Vedic Studies and other Religious Duties Defined

1. I shall tell you specifically the precepts governing the disciplined conduct of life of the different castes and stages. Listen to it with attentive mind, О excellent sage.

2. He who eschews his own prescribed course of duties (Dharma) and pursues that of others should be known as a heretic and be excluded from all Dharmas.

3. Such purificatory ceremonies as Garbhadhana (rite of religious consummation of marriage-impregnation) should be performed with due chanting of Mantras at the proper time and in accordance with the injunctions. To women these rites do not require the chanting of Mantras.

4. The first holy rite of Simanta1 (ritualistic parting of the hair upwards, as a part of the purificatory rite during pregnancy) should preferably be performed in the fourth month. It can be performed in the sixth or the seventh or the eighth month also.

5. When the son is born, the father should take his bath along with the cloth worn and perform the post-natal holy rite. He should perform Nandi Sraddha with the formal prescribed utterance of benediction

6. One should perform the Vrddhi-Sraddha (Sraddha at the time when one has acquired special prosperity and glory) either with gold or with silver. He who performs it with cooked food shall be on a par with a Candala.

7. At the end of the Siitaka (i.e. the period of pollution due to the birth of a child) the father should perform the Abhyu- dayika Sraddha (i.e. Sraddha due to prosperity) for the son, observing restraint in speech. He should indicate the name also.2 (i.e. the naming ceremony is to be performed).

8. О leading Brahmana, the name given shall not be unclear, meaningless, or one with many long syllables. Nor shall it contain letters difficult to pronounce.

9. He shall perform the Caula8, the rite of keeping locks of hair — in accordance with the injunction in the Grhya sBtras in the third, fifth, sixth, seventh or eighth year.

10. If due to unavoidable situations, the GarBhadhSna and other rites are not performed in due course, the expiatory rite of one fourth Krcchra shall be performed. In the case of the Caula rite, it should be half a Krcchra.

11. The investiture with sacred thread for the boy should be in the eighth year after conception or birth.4 Any time upto the sixteenth year is permitted as a subsidiary period (for the same rite in the case of a Brahmana).

12. The investiture with sacred thread in the case of a Kshatriya is in the eleventh year after conception. (If not done in the eleventh year due to circumstances), learned men permit any time upto the twentysecond year.

13. The Upanayana rite of a Vaishya is to be performed in the twelfth year after conception. Learned men say that the period (though allowed) upto the twentyfourth year, is subsidiary.

14. If the twiceborn is not invested with the sacred thread within these limits of time, know him to be Savitripatita (fallen from the sacred Gayatri or Sdvitri mantra. No one should even converse with him.

15. О Brahmana, if the chief time limit is transgressed in the Upanayana of a twice-born, Krcchra penance should be performed for twelve years. Afterwards he should perform the CaNarayana and two Santapana Prayaicittas (expiations) and thereafter perform the original holy rite (i.e. Upanayana).

16-2la. Otherwise know him to be a fallen person. He who does so shall be on a par with a slayer of a Brahmana. The girdle of a Brahmana should be of the Mufija grass, that of Kshatriya should be the bowstring and that of a Vaisya should be woollen. May the deerskin (for wearing) be stated thus: — The skin of the ena deer should be used by a Brahmana; that of a ruru deer should be used by a Kshatriya. A Vaisya should use the skin of a goat. I shall describe the staff in due order: — The Palasa stick is prescribed for a Brahmana; the Udumbara stick for a Kshatriya and that of Bilva for a Vaisya.

Now listen to their size: — The staff of a Brahmana should come upto his hair on the head; that of a Kshatriya should

come upto the forehead. Learned men say that the staff of a Vaisya should come up to the tip of his nose.

I shall now describe the clothes of Brahmana and others in due order. They are ochre-coloured, madder-coloured (red) and turmeric-coloured (yellow) (respectively).

21b-22a. О Brahmana, the Brahmana who has been invested with the sacred thread should be devoted to the service of his preceptor. He should stay in the house of his preceptor till he learns the Vedas.

22b-23a. The (Brahmana) religious student should take bath in the morning. О leading sage, for the sake of the preceptor, the student should bring sacrificial twigs, Kuia grass, fruits and other things, everyday in the morning.

23b-24a. О excellent sage, whenever the sacred thread, the deer-skin or the staff is lost, soiled or broken, a new one should be used with due repetition of the mantras. The soiled ones should be thrown into the water.

24b-25a. They (the religious authorities) prescribe that the means of livelihood of the religious student is only through alms begged and received by them. The student with controlled sense organs should bring the alms from the houses of Brah- manas well-versed in Vedas.

