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The Sacred Laws of the Âryas: Âpastamba - Prasna II, Patala 8
Khanda 18
1. He shall avoid butter, butter-milk, oil-cake, honey, meat.1
2. And black grain (Such as kulittha), food given by Sûdras, or by other persons, whose food is not considered fit to be eaten.
3. And food unfit for oblations, speaking an untruth, anger, and (acts or words) by which he might excite anger. He who desires a (good) memory, fame, wisdom, heavenly bliss, and prosperity, shall avoid these twelve (things and acts);
4. Wearing a dress that reaches from the navel to the knees, bathing morning, noon, and evening, living on food that has not been cooked at a fire, never seeking the shade, standing (during the day), and sitting (during the night), he shall keep this vow for one year. They declare, that (its merit) is equal to that of a studentship continued for forty-eight years.
5. (Now follows) the daily funeral-oblation.2
6. Outside the village pure (men shall) prepare (the food for that rite) in a pure place.3
7. New vessels are, used for that,4
8. In which the food is prepared, and out of which it is eaten.
9. And those (vessels) he shall present to the (Brâhmanas) who have been fed.
10. And he shall feed (Brâhmanas) possessed of all (good qualities).
11. And he shall hot give the residue (of that funeral-dinner) to one who is inferior to them in good qualities.
12. Thus (he shall act every day) during a year.
13. The last of these (funeral-oblations) he shall perform, offering a red goat.5
14. And let him cause an altar to be built, concealed (by a covering and outside the village).
15. Let him feed the Brâhmanas on the northern half of that.
16. They declare, that (then) he sees both the Brâhmanas who eat and the Manes sitting on the altar.
17. After that he may offer (a funeral-sacrifice once a month) or stop altogether.
18. For (by appearing on the altar) the Manes signify that they are satisfied by the funeral offering.
19. Under the constellation Tishya he who desires prosperity,
Khanda 19
1. Shall cause to be prepared powder of white mustard-seeds, cause his hands, feet, ears, and mouth to be rubbed with that, and shall eat (the remainder). If the wind does not blow too violently, he shall eat sitting, silent and his face turned towards the south, on a seat (facing the) same (direction)the first alternative is the skin of a he-goat.6
2. But they declare, that the life of the mother of that person who eats at this ceremony, his face turned in that direction, will be shortened.7
3. A vessel of brass, the centre of which is gilt, is best (for this occasion).
4. And nobody else shall eat out of that vessel.8
5. He shall make a lump of as much (food) as he can swallow (at once).9
6. (And he shall) not scatter anything (on the ground).
7. He shall not let go the vessel (with his left hand);
8. Or he may let it go.10
9. He shall swallow the whole mouthful at once, introducing it, together with the thumb, (into the mouth.)
10. He shall make no noise with his mouth (whilst eating).
11. And he shall not shake his right hand (whilst eating).
12. After he (has eaten and) sipped water, he shall raise his hands, until the water has run off (and they have become dry).
13. After that he shall touch fire.
14. And (during this ceremony) he shall not eat in the day-time anything but roots and fruit.
15. And let him avoid Sthâlîpâka-offerings, and food offered to the Manes or to the Gods.
16. He shall eat wearing his upper garment over his left shoulder and under his right arm.11
17. At the (monthly) Srâddha which must necessarily be performed, he must use (food) mixed with fat.
18. The first (and preferable) alternative (is to employ) clarified butter and meat.
19. On failure (of these), oil of sesamum, vegetables, and (similar materials may be used).
20. And under the asterism Maghâ he shall feed the Brâhmanas more (than at other times) with (food mixed with) clarified butter, according to the rule of the Srâddha.
Khanda 20
1. At every monthly Srâddha he shall use, in whatever manner he may be able, one drona of sesamum.12
2. And he shall feed Brâhmanas endowed with all (good qualities), and they shall not give the fragments (of the food) to a person who does not possess the same good qualities (as the Brâhmanas).
