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The Sacred Laws of the Âryas: Baudhâyana - Prasna II, Adhyâya 3
Kandikâ 5
1. Bathing is suitable for (the practice of) austerity.
2. The libation to the manes (is offered) after the gods have been satisfied (with water),
3. They pour out water which gives strength, from one Tîrtha after the other.1
4. Now they quote also (the following verses): 'With flowing, unconfined water twice-born men of the three castes shall satisfy the gods, Rishis, and manes, when they have risen in the morning.'
5. 'They shall not offer (libations of water) con-fined (in tanks and wells), (If they do it), he who made the embankment; will obtain a share (of the merit of their devotion).'2
6. 'Therefore let him avoid embankments (around tanks) and wells made by others.'3
7. Nov they quote also (the following verse): 'Or, in times of distress--not as a rule--he may bathe in (water) confined (in tanks), after taking out three lumps (of earth); from a well (let him take three) lumps of clay and three jars of water.'4
8. If he has accepted presents from one who is able to give presents to many, or from one whose presents ought not to be accepted, or if he has sacrificed for one for whom he ought not to have sacrificed, or if he has eaten food (given by a person) whose food must not be eaten, he shall mutter the Taratsamandîya.5
9. Now they quote also (the following verse): Those who improperly associate with (an outcast) teacher, those who improperly associate with (outcast) pupils, and those who improperly associate (with outcasts) by (accepting their) food or by (reciting) Mantras (for them), enter into deep darkness.'
10. Now (follow) the duties of a Snâtaka.6
11. After offering at the morning and at the evening (meals) with (a portion of) the food which he may have, the Vaisvadeva and the Bali-offerings, he shall honour, according to his ability, Brâhmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, and Sûdras (who may come to his house as) guests.7
12. If he cannot (afford to give food) to many, let him give (something) to one who possesses good qualities,
13. Or to him who has come first.
14, If a Sûdra (has come as) a guest, he shall order him (to do some) work, (and feed him afterwards);8
15. Or (if he cannot spare much), he may give a first portion (agrya) to a Srotriya.9
16. It is prescribed that the division (of the food) shall be made without detriment to (the interests of) those who daily receive a portion.10
17. But he shall never eat without having given away (some small portion of the food).
18. Now they quote also two verses which have been proclaimed by (the goddess of) food: 'Him who, without giving me to the gods, the manes, his servants, his guests and friends, consumes what has been prepared and (thus), in his exceeding folly, swallows poison, I consume, and I am his death. But for him who, offering the Agnihotra, performing the Vaisvadeva, and honouring guests, eats, full of contentment, purity, and faith, what remains after feeding those whom he must support, I become ambrosia, and he (really) enjoys me.'
19. Presents of money must be given, according to one's ability, to good Brâhmanas, Srotriyas, and Vedapâragas, when they beg outside the Vedi, for the sake of Gurus, in order to defray (the expenses of) their marriages, or of medicine, or when they are distressed for a livelihood, or desirous to offer a sacrifice, or engaged in studying, or on a journey, or have performed a Visvagit sacrifice.11
20. Cooked food (must be given) to other (beggars).12
21. Let him eat (seated) in a pure, enclosed place, after having well washed his hands and feet and after having sipped water, respectfully receiving the food which is brought to him, keeping himself free from lust, anger, hatred, greed, and perplexity, (conveying the food into his mouth) with all his fingers and making no noise (during mastication).13
