History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c20.38

v2.c20.38

Another rule about gifts was that a person should prefer a learned brāhmaṇa who is his neighbour for making a gift to one who is not near; if he did not do so, he incurred sin; but there was no blame in passing over an ignorant or foolish brāhmaṇa who stays near in favour of a worthy but distant brāhmaṇa.²⁴⁵ Vide Vas. Dh. S. III. 9–10, Manu VIII. 392 (which prescribes a fine of one *māṣa* for this), Veda-Vyāsa-smṛti IV. 35–38, Bṛhaspati-smṛti 60 and Laghu-Śātātapa 76–79, Gobhila-smṛti II. 66–69. Devala quoted by Aparārka p. 288 and Par. M. I. part 1 p. 181 say that that brāhmaṇa is a pātra (worthy to receive a gift) who is pure in three respects (viz. as to his parents and his guru), whose means of livelihood are slender, who is tender-hearted and of restrained senses. Vas. Dh. S. VI. 26 and Yāj. I. 200 also define pātra similarly.