Manava Dharmashastra 3.62

3.62

ananuṣṭhānanindayā prakṛtavidhistutiḥ | kecittu caturthyā paṭhanti "devatātithibhṛtyebhyaḥ pitṛbhyaścātmane tathā na nirvapati pañcabhyaḥ" iti | nirvāpo hyatra dānaṃ, na tādarthyopakalpanamātram | tatsambandhena pradhānatvāccaturthī yuktā | etebhyo yaḥ pratyahaṃ na dadātyucchvasannapi prāṇannapi śvāsapraśvāsavānapi na jīvati mṛta eva, jīvitaphalābhāvāt | bhṛtyāścātra "vṛddhau tu mātāpitarāviti” (manu 11|10) ślokanirdiṣṭā veditavyāḥ, na dāsāḥ, karmanimittatvāttebhyo dānasya | athavā garbhadāsādayo vārddhake karmasvaśaktā api niyamato lakṣyante | bharaṇaṃ jīrṇagavādīnāmavaśyamiti vibhāge vakṣyāmaḥ | uktaṃ ca gautamena "bharttavyastena kṣīṇavṛttiḥ”| devatābhyaśca nirvāpo'gnau homaḥ, sthaṇḍile ca baliharaṇaṃ tu vaiśvadevebhyo darśapūrṇamāsadevatābhya iva vā “agnaye tvā juṣṭaṃ nirvapāmi" iti sambandhādanyaḥ ko vā'sti nirvāpaḥ | ato devatāgrahaṇena gṛhītatvādbhūtānām pṛthagupādānam | ātmagrahaṇaṃ dṛṣṭāntaḥ | yathā''tmano bhojanena vinā nāsti jīvitaṃ tadarthamannopayogo'vaśyaṃbhāvī jīvitasyeṣṭaviṣayatvātsarvata evātmānaṃ gopāyedriti vidheśca, evaṃ devatādibhyo'pīti |

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
This verse praises the original injunction by deprecating its omission. Some people read this verse with the Dative ending—‘devatātithibhṛtyebhyaḥ pitṛbhyaścātmane tathā na nirvapati panchabhyaḥ.’

‘Offering’ here stands for actual giving away, not merely assignment; hence, the Dative should be the right form.

He who does not make gifts to these,—even though he may be ‘breathing,’—carrying on the function of inhaling and exhaling air,—‘does not live;’ i.e., is as good as dead, his living being absolutely fruitless.

The term ‘dependents’ here should be taken as standing for ‘old parents’ and others mentioned below (in 11.10); it does not stand for servants; as gifts to these latter are made in return for services rendered. Or, it may be taken as indicating such born slaves as become incapable of rendering further service, on account of old age. We shall also explain later on that it is necessary to feed old bulls, etc. Gautama also has declared that ‘decrepit people, and those devoid of livelihood, should be supported by him’ (10. 61).

The ‘offering’ to the gods consists of (a) pouring libations into fire, (b) throwing ‘bali’-offerings on prepared altars; for what other ‘offering’ could there be, except these?—which is what is found in other cases also;—e.g., those of the offerings made to the Viśvedevas and other deities of the Darśapūrṇamāsa sacrifices, where the offerings are made with such mantras as ‘Agnaye tvā juṣṭam nirvapāmi;’ where also mere relationship (with the gods) is what is meant. It is for this reason that the ‘elementals’ (to whom the bali- offerings are made) become included under ‘gods,’ and hence not mentioned separately.

‘Himself’ has been added by way of illustration; the sense being—“just as, without eating, one’s own living is not possible, and for that purpose the use of food is absolutely necessary, in view of one’s life being a very desirable thing,—specially according to the direct injunction that ‘one should guard oneself against all things’—so also is the feeding of gods and the rest absolutely essential.”—(72)