Manava Dharmashastra 3.275

3.275

ādyena ślokapādenātithyādibhuktaśiṣṭasyānnasya yadbhojanaṃ vihitaṃ tadanūdyate | māṅgalikatayā maṅgalāvasānāni śāstrāṇi prathante | pitryāddaivaṃ karma śastataram | yajñaśeṣam | anena jyotiṣṭomādi haviḥśeṣasya bhojanaṃ vighasasya tulyatayocyate | uttareṇārdhaślokena sauhārdameva tasya vedārthavyākhyānam | kasyāñcicchākhāyāmābhyāṃ śabdābhyāṃ vidhānaṃ dṛṣṭamato vyāmohaṃ nivartayati | vighasamaśnātīti vighasāśī | amṛtaṃ bhojanamasyetyamṛtabhojanaḥ | bhuktaśeṣaṃ bhṛtyabhuktaśiṣṭamiti draṣṭavyam | bhuktaśeṣamiti pāṭhasāmarthyādatithyādibhuktamiti draṣṭavyam | anye tu prakṛtatvācchāddhabhuktaśeṣamiti draṣṭavyam | tathā ca smṛtyantaraṃ bhuñjīta pitṛsevitamiti | śrāddhāṅgaṃ caitadbhojanaṃ kecidāhuḥ | anye tu puruṣārtho bhojananiyamoyamityāhuḥ | vasūnvadantītyanenaiva śrāddhaprakaraṇasyāpavṛttatvāt | yajñaśeṣaṃ yajñopayuktadravyaśeṣamiti draṣṭavyam |

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
The first quarter of the verse reiterates the ‘eating,’ that has been laid down before, of the food left after the guests and other persons have eaten.

All scriptures being meant to be conducive to welfare, scriptural treatises always conclude with auspicious declarations; and Rites in honour of the gods are more auspicious than those in honour of the Pitṛs.

‘Remnant of sacrifices.’— This shows that the eating of the remnants of the Jyotiṣṭoma and other sacrifices stands on the same footing a the ‘eating of Vighasa.’

The second half of the verse contains the explanation of the Vedic declaration, offered by the author, through kindness. He seeks to remove any misconception that people might have regarding the two terms in question, which are what have been used in some Vedic rescensional texts.

He who eats Vighasa is said to ‘live upon Vighasa;’ and he who eats Amṛta is said to ‘eat Amṛta.’

‘What is left by those who must be fed’—i.e., what is left after persons, who must be fed, have been fed.

Others have explained that what is meant is ‘what has been left after people have been fed at Śrāddha,’—on the ground that it is Śrāddha that forms the subject-matter of the context. To the same end there is another Smṛti-text—‘One should eat after having served the Pitṛs.’

Some people say that the ‘eating’ here mentioned forms part of the Śrāddha- rite. While others have said that this restriction regarding food is meant to serve a special purpose for man; the treatment of Śrāddhas having ended with verse 284.

‘Remnant of sacrifices’ should be understood to mean what is left of the materials used at sacrifices.—(285)