Manava Dharmashastra 3.71

3.71

“svādhyāyamadhīyīta” iti ya evārthaḥ sa eva svādhyāyenārcayedṛṣīn iti | yadbhavati śraddhādareṇa pādyārghamālyānulepanena tadacarcyate | stutivacanaṃ cedam | na cobhayorapi svādhyāyaṛṣipūjayoḥ karaṇam | agnyādidevatāstāvakā mantrā ṛṣīnabhiṣṭuvanti | tasmātpraśaṃsāmātram ṛṣīnsvādhyāyenārcayediti | athavā neha marīcyādaya ṛṣayo'bhipretāḥ, kiṃ tarhi vedā eva | svādhyāyaśabdaśca kriyāśabdo nātra vedavacano yathā 'svādhyāyo'dhyetavya' iti | tenaitaduktaṃ bhavati 'adhyayanena vedān pūjayet' yathāvidhyabhyasyet | anyathā pūjāyā asaṃbhavat | atrāpyarcā bhākta eva | na hi home devatā pradhānā, kārakaṃ hi devateti | pitṝn śrāddhena | atra yathāśruta eva niyogaḥ | sa ca śrāddhavidhau nirṇeṣyate | nṝn atithimikṣuprabhṛtīn arcayet, arcāparvakamannaṃ tebhyo dadyādityarthaḥ |

One should worship, according to law, the Sages by Vedic Study, the Gods by Homa-offerings, the Pitṛs by Śrāddha offerings, the Men by food and the Elementals by the offering of Bali.’—(81)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
What is meant by the words ‘svādhyāyamadhīyīta’ (‘one should study the Veda’) is exactly what is meant by the words, ‘one should worship the sages by Vedic Study.’

As a matter of fact, what is called worship is done either (a) by means of faith and devotion, or (b) by means of offering water for the feet, garlands and sandal-paint. But the present verse is purely eulogistic; ‘Vedic Study’ cannot be the means of either of these two forms of ‘worship’ of the sages. As for the mantras of the Veda, those also contain praises of Agni and other gods (and not the sages). For all these reasons the statement that ‘one should worship sages by Vedic Study’ is purely eulogistic.

Or, the term ‘sages’ may be taken as standing, not for Marīci and other persons (generally known as ‘sages’), but for the Vedas themselves. The term ‘svādhyāya’ (Vedic Study) here denotes an action; it does not stand for the Veda, as it does in the sentence, ‘svādhyāyo dhyetavyaḥ’ (‘the Veda should be studied’). Hence what the passage means is that ‘one should worship the Vedas by the act of study;’ i.e., one should study them in the proper manner; no other form of ‘worship’ being possible.

‘The gods by Homa-offerings’—here also the ‘worship’ is figurative; for in a Homa, the deity is not the most predominant factor,—being only a subordinate factor, tending to the fulfilment of the act.

‘The Pitṛs by Śrāddha offerings’—here the Injunction is to be taken in its direct sense; and this shall be explained under the section on ‘Śrāddha.’

‘The men’—i.e., guests, beggars, and so forth—‘one should worship’—i.e., give them food with due respect.—(81)