| Philosophy and Religion / Sacred Laws of the Âryas |
The Sacred Laws of the Âryas: Âpastamba - Prasna I, Patala 11
Khanda 30
1. Some declare, that a student shall bathe after (having acquired) the knowledge of the Veda, (however long or short the time of his studentship may have been).1
2. (He may) also (bathe) after having kept the student's vow for forty-eight, (thirty-six or twenty-four) years, (though he may not have mastered the Veda).
Some declare, that the student (shall bathe) after (having acquired) the knowledge of the Veda and after (the expiration of) his vow.
4. To all those persons who have bathed (In accordance with any of the above rules must be shown) the honour clue to a Snâtaka.
5. The reverence (shown to a Snâtaka) brings, however, different rewards according to the degree of devotion or of learning (possessed by the person honoured).
6. Now follow the observances (chiefly to be kept) by a Snâtaka.
7. He shall usually enter the village and leave it by the eastern or the northern gate.
8. During the morning and evening twilights, he shall sit outside the village, and not speak anything (referring to worldly matters).
9. (But an Agnihotrî, who is occupied at home by oblations in the morning and evening, must not go out; for) in the case of a conflict (of duties), that enjoined by the Veda is the more important.
10. He shall avoid all dyed dresses,2
11. And all naturally black cloth.
12. He shall wear a dress that is neither shining,
13. Nor despicable, if he is able (to afford it).3
14. And in the day-time he shall avoid to wrap up his head, except when voiding excrements.
15. But when voiding excrements, he shall envelop his head and place some (grass or the like) on the ground.4
16. He shall not void excrements in the shade (of a tree, where travellers rest).
17. But he may discharge urine on his own shadow.
18. He shall not void excrements with his shoes on, nor on a ploughed field, nor on a path, nor in water.5
19. He shall also avoid to spit into, or to have connection with a woman in water.6
20. He shall not void excrements facing the fire, the sun, water, a Brâhmana, cows, or (images of) the gods.7
21. He shall avoid to clean his body from excrements with a stone, a clod of earth, or with (boughs of) herbs or trees which he has broken off, whilst they were on the tree and full of sap.
22. If possible, he shall not stretch out his feet towards a fire, water, a Brâhmana, a cow, (iniages of) the gods, a door, or against the wind.8
23. Now they quote also (the following verse):
Khanda 31
1. He shall eat facing the east, void fæces facing, the south, discharge urine facing the north, and wash his feet turned towards the west.
2. He shall void excrements far from his house, having gone towards the south or south-west.9
3. But after sunset he must not void excrements outside the village or far from his house.
4. And as long as he is impure he (shall avoid) to pronounce the names of the gods.
5. And he shall not speak evil of the gods or of the king.10
6. He shall not touch with his foot a Brâhmana, a cow, nor any other (venerable beings).
7. (Nor shall he touch them) with his hand, except for particular reasons.
8. He shall not mention the blemishes of a cow, of sacrificial presents, or of a girl.11
9. And he shall not announce it (to the owner) if a cow does damage (by eating corn or grass in a field).
10. (Nor shall he call attention to it) if a cow is together with her calf, except for a particular reason.
11. And of a cow which is not a milch-cow he shall not say, 'She is not a milch-cow.' He must say, 'This is a cow which will become a milch-cow.'
12. He shall not call 'lucky' that which is lucky. He shall call it 'a mercy, a blessing.'12
13. He shall not step over a rope to which a calf (or cow) is tied.13
14. He shall not pass between the posts from which a swing is suspended.14
15. (In company) he shall not say, 'This person is my enemy.' If he says, 'This person is my enemy,' he will raise for himself an enemy, who will show his hatred.
16. If he sees a rainbow, he must not say to others, 'Here is Indra's bow.'15
17. He shall not count (a flock of) birds.16
18. He shall avoid to look at the sun when he rises or sets.17
19. During the day the sun protects the creatures, during the night the moon. Therefore let him eagerly strive to protect himself on the night of the new moon by purity, continence, and rites adapted for the season.
20. For during that night the sun and the moon dwell together.
21. He shall not enter the village by a by path. If he enters it thus, he shall mutter this Rik-verse, 'Praise be to Rudra, the lord of the dwelling,' or some other (verse) addressed to Rudra.18
22. He shall not (ordinarily) give the residue of his food to a person who is not a Brâhmana. When he gives it (to such a one), he shall clean his teeth and give (the food) after having placed in it (the dirt from his teeth).19
