7. (Moreover), ' Let an Abhi-fasta offer a Gosava or an Agnish/ut-sacrince/
8. Reciting the Veda, austerity, a sacrifice, fasting,
giving gifts are the means for expiating such a
(blamable act).
9. (The purificatory texts are) the Upanishads,
the Vedantas, the Sawhita-text of all the Vedas, the
(Anuvakas called) Madhu, the (hymn of) Aghamar-
latter work must be consulted for the explanation of the more difficult passages.
5-7. The text appears here to be corrupt. After Sutra 5, Baudhayana III, 10, 6 (Gautama XIX, 7), Puna^ stomena ya^eta puna/fc savanamaya'ntiti vi^layate, ' It is declared in the Veda, " Let him offer a Puna/fcstoma-sacrifice, (those who offer it) again come to partake of (the libations of) Soma," ' has been left out. This omission caused the insertion of the words tasma*Mrutinidar.ranat [darxanit, Bh. ¥.], (' because it is enjoined in the revealed texts,') at the end of Sutra 5. The proof that the sixth Sutra of Baudha- yana has been accidentally omitted is furnished by the fact that several MSS. of Vasish//fca read iti £a after yo 'jvamedhena ya^ate (Vas. XXII, 6). This ka. has no meaning, except if another Vedic passage preceded Sfttra 6. In order to escape this difficulty, Kr/'sh»apa/7/ita writes yo 'jvamedhena ya^ata iti, and begins the next Sutra with iti £a, which he explains by 'moreover.'
9. Kr/'sh«apa«</ita gives before 'Vedantas' another word veda- daya£, which he explains by ' the Vedas, Smmis, and Pura«as.'
XXIII, i. PENANCES.
shawa.the Atharvasiras,the(Anuvakas called) Rudras,
the Purusha-hymn, the two Samans called Ra^awa
and Rauhmeya, the Kushma^das, the Pavamanis,
and the Savitrf.
10. Now they quote also (the following verse) :
' He who performs once in each season the offerings
to Vaisvanara and Vratapati and the Pavitresh/i
sanctifies ten ancestors.'
11. To live on milk alone, as if one were fasting,
to eat fruit only, (to live on) barley gruel prepared
of a handful of grain, to eat gold, to drink Soma (are
modes of subsistence which) purify.
12.. All mountains, all rivers, holy lakes, places
of pilgrimage, the dwellings of TvVshis, cowpens, and
temples of the gods (are) places (which destroy sin).
13. A year, a month, twenty-four days, twelve
days, six days, three days, a day and a night are the
periods (for penances).
14. These (acts) may be optionally performed when no (particular penance) has been prescribed.
15. (Viz.) for great sins difficult (penances), and for trivial faults easy ones.
1 6. The K>z£££ra and the Atikr/^//ra (as well as) the A'andrayawa are penances for all (offences).
CHAPTER XXIII.
i. If a student has approached a woman, he shall slay in the forest, in a place where four roads meet,
10. Kn'shwapamfita takes the last word dajapurusham to mean ten ancestors and ten descendants.
11. ' As if one were fasting,' i. e. in small quantities. — Kr/shna-
XXIII. i. Gautama XXIII, 17.
Il8 VASISHTtfA. XXIII, 2.
(kindling) a common fire, an ass for the Rakshas (the goblins),
2. Or he may. offer an oblation of rice (^aru) to Nirrzti (the goddess of hell).
3. Let him throw into the fire (four oblations
consisting) of that (sacrificial food, saying), ' To Lust
svahd ; to him who follows his lust svaha; to Nir-
ri\\ svahci ; to the divine Rakshas svaliaV
4. If, before returning home (from his teacher,
a student) voluntarily defiles himself, sleeps in the
day-time, or practises any other vow (than that of
studentship), the same (penance must be performed).
5. If he has committed a bestial crime, he shall give a white bull (to a Brahma«a).
6. The guilt incurred by a bestial crime with a
cow, has been explained by the (rule regarding) the
killing of a female of the ^udra caste.
