Manava Dharmashastra 2.28

2.28.1

adhyayanakriyā svādhyāyaśabdenātrābhipretā | tasyā eṣa viṣayanirdeśastraividyeneti | vyavadhāne'pyarthalakṣaṇaḥ sambandho, 'yasya yenārthasambandha' iti nyāyena | ata eva sāmānādhikaraṇye'pi śrutervi ṣayaviṣayibhāvo vibhaktivipariṇāmena, 'trayāṇāṃ vedānāmadhyayanene'tyarthaḥ| traya eva vedāḥ traividyam | cāturvaṇyādivadrūpasiddhiḥ | athavā 'svādhyāyeneti' vedādhyayanaṃ 'traividyeneti' tadarthāvabodhaḥ | vrataiḥ sāvitrādibhirbrahmacārikartṛkaiḥ | homairtratādeśanakāle ye kriyante | yadi vā sāyamprātaḥ samidbhiragnīndhanaṃ brahmacāriṇo homaśabdenāgnyādhārasambandhasāmānyāducyate | "atha kiṃ samidādhānaṃ na homo yenaivamucyate sambandhasāmānyāditi" | na bhavatīti bruvanti, adanīyadravyasādhyatvādyāgahomayoḥ | "kathaṃ tarhi 'sāyaṃ prātaśca juhuyāttābhiragnimatandritaḥ' ityuktam" | lakṣaṇayā samidādhānaṃ homaśabdenocyate | yathaiva hūyamānaṃ dravyamagnau prakṣipyate evaṃ samindhanārthāḥ samidho'pi | ata etena sāmānyena samindhanameva homa ityucyate | utpattivākye hi 'samidhamādadhyād' iti śrutam | juhuyāttābhiragnimityanuvādo'yamanyārtha iti parastādvakṣyāmaḥ | na cānuvāde lakṣaṇādoṣaḥ | idaṃ tu yuktaṃ yanmedhyamātradravyasādhyau yāgahomau | tathā ca sati bahvyaścodanā yathārthā bhavanti | yathā 'sūktavākena prastaraṃ praharatīti'| tatra hi prastaraṃ dravyamāhurharatiṃ ca yajatim| "atha vacanādasau tādṛśa eva yāgaḥ | darbhāścāpyadanīyāḥ keṣāñcit" | kathaṃ śākalahome |

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
The term ‘svādhyāya’ here stands for the act of studying (in general; and not for Vedic study, which is what it ordinarily means); and the subject-matter of the study is therefore indicated by the term ‘of theThree Vedas,’ ‘traividyena.’ Even though the two terms (‘svādhyāyena’ and ‘traividyena’) do not stand in close proximity, yet they are construed together on account of their denotations being correlated, in accordance with the law that ‘when the denotation of one term is connected with that of another, they should be taken as correlated.’ Hence, even though both the terms are in the same (Instrumental) case, yet one (traividyena) may be taken as denoting the object of the other (svādhyāyena) by altering the signification of the case-ending; the phrase ‘traividyena svādhyāyena’ thus being construed as ‘trayāṇām Vedānām (traividyasya) adhyayanena (svādhyāyena),’ ‘by a thorough study of the three Vedas’

‘Traividya’ is the compounded form of ‘trayo’; the formation of the term being similar to that of such terms as ‘chaturvarṇya’ and the rest.

Or, ‘svādhyāyena' may be taken (as usual) in the sense of the study of the verbal text of the Vedas, and ‘traividyena' in that of the study of their meaning.

‘By Observances’—by the ‘Sāvitra’ and other observances kept by the Religious Student.

‘By Libations’—i.e., those that are poured at the time of the Initiation,—or the kindling of fire with fuels, which the Religious Student has to do every morning and evening, may be spoken as ‘libation,’ on account of Fire being the receptacle of the act of kindling (just as it is of the act of pouring libations).

“Is not the putting of fuel on the fire really a ‘libation’—that you should call it so simply from the said analogy?”

People say that it is not really a ‘libation because ‘libations’ and ‘offerings’ consist only of eatable substances.

“How then does the author himself say (under 2.186) that ‘the Religious Student should, every morning and evening offer the libation (juhuyāt) of fuels into the Fire’?”

It is only in a figurative sense that the ‘laying of fuel’ is called ‘homa’, ‘libation’; the idea being that the fuel for the kindling of fire is thrown into it in the same manner as substances are poured as libations; and it is on the basis of this analogy that the kindling is called ‘libation’ In the original injunction (of fire-kindling) the words used are ‘sami dham-ādadhyat,’ ‘should lay the fuel’ [where the word ‘homa,’ ‘libation’ is not used]. As for the words (in Manu, 2.186) ‘agnim juhuyāt tābhih,’ (‘should offer the libation of fuels into fire’), we shall point out later on that they are purely explanatory (not mandatory), and mean something quite different; and in explanations, figurative expressions are not out of place.

