Manava Dharmashastra 4.9

4.9

eṣāṃ kusūladhānyakādīnāṃ gṛhasthānāmekaḥ ṣaṭkarmā bhavati | yo mahāparigrahaḥ prāguktastasya ṣaḍvṛttikarmāṇi bhavanti | kāni punastāni | prakṛtāni-uñchaśilāyācitayācitalābhakṛṣivāṇijyīni | adhyāpanayājanapratigrahāḥ 'yācitāyācita'grahaṇādantarbhavanti | bahukuṭumbako nityakarmasampattyarthaṃ ca sarvā vṛttoḥ samucitāḥ kuryātkṛṣivāṇijye api |
ye'pyadhyāpanamadhyayanamityādīni prathamādhyāyapaṭhitāni ṣaṭkarmāṇi vyācakṣate teṣāṃ prakaraṇavirodho niṣprayojanaṃ vā'dhyayanādīnāmupādānam-anyatraiva teṣāṃ vihitatvāt |
anyo dvitīyaḥ kumbhīdhānyastribhiḥ pravartate | pro'narthako yāvadvartate tāvatpravartata iti | vartanaṃ ca sthitisampattiḥ | prakṛtānāṃ ca yāni kānicit kvacit, kṛṣivāṇijye vihāya |
praśastataro hi pūrvasmātkumbhīdhānyakaḥ | yato vakṣyati 'sā vṛttiḥ sadbhigarhitā' | “gorakṣakānvāṇijikāniti” | yadapyuktaṃ gautamena ( a0 10 sū0 5-6 ) "kṛṣivāṇijye cāsvayaṃ kṛte kusīdaṃ cetyanāpadyeva | tatrāpyasvayaṃkaraṇapakṣe doṣo'styeva, laghīyāṃstu bhaviṣyati |
dvābhyāmekaḥ | atrāpi yācitalābhaṃ varjayitvā trayāṇāṃ yathāsambhavaṃ dve gṛhyete | ayācitamapi tāvadgṛhyate yāvattryahaparyāptam |
caturthastu brahmasatreṇa jīvati | ‘brahmasatraṃ’ śiloñchayoranyatarā vṛttiḥ | satatabhavatvātsatramiva na taddahaḥparisamāpanīyā vṛttirataḥ satramityucyate, aharaharnityamanuṣṭhānāt | brahmaśabdo brāhmaṇaparyāyasteṣāmidaṃ satram |
asmādbrahmaśabdātpūrvo'yaṃ vṛttiprapañco brāhmaṇaviṣaya eva vijñeyaḥ | kṣatriyādīnāṃ tu tatra tatra vakṣyati |
“kathaṃ punaḥ śiloñchavṛttyā jīvanaṃ saṃbhavati ? yāvatā śaradgrīṣmayoreva kṣetre khale vā śilapulākapātsambhavaḥ| athocyate| ‘graiṣmebhyo graiṣmāṇi śāradāni śāradebhyo'rjayiṣyatīti’ ṣāṇmāsikavṛttireva syānnāśvastanikaḥ | atha ‘anyathā'pi saṃbhavati yāvatastāvato vrīhyādeḥ kathañcitpatitasyopādānam |’ satyam | na tadbhojanāya paryāptam | ‘sañcinvāno yadā paryāptaṃ prāpsyati tadā'śiṣyati pañcāhādyasambhavāt | tathā ca mahābhārate, śiloñchavṛttiḥ pañcāntāśano varṇyate | so'yamasyāmavasthāyāṃ gṛhasthastāpasaḥ saṃvṛtta’ iti cet | kintvevamapyaśvastanikatvaṃ virudhyate | yathopapādasthitikastadā syānnāśvastanikaḥ| aśvastaniko hyucyate ya ahnyahnyarjayati yātrikaṃ tadahareva ca vyayīkaroti, na dvitīye'hni sthāpayati | yadi ca na pratyahaṃ śiloñchavṛtterbhojanaṃ nivartate, kuto'śvastaniko bhavet, kathaṃ ca tathāvidhasya jīvanaṃ putradārabharaṇaṃ ca |”
ata eva kecittribhiranyaḥ pravarteta ityata ārabhyānyathā vyācakṣate |
‘ tribhi ’ryājanādhyāpanapratigrahairdvābhyāṃ “pratigrahaḥ pratyavara” iti pratigrahavyudāsena yājanādhyāpane pratigṛhyete | brahmasatra madhyāpanam | taddhi vṛttaye paryāptam | yattu ‘vartayaṃśca śiloñchābhyāmiti” sa catuṣṭayavyatirikto'nya eva |
atrocyate | yaḥ śilaparimārtāndaśadvādaśānyavānvrīhīnvā bahubhya ādatte yāvadekāhayātrikaṃ sa ‘śilavṛttiḥ’ | yastvekaikaṃ yātrārthamāharati sa ‘uñchavṛttiḥ’ | smṛtyantare cāyaṃ ‘yāyāvara’vṛttiruktaḥ | ataśca sārvakālikamapyupapadyate | na ca vaiśvadevādikriyāvirodhaḥ, na ca putradārāṇāmabharaṇadoṣaśca, yācitabhaikṣādatyantālpagrahaṇāt |

