The Institutes of Vishnu — SBE Vol. 7 (trans. Julius Jolly, 1880)

But he must not wash his feet,

33. Nor eat the leavings of his food.

34. Thus let him acquire by heart one Veda, or two Vedas, or (all) the Vedas.

35. Thereupon, the Vedafgas (that treating of phonetics and the rest)}.

36. He who, not having studied the Veda, applies himself to another study, will degrade himself, and his progeny with him, to the state of a Sddra.

37. From the mother is the first birth; the second, from the girding with the sacrificial string.

38. In the latter, the SAvitri hymn! is his mother, and the teacher his father.

39. It is this which entitles members of the three higher castes to the designation of ‘ the twice-born.’

40. Previous to his being girded with the sacrificial string, a member of these castes is similar to a Sfidra (and not allowed to study the Veda).

30. Nand. here interprets Guru by ‘a paternal uncle and the rest.’

31. This rule refers to a son of his spiritual teacher, who teaches him one or two chapters of the Veda, while the teacher himself is gone out for bathing or some such reason. V4, ‘or,’ is added in order to include a son of the teacher, who is himself a pupil, as Manu (II, 208) says. (Nand.)

35. 1 See Max Miller, Ancient Sanskrit Literature, p. 108 seq.

' 38. ? Rig-veda III, 62, 10.

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41. A student shall shave all his hair, or wear it tied in one lock.

42. After having mastered the Veda, let him take leave of his teacher and bathe, after having presented him with a gift.

43. Or let him spend the remainder of his life at his teacher’s house.

44. If, while he is living there, his teacher should die, let him behave to his teacher’s son as towards his teacher himself ;

45. Or? towards one of his wives, who is equal to him in caste.

46. On failure of such, let him pay homage to the fire, and live asa perpetual student.

47. A Brahmaza who. passes thus without tiring (of the discharge of his duties) the time of his studentship will attain to the most exalted heavenly abode (that of Brahman) after his death, and will not be born again in this world.

48. A voluntary effusion of the semen by a twiceborn youth (in’ sexual intercourse with a woman), during the period of his studentship, has been pronounced a transgression of the rule prescribed for students by expounders of the Vedas well acquainted with the system of duties.

49. Having loaded himself with that crime, he must go begging to seven houses, clothed only with the skin of an ass, and proclaiming his deed.

42. After the solemn bath (see Asv. III, 8, 9; Gobh. III, 4; Par. II, 6; Sankh. IIT, 1), which terminates the period of studentship, the student, who is henceforth called Snataka, ‘one who has bathed,’ is allowed to return home.

45. ) According to Nand., the particle va, ‘or,’ is used in order to include another alternative, that of living with an old fellowstudent, as directed by Gautama, III, 8.

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45. ) According to Nand., the particle va, ‘or,’ is used in order to include another alternative, that of living with an old fellowstudent, as directed by Gautama, III, 8.

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50. Eating once a day only a meal consisting of the alms obtained at those (houses), and bathing at the three Savanas (dawn, noon, and evening), he will be absolved from guilt at the end of the year.

51. After an involuntary effusion of the semen during sleep, a twice-born student must bathe (on the next morning), worship the sun (by offerings of perfumes and the like), and mutter three times the Mantra, ‘Again shall my strength return to me.’

52. He who for seven days omits to collect alms and to kindle the sacred fire, must perform the penance of an Avakirzin (breaker of his vow), provided that he has not been prevented from the discharge of his duties by an illness.

53. Ifthe sun should rise or set while a student is purposely indulging in sleep, ignoring (the precepts of law), he must fast for a day, muttering (the Gayatri one thousand and eight times).

XXIX.

1. He who having initiated a youth and _ instructed him in the Vratas}, teaches him (one branch of) the Veda (together with its Angas, such as that relating to phonetics, and the rest) is called Anarya (teacher).

51. ! Taitt. Arany. I, 30.

XXIX. 3. Apast. I, 1, 1, 13; Gaut. I, 9. — 1-3. M. II, 140- 143; Y. 1, 34,35.— 7-10. M.II, 111, 112, 114, 115. — 9, 10. See Biihler, Introd. to Digest, p. xxix.