Kandikâ 6
1. Let him not put back into the dish a remnant of food.14
2. If he eats (food), containing meat, fish, or sesamum, he shall (afterwards) wash and touch fire,15
3. And bathe after sunset.16
4. Let him avoid a seat, clogs, sticks for cleaning the teeth, and other (implements) made of Palâsa wood.17
5. Let him not eat (food placed) in his lap,
6. Nor on a chair,
7. He shall carry a staff, made of bamboo, and golden earrings.
8. Let him not rub one foot with the other while bathing, nor place the one on the other while standing,18
9. Let him not wear a visible garland.19
10. Let him not look at the sun when he rises or sets.20
11. Let him not announce (the appearance of a rainbow) to another (man, saying), 'There is Indra's bow.'21
12. If he points it out, he shall call it 'the jewelled bow.'
13. Let him not pass between the prakîlaka and the beam, at the town gate,22
14. Nor let him pass between the two posts of a swing.23
15. Let him not step over a rope to which a calf is tied.24
16. Let him not step on ashes, bones, hair, chaff, potsherds, nor on a bathing-place (moist with) water.25
17. Let him not announce it to another (man if) a cow suckles (her calf).26
18. Let him not say of (a cow which is) not a milch-cow, 'She is not a milch-cow.'27
19. If he speaks (of such a one), let him say, 'It is one which will become a milch-cow.'
20. Let him not make empty, ill-sounding, or harsh speeches.28
21. Let him not go alone on a. journey,29
22. Nor with outcasts, nor with a woman, nor with a Sûdra.
23. Let him not set out (on a journey) towards evening.
24. Let him not bathe (entirely) naked.30
25. Let him not bathe at night.
26. Let him not cross a river swimming.31
27. Let him not look down into a well.
28. Let him not look down into a pit.
29. Let him not sit down there, where another person may order him to rise.32
30. Way must be made for a Brâhmana, a cow, a king, a blind man, an aged man, one who is suffering under a burden, a pregnant woman, and a weak man.33
31. A righteous man shall seek to dwell in a village where fuel, water, fodder, sacred fuel, Kusa grass, and garlands are plentiful, access to which is34 easy, where many rich people dwell, which abounds in industrious people, where Âryans form the majority, and which is not easily entered by robbers.
32. 'A Brâhmana who, having wedded a wife of the Sûdra caste and dwells during twelve years in a village where water (is obtainable) from wells only, becomes equal to a Sûdra.'
33. (If you say that) he who lives in a town and whose body is covered with the dust, (raised) by others, and whose eyes and mouth are filled with it, will obtain salvation, if he restrains himself, (I declare that) that is impossible.35
34. 'The dust raised by carriages, horses, elephants, and cows, and (that which comes) from grain is pure, blamed is (that raised) by a broom, goats, sheep, donkeys, and garments.'
35. Let him honour those who are worthy of honour.
36. 'A Rishi, a learned man, a king, a bride-groom, a maternal uncle, a father-in-law, and an officiating priest are mentioned in the Smriti as worthy of the honey-mixture at certain times and occasions.'36
37. 'A Rishi, a learned man, and a king must be37 honoured whenever they come, a bridegroom and a priest at the beginning of the religious rites, a maternal uncle and a father-in-law when a year has elapsed since their last visit.'
38. 'Let him raise his right arm on (entering) the place where the sacred fire is kept, in the midst of a herd of cows, in the presence of Brâhmanas, at the daily recitation of the Veda, and at dinner.'38
39. 'An upper garment must be worn on the following five occasions: during the daily study, during the evacuation (of excrements), when one bestows gifts, at dinner, and while one sips water.'
40. 'While one offers oblations in the fire, while one dines, bestows gifts, offers (food to deities or Gurus), and accepts presents, (the right hand) must be placed between the knees.'
41. 'The revealed texts declare, that the creatures depend on food, food is life; therefore gifts of food must be made. Food is the most excellent of sacrificial viands.'39
42. 'Sin is removed by burnt offerings, burnt oblations are surpassed by (gifts of) food, and gifts of food by kind speeches. That (is declared) to us in the revealed texts.'
Footnotes
1. As to the Tîrthas, see above, I, 5, 8, 15-16.
2. Manu IV, 201.
3. Vishnu LXIV, 1.
4. Vishnu LXIV, 2. I read the verse as follows: uddhritya vâpi trîn pindân kuiyâd âpatsu no sadâ | niruddhâsu ka mritpindân kûpât trîn abghatâmstatheti || The Dekhan MSS. read at the end of the second half verse, kûpâmstrînavatâmstathâ; M. has kupâtrînabapatânstathâ while C. I. gives kûpât trîn ghatâmstathâ. Nandapandita on Vishnu, loc. cit., seems to have had the latter reading, and to have changed it to 'kûpât to trin ghatâmstathâ,' in order to save the metre. The sense remains the same.
