Manava Dharmashastra 3.119

3.119

yaduktamarhattamāyeti taddarśayati | vidvāṃsamekamapi bhojayan puṣkalaṃ phalamāpnoti | vidvattā ca vyākhyātā vedārthavedanaṃ, yata āha nāmantrajñān bahūnapi | mantragrahaṇaṃ vedopalakṣaṇārtham | asambhave pañcānāṃ vedaviduṣāmekaikamapi vidvāṃsaṃ bhojayediti vidhyarthaḥ | puṣkalaṃ puṣṭaṃ vipulam |
116 ||

By feeding at least one learned brāhmaṇa each at the rite performed in honour of the gods and that performed in honour of the ancestors,—one obtains a full reward; and not by feeding even many men ignorant of the Veda.’—(129)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
What has been said above in regard to the ‘most deserving Brāhmaṇa’ is further explained.

‘By feeding at least one learned Brāhmaṇa, one obtains a full reward;—what is meant by ‘learning’ has already been explained; it consists in knowing the Veda and its meaning; that this is so, is also shown by what follows in the text: ‘not by feeding even many men ignorant of the Veda;’ the term ‘mantra’ here stands for the Veda.

In the absence of five Brāhmaṇas learned in the Veda, one should feed at least one;—such is the meaning of the present injunction.

‘Full’—great, large.—(129)