1. The Vratas of a student are certain observances to be kept by him before he is admitted to the regular course of study of the Veda, and again before he is allowed to proceed to the study of the Mahandmnt verses and to the other higher stages of Vedic learning. See, particularly, Sankh. [1, 11, 12, with Dr. Oldenberg’s note (Ind. Stud. XV, 139).

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2. He who teaches him (after he has been initiated by another) either (an entire branch of the Veda) in consideration of a fee, or part of a Veda (without taking a fee), is called UpadhyAya (sub-teacher).

3. He who performs sacrifices (whether based upon Sruti or upon Smrtti) is called Aetvig (officiating priest).

4. He must not engage a priest for the performance of sacrifices without having ascertained (his descent, character, and conduct).

5. Neither must he admit to his teaching (one whom he does not know).

6. And he must not initiate such a one.

7. If one answers improperly, or the other asks improperly ', that one (or both) will perish or incur hatred.

8. If by instructing a pupil neither religious merit nor wealth are acquired, and if no sufficient attention is to be obtained from him (for his teacher's words), in such soil divine knowledge must not be sown: it would perish like fine seed in barren soil.

8. If by instructing a pupil neither religious merit nor wealth are acquired, and if no sufficient attention is to be obtained from him (for his teacher's words), in such soil divine knowledge must not be sown: it would perish like fine seed in barren soil.

9. The deity of sacred knowledge approached a Brahmawa (and said to him), ‘Preserve me, I am thy treasure, reveal me not to a scorner, nor to a wicked man, nor to one of uncontrolled passions: thus I shall be strong.

10. ‘Reveal me to him, as to a keeper of thy gem, O Brahmaza, whom thou shalt know to be pure, attentive, possessed of a good memory, and chaste, who will not grieve thee, nor revile thee.’

4. 1A proper question is, e.g. if the pupil modestly says, ‘I don’t know about this, therefore I want to be instructed.’ An improper question is, e.g. if he says, ‘Why do you pronounce this thus wrongly?’ An improper answer is an answer to an improper question. (Nand.)

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XXX.

1. After having performed the Updkarman ceremony on the full moon of the month Sravaza, or of the month Bhadra, the student must (pass over the two next days without studying, and then) study for four months and a half.

2. After that, the teacher must perform out of town the ceremony of Utsarga for those students (that have acted up to this injunction); but not for those who have failed to perform the ceremony of Upakarman.

3. During the period (subsequent upon the ceremony of Upâkarman and) intermediate between it and the ceremony of Utsarga, the student must read the Vedangas.

4. He must interrupt his study for a day and a night on the fourteenth and eighth days of a month}.

5. (He must interrupt his study for the next day

XXX. 1-33..Weber, Ind. Stud. X,130-134; Nakshatras II, 322,
338-339; M. IV, 95-123; II, 71, 74; Y.1, 142-151; Apast.I, 3,9-
11; Gaut. XVI; I, 51, 53. — 33-38. Asv. III, 3, 3; M. II, 107; Y.I,
41-46. — 41, 42. M. Hi, 116. — 43-46. M. II, 117, 146-148, 144.

1-3. The annual course of Vedic studies opens with a ceremony called Upakarman, and closes with a ceremony called Utsarga. The latter, according to the rule laid down in Sfitra 1, would fall upon the first day of the moon’s increase, either in Pausha or in MAagha. Nand. states that those students who have not performed the Upakarman ceremony in due time must perform a penance before they can be admitted to the Utsarga; nor must those be admitted to it who have failed to go on to the study of another branch of the Veda at the ordinary time, after having absolved one.

4.) Nand., with reference to a passage of Harita, considers the use of the plural and of the particle 4a to imply that the study must also be interrupted on the first and fifteenth days.

5. 1 This refers to the second days of the months Phalguna,
Ashadha, and Karttika. (Nand.)

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and night) after a season of the year has begun}, (and for three nights) after an eclipse of the moon.