Manava Dharmashastra 3.68

3.68

pañcayajñavidheradhikāranirdeśo'yam | sūnā iva sūnāḥ | māṃsavikrayārthapaśuvadhasthānamāpaṇādayo vā māṃsasyotpādakatayā'nuṣṭhīyamānāḥ, pāpahetavaḥ | evaṃ cullyādayo'pi pāpahetutvādadhyāropeṇa sūnāsramāḥ | na hi teṣāṃ śāstrapratiṣedhaḥ sākṣāt | nāpi sāmānyaḥ kaścitpratiṣedho'sti | na hi tāpaghātāya kasyacinna spṛhā syāt | na kācittatsādhyakriyā dṛśyate yā vacanāntareṇa niṣiddhā | na cāsmādeva vacanātpratiṣedhānumānam, uttareṇaikavākyatāvagamāt | prati ṣedhaparatve vākyabhedaḥ syāt | kiṃ caitatpakṣārthasādhyāmarthakriyāṃ padārthāntareṇa sādhayettasyāḥ prāptiḥ pañcayajñānāṃ | na ca lakṣaṇānyuktāni | yena tatsamānakāryasyānyasyāpi pratiṣedha ucyeta | yo vā parakīyamannamadyāt nadyādāvudakāryaṃ kuryāt tasyaite yajñāḥ syuḥ | yadi ca cullādīnāṃ niṣedho'bhipretaḥ syāttadā pratiṣedhārthiyameva padamadhīyīta, kimanumānena | svaśabdāddhi balīyasī pratipattiḥ | prāyaścittārthatve tvekādaśe'bhidhānaṃ yuktam | niṣedhairevānanuṣṭhānameva syāt | aparihāryatvācca cullādīnāmaśakyo niṣedhaḥ | asati ca niṣedhe kutaḥ prāyaścittam | tasmānna doṣavighātārthaṃ pañcamahāyajñāḥ | kiṃ tarhi nityasambandheṣu cullādiṣvāropitāsadoṣaniṣkṛtyarthatayā nityārthatayā nityatvaṃ yajñānāmāha | badhyate | ādivarṇaṃ vetyetaddantoṣṭhyaṃ paṭhyate | hanyate duṣkṛtena, śarīradhanādinā nāśyate | sambadhyate vā pāpena-paratantrīkaraṇaṃ vā badhnāterarthaḥ | vāhayan | svakārye vyāpāraṇaṃ 'vāhanam' | yasya cullāderyadaiaucityaprāptaṃ svasādhyaṃ kāryaṃ tattābhiḥ kurvanvāhayannityucyate | cullī pākasthānaṃ bhrāṣṭrādi | peṣaṇī dṛṣadupalo vā | upaskaro gṛhopayogi bhāṇḍaṃ kuṇḍakaṭāhādi | kaṇḍanī yayā vrīhyādi kaṇḍyate | kumbho jalādhāraḥ |
58||
yasmāttrayo'pyāśramiṇo jñānena vedārthavyākhyānajanyenānnena ca dhāryanta upakriyante gṛhasthena tasmājjyeṣṭhaḥ śreṣṭha āśramo gṛham | gṛhīti pāṭhe bahuvrīhiḥ, gṛhamiti pāṭhe viśeṣaṇasamāso, 'jyeṣṭhāśrama' iti | atrāpi gṛhasthairevetyaucityānuvādo, na vānaprasthādīnāmadhyāpanādipratiṣedhaḥ | vānaprasthasya tāvadvihitametat 'etāneva mahāyajñānnirvapediti' | pravrajitasya yadyapi 'samo bhūteṣu hiṃsānugrahayoḥ-anārambhī ( gautama 3|24-25 )' ityanugrahaḥ pratiṣiddhastathāpi vedārthavyākhyānaṃ bhikṣuśāstre vihitam | jñānavairāgyabhāvanāmyāsātiśayavidhānācca tayornātiprayatno vedārthavyākhyāne | brahmacāriṇastvārthalopānnādhyāpakatvaṃ, bhaikṣavṛttyupadeśācca kuto'nnadānam | ato gṛhasthānāmeva prāyeṇa tatsaṃbhavādevamuktaṃ gṛhasthaireva |

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
‘Because men in all the three states are sustained’—i.e., helped—‘with knowledge’—i.e., knowledge brought about by the expounding of the meaning of the Veda—‘and food,’ by the Householder,—therefore, ‘the Householder’s state is the highest’—best.

If we read ‘gṛhī’ for ‘gṛham,’ the compound ‘jyeṣṭhāśramaḥ’ should be expounded as a Bahuvrīhi; while with reading ‘gṛham’ it is Karmadhāraya.

Here also the specification ‘by Householders only’ serves only to re-iterate what is right and proper, and it does not mean that persons in the state of the Recluse and others are not to do the work of teaching. In fact, for the Recluse the work of teaching has been specially enjoined in the verse—‘he should perforin these great sacrifices, etc.’ (below, 6. 5). As for the Renunciate, it is true that the according of any help to anybody has been prohibited by the rule—‘he should take no part in injuring or helping’ (Gautama 3. 24-25); but the expounding of the meaning of the Veda has been actually enjoined among the duties of the Mendicant. Further, for the Recluse and the Renunciate, much effort would not be needed in the expounding of the Veda, as they are required to cultivate a high degree of knowledge, dispassion, thought-power and practice. As for the Religious Student, the work of teaching would interfere with his own proper work (of study); and as for the gift of food, how could this be possible for him, when he himself has been advised to live on alms?

Thus, since it is for the Housholder alone that the two are generally possible, the text has used the phrase ‘by Householders only.’— (78)