[This is the view of some people]. The right view however is that the offering of any fit and proper substance constitutes the acts of ‘Yāga’ (Sacrifice) and ‘Homa’ (Libation). It is only in this sense that we can rightly comprehend several injunctions. For instance, we have the injunction ‘praitaram praharati,’ where ‘praharati,’ is taken to mean ‘offer in sacrifice’ and ‘prastaram’ (‘bed of Kuśa-grass’) is taken as the substance offered [and certainly the ‘Kuśa-bed’ is not an eatable substance],

“In this particular instance, we have to take the ‘sacrifice’ as consisting of the offering of the Grass-bed, simply because it is so directly enjoined. And further, Kuśa-grass also is eatable for some.”

Well, how is it then in the case of the ‘Śākala-homa’ (where pebbles are offered)?”

2.28.2

"tatrāpi hi 'śakalānyabhyādadhāti' ityutpattiriti" ced dvayaṅge kā gatiḥ | grahebhya ekaikasyai samidho juhuyādārkādīnām | ato yatra juhuyāditi devatāsambandhaśca kāṣṭhāderapi śruta utpattivākye so'pi homa eva | ijyayā devarṣitarpaṇena | eṣa tāvadupanītasya brahmacarye kriyākalāpaḥ | idānīṃ gṛhasthadharmāḥ | sutairutpattyāpattividhinā | mahāyajñaiḥ pañcabhirbrahmayajñādibhiḥ | yajñaiḥ śrautairjyotiṣṭomādibhiḥ | "nanu yadyeṣāṃ karmaṇāṃ kiñcitprayojanaṃ syāttadā tadadhikārayogyatotpattyarthā brāhmā saṃskārā arthavantaḥ syuḥ" | ata āha | brāhmīyaṃ kriyate tanuḥ | 'brahma' paramātmā kāraṇapuruṣaḥ, tasyeyaṃ sambandhinī 'tanuḥ' śarīram, etaiḥ śrautasmārtaiḥ sarvaiḥ karmabhiḥ kriyate | brahmasambandhitā ca tadbhāvāpattilakṣaṇā | sa hi paraḥ puruṣārthaḥ | sambandhāntarāṇi sarvasya kasyacitkāraṇatvena siddhatvānnābhilaṣitavyāni | tato mokṣaprāptiruktā bhavati | brāhmītyanena tanuśabdena ca tadadhiṣṭhātā puruṣo lakṣyate | tasya hyete śarīradvārakāḥ saṃskārāḥ | tasyaiva ca mokṣaprāptiḥ | śarīrasya pañcatāpatteḥ | anye tvāhurbrahmatvaprāptau yogyā kriyate | na hi karmabhireva kevalairbrahmatvaprāptiḥ, prajñānakarmasamuccayātkila mokṣaḥ | etaistu saṃskṛta ātmopāsanāsvadhikriyate | tathā ca śrutiḥ | 'ya etadakṣaraṃ gārgyaviditvā yajate juhoti tapastapyate adhīte dadātyantavadevāsya tadbhavati' iti |

“In that case also it has to be done in that way, because of the direct injunction—‘one should offer the pebbles’.”

What explanation can there be of the case of the ‘Grahayāga,’ where fuels of the arka and other plants are offered to each of the Grahas?

From all this it is clear that wherever we have the term ‘juhuyāt’ (‘should offer libation’) and the connection of a Deity also is mentioned, in the original Injunction, the act is to be regarded as ‘Homa,’ ‘Libation.’

‘By offerings’—i.e., by offerings to the Gods and Ṛṣis.

Up to this point we had the duties of the Religious Student.

Next follow the duties of the Householder.

‘By children,’—i.e., by the act of begetting children.

‘By the great sacrifices’—i.e., by the five ‘sacrifices,’ consisting of Brahtnayajña and the rest.

‘By sacrifices,’—i.e., by the Jyotiṣṭoma and other Vedic Sacrifices.

The question being raised that—“if there were any useful purpose served by these acts, then alone could there be any use for the sacraments which fit a man for these acts,”—the Author says—‘this body is made godly,’ ‘tanuḥ.’—‘Brahma’ here stands for the Supreme God, the Creator; and this ‘tanu,’ body, is made ‘related to God,’ ‘godly,’—by all these acts, which are laid down in the Veda and in the Smṛtis. ‘Godliness’ meant here is that which consists in being transformed into the very essence of God; as this is the highest end of man; as for other forms of ‘relation to God,’ this is already an accomplished fact for all beings,—for the simple reason that God is the Creator of all things; and hence these other relations cannot be anything to be longed for. For this reason it is the attainment of ‘Final Release’ that must be meant here.

The term ‘brāhmī,’ ‘godly’—as also the term ‘tanu,’ ‘body’—refers to the personality ensouling the body; as it is the personality that is consecrated by the sacraments; and it is the personality that attains Final Release; as for the physical body, it entirely perishes.

Others have explained the phrase ‘it made godly’ to mean that ‘it is made capable of reaching Brahma as (they argue) the actual ‘becoming Brahman’ is not possible by means of acts alone; Final Release (which is what is meant by(becoming Brahman’) is'attainable only by means of Knowledge and Action conjointly. Hence what the text means is that the man, by the said acts, becomes entitled to meditate upon Ātman (Brahman). To this end we have the Vedic text—‘O Gārgi, when anyone, without knowing the Imperishable One, sacrifices, pours oblations, performs penances, studies the Veda or gives charities, all this becomes perishable’ (Bṛha dāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, 3. 8. 10).

