Manava Dharmashastra 4.3

4.3

pūrveṇānvāhnikajīvanavidhāvupāya ukto'nena dhanasañcaye niyama upadiśyate | svaiḥ karmabhiḥ dhanasañcayaṃ kuryāt | tāni ca karmāṇyuttaratra vakṣyante | sañcayaprayojanamāha | yātrāmātraprasiddhayartham | na bhogāya dhanasañcayakleśaḥ kartavyaḥ, kiṃ tarhi yātrāmātraprasiddhyartham | ātmakuṭumbasthitiḥ 'yātrā', tatparimāṇaṃ 'yātrāmātraṃ', tasya 'prasiddhiḥ' niṣpattiḥ, tadarthastatprayojanam | nityakarmanivṛttirātmasthitāvevāntarbhūtāni tāni hyakurvata na ātmasthitiḥ | āha ca (a. 3 ślo. 62) "na nirvapati pañcānāmucchrasan na sa jīvati" | athavā satyapi śālīnyatve yatra loko garhate tadvarjyameva | yathā narasya mahākulīnasya bhuktavibhavasya nikṛṣṭakulātprāptaśrokāt samānajātīyādapi pratigrahādinā kenacidupāyena jīvanam | akleśena śarīrasya | sevāvāṇijye mahākleśo, dūrādhvagamanādinā | tādṛśe na kartavye | sañcayo rāśīkṛtaparirakṣaṇam |

For the accomplishment of bare maintenance, one shall accumulate wealth by means of one’s own irreproachable occupations, without causing trouble to the body.—(3)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
The preceding verse has described the means of daily subsistence; the present verse is going to mention rules regarding the accumulating of wealth.

‘One shall accumulate wealth by means of one’s own occupations.’—These occupations shall be described later on.

The author states the purpose for which wealth is to be accumulated: ‘For the accomplishment of bare maintenance’—Wealth shall be accumulated, not for the purposes of pleasure, but simply for the sake of maintenance. ‘Maintenance’ stands for the subsisting of oneself and one’s family; and what just suffices for that is called ‘bare maintenance;’—‘the accomplishment,’ or bringing about of this, is the ‘purpose’ of the accumulation. The performance of obligatory duties is included under one’s ‘own subsistence;’ for, until one performs these, one’s own subsistence is not accomplished. It has been said above (3.72)—‘he who does not make the five offerings, is not alive, even though he may be breathing.’

Or, what is meant is that, even though a certain means of accumulating wealth may be sanctioned by the scriptures, if it happen to be such as is considered reproachable in the eyes of men, it shall be avoided. For instance, when a man of noble family has spent all his belongings, he shall avoid living by such means as the receiving of gifts from a person of his own caste, but of a low family, who may have acquired wealth.

‘Without causing trouble to the body’—Service and Trade are sources of great suffering to the body, involving as they do long journeys and other troubles: so that these should be avoided.

‘Accumulation.’—Collecting and keeping.—(3).