25b-26a. When the Brahmana begs for alms he should say, bhavati bhiksam dehi (O madam, give me the alms); the Kshatriya should say, bhikfam bhavati dehi (Alms, О madam, give me). When the Vaisya begs, he should say bhik- sham dehi bhavati (Give me alms, О madam).

26b. The religious student should conquer his sense organs and perform the rites of fire-worship both in the morning and in the evening according to convention.

27. The religious student should perform the Brahmqyajna and the Tarpana rite every day. He who forsakes the ritualistic fire-worship is called a fallen fellow by the learned.

28. He who does not perform Brahmayajna is called a slayer of a Brahmana. After rendering service to the preceptor, he should perform the worship of the deities.

29. Every day he should partake of the food got as alms only. Never should he take food given by a single man. The student who has conquered his sense-organs should bring alms from the houses of Brahmanas of irreproachable character.

30a. After offering alms first to the preceptor, he should, with his permission, partake of it, remaining restrained in speech.

30b-32a. He should avoid wine, women, meat, salt, chewing the betel-leaves, cleansing the teeth, eating the leavings of foods of others, sleep during the day, use of the umbrella, wearing of shoes, scents and unguents, garlands, sports in water, dance, vocal music, instrumental music.

32b-33a. He should abstain from slandering, distressing others, prattling (grumbling), application of collyrium, contact with heretic people, association with the Shudras, etc.

34-35. The elders are of three types, viz. — Elders in knowledge, elders in piety and austerity and elders in age. He who removes spiritual misery and the like is the (bonafide) guru. He does it through the instruction in the Vedas and the scriptural texts. The student should salute him at the outset. While saluting, the Brahmana should say Asau aham (I am he — so and so).

36-39a. The Kshatriyas and others are by no means to be bowed to by a Brahmana. The following should not be saluted: An atheist, a person who breaks the bounds of decency, an ungrateful person, the common priest of the village, a thief, a rogue, a heretic, the fallen fellow, the Vratya (one of the three castes fallen from his caste-position due to non-performance of holy rites), a professional astrologer, a sinner, who shall never be saluted, a mad man, a gambler, an unclean person a person (who is) running, a person who has applied oil to his head and a person performing Japa.

39b-40. He should never salute a person always given to arguing, a fierce man, a person vomiting, a person standing in water, a person holding the almsand a person lying down. He should never salute a woman who had killed her husband, a woman in her menses, a woman with a paramour, a woman who has recently delivered of a child, a woman who had. an abortion, an ungrateful woman, and a fierce woman.

41-42a. If individual salutation is made in an assembly, a sacrificial hall or a temple, it destroys the merit earned before.

42b-43a. He should not bow to a person who is performing a Sraddha, Vrata, Dana, worship of the deities, Tajna or Tarpana.

43b-44a. If anyone does not salute in return when he is saluted, he is on a par with a Shudra. He should not be considered worthy of being saluted.

44b-45a. The student should wash his feet and perform the Acamana rite. Sitting face to face with the preceptor and touching his feet, the clever student should begin his study.

45b-50a. A Brahmana who is eager to attain the benefit of all holy rites should not pursue the study of the Vedas on the following days: during the holidays: viz. the first and eighth day (Aftakas), the fourteenth day, the Pratipats (first day of a fortnight), the Parvan days, Mahabharani day (when the moon is in Bharani Naksatra in Pltr Paksa), on the twelfth day in the month of Sravana, on the second day in the latter fortnight of the month of Bhadrapada, on the seventh day in the bright half of the month of Magha, on the ninth day in the month of Asvina, when the sun is encircled by a halo, when a Vedic scholar comes to the house, when a Brahmana is bound, when a quarrel increases, during the dusk, when the cloud rumbles, when there is an untimely heavy down-pour, when a comet or thunderbolt falls, when a Brahmana is insulted, О celestial sage, on the Manvadi days (i.e. on the days on which Manvantaras started) and the four Tugadi days (i.e. on the days on which the four yugas commenced) — these foregoing occasions are to be treated as holidays.

50b-51 The third day in the bright half of the month of Madhava(i.e. Vaisakha), the thirteenth day in the dark half of the month of Bhadrapada, the ninth day in the bright half of the month of Karttika and the full moon day in the month of Magha — these are said to be TugQdi days. Whatever is given in these days becomes everlasting in its benefit.

52-55. I shall mention the Manvadi days. Listen to it attentively; the ninth and the twelfth days in the bright half of Karttika the third day of the Chaitra month, as well as of the month of Bhadrapada; the tenth day of the bright half of Asadha, the seventh day in the bright half of Magha, the eighth day in the dark half of Sravana, the full moon day in the month of Asadha, the new moon day in the month of Phalguna, the eleventh day in the bright half of Pausa, the full moon days in the months of Karttika, Phalguna, Chaitra, and Jyestha — these are the first days of the Manvantaras; whatever is given on these days becomes everlasting in its benefit.

