Manava Dharmashastra 3.118

3.118

śrotriyaḥ chāndasaḥ kṛtsnamantrabrāhmaṇikāṃ śākhāṃ adhīte yastasmai havyāni śrāddhāṅgabhojanāni viśvāndevānuddiśya yāni vihitāni tāni deyāni | kavyāni pitṛbhya uddiśya yāni bhojanāni | arhattamāya | 'arhatā' pūjyatā yogyatā ca | mahākulīnaḥ pūjyate, mahākule jāto vidyāvṛttasampannaśca | tasmai dattaṃ śrāddhādanyadapi mahāphalam | evaṃ vā—aśrotriyāya dānaṃ niṣphalam—śrotriyāya abhijanavidyādiguṇarahitāya svalpaphalam—arhattamāya mahāphalam |

Food offered to the gods and that offered in the Pitṛs are to be given to the most deserving; Brāhmaṇa learned in the Vedas. What is given to him is conducive to great results.—(128)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
‘Learned in the Veda’—he who recites the entire Vedic text, Mantras as well as Brāhmaṇas: to him;—‘the food offered to the gods’—i.e., those articles of food that are offered, in connection with Śrāddhas to the Visve-devas:—‘should be given;’—as also ‘the food offered to the Pitṛs,’

‘Most deserving;’—‘desert (deserve?)’ here stands for respectability and ability. It is a person born of a noble family that is respected; and a person born of a noble family is generally equipped with learning and character.

‘What is given to him,’—even things other than the Śrāddha- offerings,—‘is conducive to great results.’ The meaning is that—‘gift made to the unlearned is fruitless; that made to a person learned in the Veda, but devoid of nobility and other good qualities, is conducive to some slight results; and that to the most deserving is conducive to great results.’—(128)