2.28.3

"nanu ca naiteṣāṃ karmaṇāṃ brahmaprāptiḥ phalaṃ śrutam | tathā hi nityāni tāvadaśrutaphalānyeva | kalpanāyāṃ ca pauruṣeyatvam | yāvajjīvādipadaiśca nityatāyā avagamitatvā dviśvajinnyāyo'pi nāsti | athāsmādeva vacanādetatphalatvamiti yadyucyeta, mokṣārthinaḥ tadādhikāraḥ syāttathā ca nityatvahānistataśca śrutivirodhaḥ | 'niṣphalaṃ na kaścidanutiṣṭhati tatrānarthakyamiti' cet kāmamananuṣṭhānam | pramāṇasya prameyāvagatirarthaḥ | sā cetkṛtā jātamarthavattvam | asti cātra kartavyatāvagatiḥ | satyāṃ ca tasyāmakaraṇe śāstrārthātikramastataśca pratyavāyaḥ | īdṛśa evārthe liṅādīnāṃ vṛddhavyavahāre vyutpattiḥ | yo hi bhṛtyādiḥ kartavyaṃ na karoti kasyacidājñāttuḥ sa vetanārthī vetanaṃ na labhate, yadi vā pratyavāyena yojyate | tatra phalasyāśrutatvānna phalānutpattiḥ pratyavāyaḥ, api tu duḥkhena yojanaṃ nityeṣu | evaṃ sarvapuruṣādhikāro nityaḥ samarthito bhavati | tasmānna nityānāṃ kiñcitphalam | kāmyānāṃ tvanyadeva phalaṃ, na mokṣaḥ, śrutatvāt | tatra kathametatsarvakarmānuṣṭhānasādhyaḥ paraḥ puruṣārtha iti |" ata eva kaiścidarthavādo'yamiti vyākhyāyate | saṃskāravidhistutyarthaḥ | atra ca brāhmīyamiti yatkiñcidālambanamāśritya guṇavādena nīyate | 'brahma' vedastaduccāraṇārhā tatkarmādhikāriṇī ca | "yattarhi gautamenoktam (a. 8 sū. 8) | 'catvāriṃśatsaṃskārāḥ' iti, tatkatham | tatra hi somasaṃsthā'pi saṃskāratvenoktā | na ca pradhānakarmaṇāṃ saṃskāratvopapattiḥ | nāpyetadarthavādatayā śakyaṃ vyākhyātumaviśeṣatvāt |" tatrāpyātmaguṇaśeṣasaṃskāratvādhyāropeṇa stutiḥ |

This [that the Gṛhya of the man is that connected with the Vedic text that he has studied] is what is meant by the assertion—‘He who renounces his won Gṛhyaṣūtra and acts according to another Gṛhyasūtra &c.’ In fact the man can carry into practice the precepts of that text only which he h as studied. Consequently if one were to give up the rules of his own Vedic text to perform a rite in accordance with the Vedic text studied by his forefathers, and adopt the procedure laid down in the Gṛhyas belonging to this latter, he would incur the sin of ‘renouncing his own Vedic text’; or in this case the sin of ‘renouncing the text’ will have been committed by the father who did not teach the boy that particular text which had been continually studied in his family; and no blame attaches, in this, to the boy himself. In a case where the boy has lost his father and betakes himself to the teacher, as Jābāla is described as having done, it would be right for the Teacher to teach him that Text which had been studied in the boy’s family,—in accordance with the law ‘one should proceed by the path by which his father and grandfather have proceeded’ (Manu, 4.178); ‘and the renouncing of the hereditary Vedic text’ would be justifiable only in the event of its study being absolutely impossible.

2.28.4

evamihāpyasaṃskāraiḥ saṃskārān samānīkṛtya tulyaphalatvādhyāropeṇa saṃskārāṇāmavaśyakatṝvyatāmācaṣṭe | tathā ca saṃskāraprakaraṇātrotkṛṣyate | stutiḥ kriyata iti ca vartamānāpadeśaḥ | na vidhivibhaktiḥ | tatra kuto brahmaprāpteḥ phalatvāvagamaḥ | na cātra karmāṇi vidhīyante, yenādhikārākāṅkṣāyāṃ satyapi vartamānanirdeśe rātrisatre pratiṣṭhāvatphalanirdeśaḥ syāt | tasmātsaṃskārastutyarthameva sarvametaducyate | ye'pi vibhāgena varṇayanti - "nityānāṃ brahmaprāptiphalaṃ kāmyānāṃ tu yathāśrutameva" tadapyapramāṇaṃ, sarvasyāsyārthavādatvāt | antareṇa ca phalaṃ nityeṣvanuṣṭhānasiddheḥ pratipāditatvāt | taduktaṃ 'kāmātmatā na praśasteti' (a. 2 ślo. 2) |