56-57. On the Manvadi and Yugadidays, Sraddha should be performed by the twice-born; one should never study the Vedas during these days6 — when one is invited to a Sraddha, during the eclipse of the sun and the moon; on the two ay ana days, when there is earthquake; on the Galagraha days (some days in the dark fortnight) and on Durdinas (when the sun is invisible due to clouds).

58-59. О Narada, if a foolish person pursues the study of the Vedas during these holidays, Yama himself will destroy his progeny, intellect, renown, prosperity, longevity, strength and health. Know the person who studies the Vedas during the Anadhyaya days (holidays) to be Brahma-ghdtaka (the slayer of a Brahmana).

60-65. О Brahmana, no one should hold conversation with him; no one shall reside with him; О Narada, some persons say that even Kundas and Golakas (bastards) and the sluggish etc. should be invested with sacred thread; some say that their sons etc. should be invested with sacred thread. One who does not study the Vedas but puts forth effort elsewhere should be known to be on a par with a Shudra; he is the beloved guest in hell. Even if a Brahmana who has not learned the Vedas follows the conventional conduct of life, he does not attain the benefit of the Acaras. He is just like a Shudra. In the case of a Brahmana who has not learned the Vedas the Nitya, Naimittika, Kamya and all other Vedic rites are futile. Vishnu is identical with the Sabda Brahman (the supreme Soul in the form of Sound); hence Veda is Hari Himself. Hence, a Brahmana who studies the Vedas will attain his desires.

1. Simanta-karma, Simanta or Stmantonnayana is really a rite of a social and festival nature expressing joy felt by the family and the woman concerned at the prospect of a child. Literally it means ‘parting the hair of the woman, upward. The Samskara is treated in many Grhya sHtras like that of Aivala- yana (1.14.1-9), Baudhayana (1.10), Gobhila (II.7.1-12), Vaikhanasa (III. 12) and others, but there is a great divergence in the details of this Samskara showing the difference in the geographical region where they were composed. The garlanding of the pregnant girl and playing of lute and singing of ballads prescribed in the grhya sHtras, shows its festival nature. The month of pregnancy in which it is to be celebrated differs. NP. seems to follow Khadira Gr.S. in prescribing the 4th, 6th or the 8th month out of which the 4th is supported by Asvalayana and Apastamba. In prescribing the 7th month, NP. follows Sankhayana Gr.S. (1-22-1) indicating NP.’s affinity if not location.

2. NP. is much removed in time from the Brhadarariyaka Up. and Grhya Sutras of Gobhila, Khadira and others which prescribe that the name should be given to the boy on the day of his birth. It was to be the Nakfatra-nama which was to be kept a secret till the thread-ceremony of the boy and the name for common use was given on the 10th day.

Most writers recommend the 3rd year for this rite but Asvalayana, Paras- kara, Yajfiavalkya allow the family usage for the time of performance of this, though they don’t disapprove of the 3rd year.

4. This is clearly an exposition of AfvalUyana Gr.S. regarding the usual and the final limit of the age of the thread ceremony of the three varnas:

5. The topic of holidays or days on which the Veda should not be taught, is discussed in the Grhya and Dharma Sutras and most of the Smftis. A reference to SC. on Anadhyaya (I.pp.56-61) shows the difference of opinion among these authorities. Many of the verses in NP. are found in VP.III. 14.13 ff, Mt.P. 17.4-8, M. Nfsimha P. ch.56. The list of holidays is stupendous. But the anadhyiya is limited to learning (new) Vedic mantras and not to their appli cation or self study (Jaimini XII.3.18-19, Apastamba Srauta Sutra 24.1.37. Hence, normal studies of other lores were not affected.

Система охраняемых территорий в США Изучение особо охраняемых природных территорий(ООПТ) США представляет особый интерес по многим причинам...

Что вызывает тренды на фондовых и товарных рынках Объяснение теории грузового поезда Первые 17 лет моих рыночных исследований сводились к попыткам вычислить, когда этот...

ЧТО ПРОИСХОДИТ ВО ВЗРОСЛОЙ ЖИЗНИ? Если вы все еще «неправильно» связаны с матерью, вы избегаете отделения и независимого взрослого существования...

Что будет с Землей, если ось ее сместится на 6666 км? Что будет с Землей? - задался я вопросом...

Не нашли то, что искали? Воспользуйтесь поиском гугл на сайте: