Manava Dharmashastra 4.226

4.226

iṣṭamantarvedi yatkriyate yajñādi karma | pūrta tato'nyatra sammānādyadṛṣṭārtham | te śraddhayā kartavye | tathā svāgataiśca dhanaiḥ śobhanenāgacchanti yāni dhanāni śrutaśauryatapaḥkanyādinā| evamakṣayye'kṣayaphale bhavataḥ | yāni tu na svāgatāni nākṣayaphalāni na punarniṣphalāni | tathāhi tairapi svāmyamutpadyate | tena ca yāgādayaḥ kartavyāḥ | na ca yāgadānādiprakaraṇe kusīdādipratiṣedhaḥ śruto yena tadaṅga syāt | tasmādyāvantaḥ svargotpattihetavaḥ tairarjitena dhanena yāgādayaḥ kartavyāḥ | phalasya tu prakarṣāpakarṣau bhavataḥ |
ke punaste praśastadhanopāyāḥ | ata ucyate |
tatra 'śrutatapasī' pratigrahanimittam | eko'pi pratigraho nimittabhedādbhedenoktaḥ | pratigrāhyaguṇā api sāmarthyāttatra draṣṭavyāḥ | yadi nātyantaduṣṭo dātā bhavati tadā tasmādāgataṃ śuddhaṃ bhavati | yājyaśiṣyaśabdābhyāṃ yājanādhyāpane gṛhyete | 'anvayāgataṃ' pitṛpaitāmahādi | kanyādānakāle śvaśuragṛhāllabdham | śauryeṇa kṣatriyasya | kanyānvayau sarvasādhāraṇau |
'sevā' preṣyakaratvaṃ yatheccha viniyojyatā | 'anuvṛttiḥ' priyatānukūlā| tatra kusīdakṛṣivāṇijya mānyavaiśyasya, vaiśyasya praśastānyeva | 'sevā' dvijātiśuśrūṣā śūdrasya praśastaiva | anyā tu tasya ninditā | 'śavala' grahaṇenācirasthāyitā phalasyocyate | yāvajjīvaṃ tatphalaṃ bhavati ||
'pārśvikaḥ' pārśvasthaḥ utkocādinā dhanamarjayati | jñātvā dhanāgamaṃ kasyacidahaṃ te dāpayāmi mahyaṃ tvayā kiṃciddātavyamiti yo gṛhṇāti sa pārśvikaḥ | na kartā kārayitā taṭastho na tvajñatayā gṛhṇāti | yathā ca gṛhītvā'dhamarṇāya pratibhūtvenāvatiṣṭhate | 'pratirūpako' dāmbhikaḥ | kusumbhādyupahitakuṅkumādivikrayo 'vyājaḥ' | 'ārtiḥ' parapīḍā | pracchannaharaṇaṃ 'cauryyam' | prasabhaṃ 'sāhasam' | nanu cauryasāhasābhyāṃ svāmyameva nāsti tannimitteṣvapaṭhitatvāt| "svāmī rikthakrayasaṃvibhāgaparigrahādhigameṣviti"- tathā "vidyāśilpaṃ bhṛtimevetyādi- tathā "sapta vittāgamā dharmyā" iti ca | athāsmādeva vacanātsvāmyakāraṇatvamanayoriti | kathaṃ tarhi balādbhuktaṃ na jīryatīti | kecittāvadāhuḥ | naivāyaṃ pāṭho'sti "dyū tacauryārttiriti" api tu 'vaiyārttiti' | vairiṇaḥ sakāśādyadgṛhyate sandhānakāle yadyetāvaddāsi tadā tvayā sandhiṃ karomi śaktivihīnatayā dadāti | sāhasamapi na prasahma haraṇaṃ kiṃ tarhi yatprāṇasaṃdehenārrjyate potayātratayā rahasi rājapratiṣiddhapratikrayeṇa ca | anye tu manyante | naiva balādapaharaṇena svāmyaṃ bhogena vā jaraṇaṃ virudhyate yato balaṃ prathamamapahārakāle tvasatyapi bale upekṣayā bhogastatra svāmyam | yatra tvārambhātprabhṛti sarvakāliko balopabhogastatra jīryatīti kathyate | tasmādubhayamaviruddham | idaṃ yuktaṃ yaccauryasāhasābhyāṃ svatvānutpattiḥ, pāṭhavibhāgakṛtatvāt anyaiśca smṛtikāraiḥ svatvahetuṣvaparigaṇanāt |