3. He who desires prosperity shall fast in the half of the year when the sun goes to the north, under the constellation Tishya, in the first half of the month, for (a day and) a night at least, prepare a Sthâlîpâka-offering, offer burnt-oblations to Kubera (the god of riches), feed a Brâhmana with that (food prepared for the Sthâlîpâka) mixed with clarified butter, and make him wish prosperity with (a Mantra) implying prosperity.13
4. This (rite he shall repeat) daily until the next Tishya(-day).
5. On the second (Tishya-day and during the second month he shall feed) two (Brâhmanas).
6. On the third (Tishya-day and during the third month he shall feed) three (Brâhmanas).
7. In this manner (the Tishya-rite is to be performed) for a year, with a (monthly) increase (of the number of Brâhmanas fed).}
8. (Thus) he obtains great prosperity.
9. But the fasting takes place on the first (Tishya-day) only.
10. He shall avoid to eat those things which have lost their strength (as butter-milk, curds, and whey).
11. He shall avoid to tread on ashes or husks of grain.14
12. To wash one foot with the other, or to place one foot on the other,
13. And to swing his feet,
14. And to place one leg crosswise over the knee (of the other),
15. And to make his nails
16. Or to make (his finger-joints) crack without a (good) reason,15
17. And all other (acts) which they blame.
18. And let him acquire money in all ways that are lawful.
19. And let him spend money on worthy (persons or objects).16
20. And let him not give anything to an unworthy (person), of whom he does not stand in fear.
21. And let him conciliate men (by gifts or kindness).
22. And he may enjoy the pleasures which are not forbidden by the holy law.
23. (Acting) thus he conquers both worlds.
Footnotes
1. Sûtras 1-4 contain rules for a vow to be kept for the special objects mentioned in Sûtras 3 and 4 for one year only Haradatta (on Sûtra 4) says that another commentator thinks that Sûtras 1-3 prescribe one vow, and Sûtra 4 another, and that the latter applies both to householders and students. A passage front Baudhâyana is quoted in support of this latter view.
2. Manu III, 82 seq.
3. The term 'pure (men)' is used in order to indicate that they must be so particularly, because, by II, 2, 3, 11, purity has already been prescribed for cooks.
4. For the unusual meaning of dravya, 'vessel,' compare the term sîtâdravyâni, 'implements of husbandry,'--Manu IX, 293, and the Petersburg Dict. s. v.
5. The red goat is mentioned as particularly fit for a Srâddha, Yâgñ. I, 259, and Manu III, 272.
6. The ceremony which is here described, may also be performed daily. If the reading prâsya is adopted, the translation must run thus: 'and he shall scatter (the remainder of the powder). If the wind,' &c.
7. 'Therefore those whose mothers are alive should not perform this ceremony.'--Haradatta.
8. If the masculine bhoktavyah is used instead of bhoktavyam, the participle must be construed with kamasah.
9. The verbum finitum, which according to the Sanskrit text ought to be taken with the participle samnayan, is grasîta, Sûtra 9.
10. 'Why is this second alternative mentioned, as (the first Sûtra) suffices? True. But according to the maxim that "restrictions are made on account of the continuance of an action once begun," the meaning of this second Sûtra is that he shall continue to the end to handle the vessel (in that manner in which) he has handled it when eating for the first time.'--Haradatta.
11. Haradatta remarks that some allow, according to II, 2, 4, 22, the sacred thread to be substituted, and others think that both the thread and the garment should be worn over the left shoulder and under the right arm.
12. A drona equals 128 seers or seras. The latter is variously reckoned at 1-3 lbs.
13. The reason why the constellation Tishya has been chosen for this rite seems to be that Tishya has another name, Pushya, i.e. 'prosperous'. This sacrifice is to begin on the Tishya-day of the month called Taisha or Pausha (December-January), and to continue for one year.
14. Manu IV, 7 8.
15. 'Good reasons for cracking the joints are fatigue or rheumatism.'--Haradatta.
16. Manu XI, 6, and passim.
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