Manava Dharmashastra 3.262

3.262

kālaśākaṃ viśiṣṭaśākaṃ prasiddham | kṛṣṇo vāstuukabhede vā | mahāśalkāḥ śalyakā ucyante | anye tu matsyān saśalkānāhuḥ | khaḍgo gaṇḍakaḥ |
lohaḥ kṛṣṇaśchāgaḥ, sarvaṃraktaśca | tathā purāṇam "kṛṣṇaśchāgastathā rakta ānantyāyaiva kalpate" | lohaśabdo varṇalakṣaṇayā tadvarṇayukte chāge vartate | ayaḥkṛṣṇaṃ, tāmraṃ lohitaṃ, ubhayatrāpi lohaśabdaḥ prayujyate | yadyapi caiṣa varṇo meṣādiṣvapi saṃbhavati tathāpi smṛtyantaraprasiddhyā chāga eva gṛhyata iti vyācakṣate |
anye tu śakunirlohapṛṣṭhaḥ nāmaikadeśena, devadatto datta itivat, pratipādyata ityāhuḥ | samācāraścobhayatrāpyanveṣyaḥ |
madhu mākṣikam |
sarvatrātra prītyatiśayotpattirvivakṣitā, na tu yathāśruta eva kālaḥ | tathāhi dvādaśavarṣāṇyakaraṇaṃ syāt | tatra virudhyeta "pitryamā nidhanātkāryamiti" |

The lawful wife, devoted to her husband and intent upon the worshipping of the Pitṛs, should, if desirous of a son, eat in the proper manner, the middlemost ball.—(262)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
The modes of disposal mentioned above apply to the first and the last balls; but the middlemost of the balls the lawful wife, desiring a son, should eat; i.e., the wife who has not been married merely for the sake of pleasure.

‘Devoted to her husband;’—one who makes it her vow that—‘I shall serve my husband alone, even in my mind I shall never entertain even a thought of faithlessness to him.’

‘Intent upon’—with full faith in—‘the worshipping’—the śrāddha and other rites—‘of the Pitṛs.’ That is, she betakes herself with great care to the performance of these.

‘Should eat in the proper manner—i.e., fully observing the rules regarding the rinsing of the mouth and sipping of.water etc., etc.—(262)

“There are many such magical ceremonies in the Sāmavidhāna and the Ṛgvidhāna”.—Burnell.

This verse is quoted in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 759) without any comment;—in Aparārka (p. 550);—in Śrāddhakriyākaumudī (p. 215);—and in Gadādharapaddhati (Kāla, p. 563).

Comparative notes by various authors
(verses 3.262-263)
Viṣṇudharmottara (Parāśaramādhava, p. 760).—‘At Tīrthas the halls shall he thrown into the water.’

Gobhila (4.3.27).—‘The wife, desiring a son, should eat the middlemost ball, pronouncing the mantra—ādhatta pitaro garbhan.’

Laghu-Āśvalāyana (83.23).—‘One who desires a son should make his wife eat the middlemost hall, with the mantra ādhatta, etc., whereupon she hears a male child.’

Bṛhaspati (Caturvargacintāmaṇi-Śrāddba, p. 1506).—[Reproduces Manu, 262 and 263.)

Devala (Do.).—‘From among the balls, the wife desiring a son shall eat the middlemost; and through the favour of the Pitṛs, she obtains a son endowed with all good qualities.’

Vāyupurāṇa (Parāśaramādhava, p. 758).—‘Desiring progeny, he shall give the middle hall to his wife.’

Bṛhaspati (Do., p. 759).—‘If the wife happen to be elsewhere, or ill or with child, the hall may be eaten by an old bull or a goat.’

Āpastamba (Do.)—‘If the wife is elsewhere,...the ball should be thrown into the sky.’

Devala (Do.).—‘The rites being completed, the ball may be eaten by the Brāhmaṇa or the fire, the goat or the bull; or it may be thrown into water.’