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
‘Iṣṭa,’ ‘sacrifice,’ stands for those acts of Sacrifice and the like that are done on a regular altar; while ‘pūrta’ stands for other acts done with a view to spiritual results, such as honouring those who deserve to be honoured, and so forth.

Both these sets of acts shall be done ‘with faith;’ and with well-gotten wealth;’—i.e., with wealth got by such fair means as learning, bravery, bride, and so forth.

Thus performed, these acts lead to ini perishable results. Those that are performed with wealth not well-gotten, are not fruitless; they only lead to perishable (transitory) results. Because, even unfair means produce ownership; so that sacrifices may be performed with wealth over which one’s ownership has been produced. Further, usury (as a means of acquiring wealth) is not found to have been prohibited anywhere in connection with sacrifices and charities. Hence it follows that, even with the help of such wealth, sacrifices, etc., shall be performed till Heaven has been attained. There will certainly be some difference in the degr.ee of excellence in the results obtained.

Now, the question arises—What are the fair sources of acquiring wealth?

In answer to this, we have the following verses:—

I. What is derived from (a) learning, (b) bravery, (c) austerities, (d) bride, (e) person sacrificed for, (f) pupil, and (g) inheritance,—are the seven kinds of ‘pure’ wealth; and the result of these is also pure.

Of these, learning and austerities are the sources that bring presents. Though ‘present’ constitutes only one kind of wealth, yet it has been mentioned as two, on account of its twofold source. The qualifications of the persons making the gifts have also to be borne in mind. If the giver does not happen to be absolutely objectionable, the wealth derived from him is also pure.—The terms ‘person sacrificed for’ and ‘pupil’ indicate the work of officiating at sacrifices and teaching.—‘inherited,’ from one’s forefathers.—‘Bride,’ what is obtained from the Father-in-law, at the time of marriage.—‘Bravery’— for the Kṣatriya; while the ‘bride’ and ‘inheritance,’ are common to all men.

II. What is derived by— (a) usury—(b) agriculture, (c) trade, (d) art (e) service, (f) attendance, and (g) from a person who has been helped ;—these seven kinds of wealth are called ‘mixed.’

‘Service’ consists of running on errands and obeying orders; while ‘attendance’ is agreeable behaviour. Of these, ‘usury,’ ‘agriculture’ and ‘trade’ are mixed only for the non - Vaiśya; for the Vaiśya, these are commendable. Similarly, ‘service,’ consisting of attending upon twice-born men, is commendable for the Śūdra; the others are not commended for him. What is meant by these being ‘mixed’ is, that the results obtained from acts, performed with wealth derived from those sources, are transitory; these results lasting only during the present life.

III. What is obtained by—(a) bribery, (b) gambling, (c) stealing, (d) causing pain to others, (e) hypocrisy, (f) robbery and (g) fraud;—all this has been declared to be ‘black.’

‘Pārśvika,’—the man at one’s side, obtains wealth by means of bribery, etc. For instance, having come to know that a person is going to obtain some wealth, one goes over to him and says, ‘I shall get yon so much wealth, you should give me something out of it,’ and then receives it from him; the man not having done anything himself, nor having anything done by others, but simply looking on, and yet receiving money; or when one receives some consideration for standing surety for a borrower.—‘Pratirūpaka’ is pretence, hypocrisy .—‘Fraud’—when one sells the kusumbha flower, in place of saffron.—‘Ārti’ is causing pain to others.—‘Stealing’ is taking away things by stealth; and ‘robbery’ is taking away by force.