5. Manu XI, 254. The text is found Rig-veda IX, 58. Govinda explains bahupratigrâhya, 'one who is able to give presents to many,' by bahubhrityabharanakshama, 'one who is able to support many servants.'
6. Vasishtha XII, 1.
7. Vasishtha XI, 3-9.
8. Âpastamba II, 2, 4, 19.
9. Vasishtha XI, 5. Govinda quotes a verse, according to which an agrya, 'first portion,' is equal to sixteen mouthfuls, each of the size of a peahen's egg.
10. Âpastamba II, 4, 9,10-11. 'Those who daily receive a portion' (nityabhâktika), i.e. sons, wives, and so forth.--Govinda. But see also Âpastamba, loc. cit.
11. Gautama V, 20-21, and notes. 'A good Brâhmana, i.e. one who follows the rule of conduct.'--Govinda.
12. Gautama V, 22.
13. Vasishtha XII, 19-20; Vishnu LXVIII, 46. 'This is the rule for him who makes an offering to Âtman (i.e. performs the Prânâgnihotra at his meal).'--Govinda. See also below, II, 7, 12.
14. 'I.e. he shall take up as much food only as he can swallow at one mouthful.'--Govinda.
15. The Dekhan and Gugarât MSS., including K., add madhu, 'honey,' after sesamum.
16. This and the following six Sûtras are left out in M. and the two copies of the commentary. If they have, nevertheless, been received. into the text, the reason is that similar rules occur in all Dharmasûtras, and that Sûtra 3 begins with astamite, while astamaye occurs in Sûtra 10. It seems therefore probable that the writer of the MS. from which M. and Govinda's copies are derived, skipped over a line by mistake.
17. Vasishtha XII, 34-38.
18. Vishnu LXXI, 40.
19. Vasishtha XII, 39.
20. Vasishtha XII, 10.
21. Vasishtha XII, 32-33.
22. Govinda explains prakîlaka by 'a piece of wood fastened at the town gate.' Etymologically it would mean 'a strong bolt.' Possibly the rule may be equivalent to Âpastamba I, II, 31, 23, and mean that a Snâtaka is not to creep through the small door which is found in all Indian town gates, and left open after the gates have been shut.
23. Âpastamba I, 11, 31, 16.
24. Vasishtha XII, 9.
25. Gautama IX, 15; Manu IV, 132.
26. Vishnu LXXI, 62.
27. Gautama IX, 19.
28. Manu IV, 177; Vishnu LXXI, 57, 72, 74.
29. Manu IV, 140.
30. Gautama IX, 61.
31. Vasishtha XII, 45.
32. E.g. in the palace of a king, whence the attendants may drive him.
33. Vasishtha XIII, 58.
34. Gautama IX, 65.
35. Âpastamba I, 32, 21.
36. Vasishtha XI, 1-2. A Rishi is, according to Govinda, a man who knows not only the text of the Mantras, but also their sense. But Baudhâyana, Grihya-sûtra I, 11, 4, says that a man who knows, besides the Sâkhâ and its Aṅgas, the Kalpa also, is called Rishikalpa, i.e. one almost a Rishi. See also Âpastamba I, 2, 5, 3. A learned man (vidvas) is probably a student who has finished not only his vow, but learned the Veda, a so-called vidyâsnâtaka, Âpastamba I, 11, 30, 3. Regarding the arghya or madhuparka, the honey-mixture, see Âpastamba II, 4, 8, 7-9.
37. Gautama V, 27-30. I read kriyârambhe varartvigau. The meaning is that a bridegroom is to receive the honey-mixture when he comes to his father-in-law's house for his wedding, and an officiating priest when he comes to perform a sacrifice.
38. Vishnu LXXI, 60. Govinda adds that the act is performed as a salutation.
39. See eg. Taittirîya Âranyaka VIII, 2.
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