‘One lives with two.’—Here also, leaving off ‘earning by begging,’ any two of the six may be adopted. The acquiring of wealth without begging also is permissible only to the extent of what may suffice for three days.

‘The fourth lives by Brahmasattra.’—‘Brahmasattra’ stands for either one of the two, ‘picking’ and ‘gleaning.’ These means of living are called ‘sattra’ (Sacrificial Session), because they are carried on continuously and are not to be finished on any one day. For this reason they are called ‘sattra,’ specially as they have to be carried on every day. The term ‘brahma’ is synonymous with ‘Brāhmaṇas;’ the meaning being that this is a sacrifical session for Brāhmaṇas. From the use of this term ‘brahma’ here, it follows that all that has been said before this regarding the means of living, pertains to ‘Brāhmaṇas;’ those pertaining to the Kṣatriya and others will be described on various occasions.

Question—“How can any living be possible by pickings and gleanings alone? since it is only during the autumn and the summer that it is possible for ears of corns to fall either in fields or in harvest-yards, it might be said that ‘the man would earn summer-grains from the summer-harvests, and the autumnal grains from the autumnal harvests.’ But in this way the man would have to collect grains lasting for six months; and he could never be ‘one who does not possess enough for the morrow.’ It might be argued that—‘it would be possible for the man to pick and glean grains that may have fallen here and there (even apart from harvesting).’ This is true; but the grain collected in this fashion could never suffice for feeding.—‘When the man is picking and gleaning, just as he will have collected enough, he will eat; it being impossible for him to make a collection for five or more days. In the Mahābhārata, the person who eats at the end of a fortnight has been called ‘one who lives by pickings and gleanings which means that, under such circumstances, the Householder has become the Hermit.’—But even so, this would be incompatible with the character of ‘one who does not possess enough for the morrow;’ as, under the circumstances mentioned, the man would be ‘one who lives upon whatever he obtains,’ and not‘ one who does not possess enough for the morrow.’ That man is called ‘one who does not possess enough for the morrow,’ who earns everyday just enough for the day, and spends it all on the same day, and does not keep anything for the next day. If the daily ‘picking and gleaning’ does not suffice for his daily feeding, how could he be ‘one who does not possess enough for the morrow?’ How could such a person live and maintain his wife and children?”

It is in view of these difficulties that some people offer another explanation of the Text beginning with the words ‘another lives by three’:—‘By three’—i.e., by officiating at sacrifices, by teaching and by receiving gifts.—‘By two’—i.e., by officiating at sacrifices and by teaching; the ‘receiving of gifts’ being precluded in view of what is said (in 10.109) regarding ‘the receiving of gifts being demeaning.’—‘Brahma - sattra’ is teaching; and this would be enough for a living. The person described (in 4.10) as ‘one who lives by picking and gleaning, etc.,’ must be different from the four described in the present text.

On this point, we offer the following explanation:—‘The person living by picking’ is one who obtains from several persons—taking ten or twelve barley grains from each—just enough to serve for the day; while one who obtains from each person enough for the day is called ‘one living by gleanings.’ In another Smṛti text, this means of living has been called ‘Yāyāvara.’ in view of this, such livelihood may pertain to all time. Nor would there be any incompatibility between the performance of the Vaiśvadeva and other rites and the maintaining of wife and children; as for purposes of the former, a very small quantity would be taken out of the alms obtained.—(9)

‘Agriculture and Trade, not carried on by oneself, and money-lending’ as permissible in normal times. But even when one carries on trade and agriculture, not by oneself, but through others,—there is something improper in this also; though the impropriety may be a small one.