23. And let him avoid the faults that destroy the creatures, such as anger and the like.20
Khanda 32
1. Let him who teaches, avoid connubial intercourse during the rainy season and in autumn.21
2. And if he has had connection (with his wife), he shall not lie with her during the whole night22
3. He shall not teach whilst he is lying on a bed.
4. Nor shall he teach (sitting) on that couch on which he lies (at night with his wife).
5. He shall not show himself adorned with a garland, or anointed with ointments.23
6. At night he shall always adorn himself for his wife.
7. Let him not submerge his head together with his body (in bathing),
8. And (let him avoid) to bathe after sunset.
9. Let him avoid to use a seat, clogs, sticks for cleaning the teeth, (and other utensils) made of Palâsa-wood.
10. Let him avoid to praise (himself) before his teacher, saying, 'I have properly bathed or the like.'
11. Let him be awake from midnight.
12. Let him not study (or teach) in the middle of the night; but (he may point out) their duties to his pupils.
13. Or (he may) by himself mentally (repeat the sacred texts).
14. After midnight he may teach.
15. When he has risen (at midnight, and taught) during the third watch of the night, let him not lie down again (saying), 'Studying is forbidden.'24
16. At his pleasure he may (sleep) leaning (against a post or the like).
17. Or he may mentally repeat (the sacred texts).
18. Let him not visit inferior men (such as Nishâdas), nor countries which are inhabited by them,25
19. Nor assemblies and crowds.
20. If he has entered a crowd, he shall leave it, turning his right hand towards the crowd.
21. Nor shall he enter towns frequently.
22. Let him not answer directly a question (that is difficult to decide).
23. Now they quote also (the following verse):
24. (The foolish decision) of a person who decides wrongly destroys his ancestors and his future happiness, it harms his children, cattle, and house. 'Oh Dharmaprahrâda, (this deed belongs) not to Kumâlana!' thus decided Death, weeping, the question (addressed to him by the Rishi).26
25. Let him not ascend a carriage yoked with asses; and let him avoid to ascend or to descend from vehicles in difficult places.
26. And (let him avoid) to cross a river swimming.27
27. And (let him avoid) ships of doubtful (solidity).
28. He shall avoid cutting grass, crushing clods of earth, and spitting, without a particular reason,28
29. And whatever else they forbid.
Footnotes
1. The bath is taken at the end of the studentship, and forms part of the Samâvartana-ceremony. From this rite a student who has completed his course of study derives the name Snâtaka, 'one who has bathed.' See also Weber, Ind. Stud. X, 125.
2. The rule to wear white garments is given Yâgñ. I, 131; Manu IV, 35. 33.
3. Manu IV, 34.
4. Manu IV, 49.
5. Manu IV, 45, 46; Yâgñ. I, 137.
6. Manu IV, 56.
7. Manu IV, 48, 52; Yâgñ. I, 134.
8. The prohibition to stretch the feet towards a fire occurs also Manu IV, 53; Yâgñ. I, 137.
9. Manu IV, 151; Yâgñ. I, 16.
10. Manu IV, 163.
11. 'In the section on transcendental knowledge (I, 8, 23, 5), "speaking evil" has been forbidden, in connection with the means of salvation. And below (Sûtra 25) the (author) will declare that the sins which destroy the creatures are to be avoided. But this precept (is given in order to indicate that) in the case of cows and the rest an extra penance must be performed.'--Haradatta.
12. Manu IV, 139.
13. Manu IV, 38.
14. 'Or according to others, " He shall not pass between pillars supporting an arch."'--Haradatta.
15. Manu IV, 59.
16. Others explain (the Sûtra thus): He shall not announce it to others, if he sees (the souls of) good men falling from heaven on account of the expenditure of their merit, (i.e.) he shall not call attention to shooting-stars.'--Haradatta.
17. Manu IV, 37. 19. Manu IV, 153.
18. Manu IV, 73; Yâgñ. I, 140.
19. Manu IV, 80. 'This prohibition (given in the first part of the Sûtra) refers to Sûdras who are not dependents; to dependents the following (exception applies).'--Haradatta.
20. See above, I, 6, 23, 4 and 5, and Manu IV, 163.
21. Weber, Ind. Stud. X, 42.
22. Manu IV, 40.
23. Manu IV, 72.
24. I.e. if the following day is a forbidden day, e.g. an Ashtamî. See also Manu IV, 99.
25. Manu IV, 60 and 61.
26. Haradatta tells the story to which the second half of the verse alludes, in the following manner: 'A certain Rishi had two pupils, called Dharmaprahrâda and Kumâlana. Once they brought from the forest two great bundles of firewood and threw them negligently into their teacher's house, without looking. One of the bundles struck the teacher's little son so that he died. Then the teacher asked his two pupils, "Which of you two has killed him?" Both answered, "Not I, not I." Hereupon the teacher, being unable to (come to a decision in order to) send away, the sinner and to keep the innocent one, called Death, and asked him, "Which of the two has killed the boy?" Then Death, finding himself involved in a difficult law-question, began to weep, and giving his decision, said, "Oh Dharmaprahrâda, not to Kumâlana (the dative has the sense of the genitive), this sin is none of Kumâlana's!" Instead of declaring, "Dharmaprahrâda, thou hast done this,' he said, "The other did not do it." Still from the circumstances of the case it appeared that the meaning of the answer was, "The other has done it." "This was the decision which he gave crying."'--The reading of the text rendered in the translation is, dharmaprahrâda na kumâlanâya.
27. Manu IV, 77.
28. Manu IV, 70 and 71.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
