasya pradarśanārthatā siddhā bhavati | anyadapi yadevaṃvidhaṃ prītijanakam, maṇimuktāpravālahastyaśvarathādi, tadapi deyamiti gamyate | tathā ca gautamaḥ (a0 3 sū0 48) "vidyānte gurumarthena nimantryaḥ”| āharedyadi syādātmīyaṃ śaktyāgataṃ tadā-na ced yācñādinā'rjayet |

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
It has been said that he should present something to the Teacher; and the present verse shows that any and everything should not be presented; the sense being that if the Teacher orders—‘bring me the wife of such and such a person,’ or ‘let me have all that you possess,’—then the pupil shall not do what he says; what he should givo are as fellows,—‘Field’—agricultural land;—‘Gold.’

‘Or’—signifies option; the sense being that all the things mentioned shall not be given.

‘Or at least,’—i.e., in the absence of the other things.

‘An umbrella and a pair of shoes’;—these two being mentioned in a copulative compound, it follows that both together have to be given.

‘Clothes;’—no significance is meant to be attached to the nouns in this passage.

‘Bringing joyfully’;—this has to be construed with ‘should present,’ (of the preceding verse). If, however, we read this as ‘prītimāharet,’ ‘should bring pleasure to his Teacher,’—then this sentence becomes self-contained. ‘Prītimāvahet’ is another reading; the sense being tbat ‘he should present the grain, etc., for bringing pleasure to the Teacher’: or the pleasure may by itself be regarded as the object to be brought to the Teacher: and in that case the mention of the things becomes purely suggestive; the sense being that other things likely to give him pleasure,—such as gems, pearls, corals, elephants, mules, chariots, etc.,—may also be given. To this effect we have the saying of Gautama (2.48)—‘On the completion of study the Teacher should be presented with something useful.’

Only such things have to be presented as the pupil happens to possess, he should not go about obtaining things by begging and other means, for presenting.—(246)