Manava Dharmashastra 3.189

3.189

anagnidagdhaḥ somaḥ | na hyagninā tasya pāko'sti | tena yā devatā ijyante tā apyanagnidagdhāḥ samṛddhvāstadguṇata ucyante | evamagnidagdhāni carupuroḍāśādīni havīṃṣi agninā pacyante | tairyā devatā ijyante tā agnidagdhāḥ | pūrvavadevamabhisambandhaḥ kriyate | ye agnidagdhā ucyante tānagnidagdhānnirdiśet | : ye anagnidagdhāstānsomapāneva nirdiśet | evaṃ kāvyānrbahiṣada iti | kaveḥ putrāḥ kāvyāste ca "somapāstu kaveḥ putrāḥ" ityuktāḥ | barhiṣado'trijā uktāḥ | nāyamevakāro yathādeśaṃ draṣṭavyaḥ | tathā hyayamarthaḥ syāt viprāṇāmeveti pitaro, na kṣatriyādīnām | tacca prāguktena virudhyeta | na caite varṇabhedena pitṛtvenoktāḥ, yena tasmāddācchidya brāhmaṇādisambandhitā eṣāmucyeta | tasmādapakṛṣya evakāro'gniṣvāttāneva saumyāneva nirdiśedityevaṃ sambandhanīyaḥ | vipragrahaṇamanuvādatvātkṣatriyādipradarśanārtham | evaṃnāmānaścaite pitaro vede śrūyante "agniṣvāttāḥ pitaro ye'gnidagdhā ye anagnidagdhā" iti tānmantrānudāhṛtya vivṛṇoti | athavaivaṃ sambandhaḥ kriyate | 'ya etaiḥ śabdaiḥ pitara ucyante tān viprāṇāmeva nirdiśet svapitṝn | na ca śabdabhedenārthabhedaśaṅkā kartavyā' | vipragrahaṇamadhikāryupalakṣaṇārthaṃ prādhānyāt | pradhānena hyupalakṣaṇaṃ bhavati 'rājā gacchatīti' |

‘The Anagnidagdhas, the Agnidagdhas, the Kāvyas, the Barhiṣads, the Agniṣvāttas, and the Saumyas,—these one should regard as the Pitṛs of Brāhmaṇas.—(199)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
Soma (the Soma plant) is what is called ‘anagnidagdha’ (‘not burnt by fire’); because it is not cooked on fire; and the gods to whom sacrifices are offered with Soma, also come to be called ‘Anagnidagdha;’ which connotes the quality of prosperity.

Similarly, ‘agnidagdha’ (‘burnt by fire’) stands for such substances as cooked rice, cake, and the like, which are all prepared on fire; and the gods to whom sacrifices are offered with these are called ‘Agnidagdha.’

As before, we construe the verse to mean as follows:—‘Those that are called Agnidagdha should be mentioned as agnidagdha, and those that are called Anagnidagdha should be mentioned as Somapā.’

Similarly with ‘Kāvyas’ and ‘Barhiṣuds the ‘Kāvyas’ have been described (in 198) as ‘Somapā;’ and ‘Barhiṣads’ as ‘the sons of Atri.’

The particle ‘eva’ is not to be construed where it occurs; as, in that case, the meaning would be that all those mentioned are the Pitṛs of Brāhmaṇas only, not of Kṣatriyas and others; and this would be contrary to what has gone before. Nor have the beings in question been mentioned as the Pitṛs of various castes, which alone could justify a few of them being selected and marked as belonging specifically to Brāhmaṇas only. Hence the ‘eva’ should be construed along with the ‘Agniṣvāttas,’ the ‘Saumyas,’ and the rest.

The mention of the ‘Brāhmaṇa’ being purely reiterative, stands for the Kṣatriya, &c. also.

The Pitṛs bearing the names here mentioned are found mentioned in the Veda also:—‘The Pitṛs, named Agniṣvātta, Agnidagdha, Anagnidagdha.’ And it is out of those mentioned in this mantra that our author has selected some and described them here.

Or, the verse may be construed in the following manner:—‘The Pitṛs that are spoken of by these names, all these one should mention as the Brāhmaṇa’s Pitṛs:’ the mere difference in the names should not lead one to think of the named beings being different.’ In this case, the term ‘Brāhmaṇa’ would stand for ‘persons entitled to the performance of Śrāddha;’ the Brāhmaṇa being so, above all others; and it is always the predominant factor that serves as the indicative; as we find in the case of such expressions as ‘the king is passing by.’

[ This latter interpretation, being much the simpler of the two, has been adopted in the Text.]—(199)