7. A student breaks his vow by performing funeral rites,
8. Excepting those of his mother and his father.
9. If a (student) is sick, he may eat, at his pleasure, all that is left by his teacher as medicine.
10. If (a student) who is employed by his teacher
(to perform some duty), meets with his death, (the
teacher) shall perform three Y^rikkhr^. penances.
4. Manu XI, 121.
5. Vishwu LIII, 7 ; Gautama XXII, 36.
6. Vishwu LIII, 3 ; Gautama XXIII, 12.
7. Manu V, 88. 8. Manu V, gi.
9. The object of the Sutra is to permit during sickness a relax- ation of the rules regarding forbidden food. Hence a sick student may eat honey, meat, &c.
10. Yag-wavalkya III, 283-. 'Meets with his death/ e.g. is killed by a wild animal or a snake, while collecting fuel in the forest.
XXIII, i8. PENANCES. 119
11. If a student eats meat which has been given
to him as leavings (by his teacher), he shall perform
a Kri&Mra. penance of twelve days' duration, and
afterwards finish his vow.
1 2. The same (penance must be performed) if he
eats food given at a -Sraddha or by a person who is
impure on account of a recent death or birth.
1 3. It is declared in the Veda, that honey given
without asking does not defile (a student) of the
Va^asaneyi-j^kha.
14. For him who committing suicide becomes an
Abhisasta, his blood-relations (sapiw^a) shall not
perform the funeral rites.
15. He is called a suicide who destroys himself
by means of wood, water, clods of earth, stones,
weapons, poison, or a rope.
16. Now they quote also (the following verse):
' The twice-born man who out of affection performs
the last rites for a suicide, shall perform a A'andra-
ya«a penance together with a Taptak^^ra.'
1 7. We shall describe the ^fandraya«a below.
1 8. A fast of three days (must be performed) for resolving to die by one's own hand.
1 1 . Manu XI, 159 ; Ya^navalkya III, 282 ; see also Apastamba's discussion on the subject, I, I, 4, 5.
12. Manu XI, 158.
13. This Sutra may also mean, 'It is declared that, according to the Va^asaneyaka, honey given (to a student) without his asking for it does not defile him.' But a parallel passage of Devala, which KnshMapaxufita quotes, makes, I think, the version given above appear preferable. In either case the passage is explained by the fact that, according to the .Satapatha-brahmafla, .Svetaketu, one of the great teachers of the White Ya^ur-veda, strongly pleaded for the use of honey; see Weber, Indische Studien X, 123 seq.
14. Vishmi XXII, 56 ; Gautama XIV, 12.
16. Vishau XXII, 58-59. 17- See below, Sutra 45-
I2O VASISHrtfA. XXIII, 19.
19. 'He who attempts suicide, but remains alive,
shall perform a Krt£££ra penance during twelve
days. (Afterwards) he shall fast for three (days and)
nights, being dressed constantly in a garment smeared
(with clarified butter), and suppressing his breath, he
shall thrice recite the Aghamarshawa;'
20. Or, following the same rule, he may also frequently recite the Giyatri ;
2 1 . Or, having kindled a fire, he may offer clarified butter with the Kushmdw^as.
22. ' And the guilt (of) all (offences) excepting mortal sins is removed thereby.'
23. Now he may also sip water in the morning,
thinking of (the Mantra), * May fire and wrath and
the lords of wrath protect me/ &c., and meditating
on his sin ; (then) he may mutter the Vy£hritis that
end with satya (truth), prefixing (the syllable) Om
(to each), or he may recite the Aghamarshawa*
24. If he touches a human bone to which fat still
adheres, he becomes impure during three (days and)
nights ;
25. But (on touching a bone) to which no fat adheres, a day and a night,
26. Likewise if he has followed a corpse (to the burial-ground).
27. If he passes between men reciting the Veda, he shall fast during a day and a night.
28. (Those who recite the Veda) shall sprinkle
each other with water and stay away (from their
houses) during three (days and) nights.
22. Regarding the efficacy of the Kushma/z</a texts, see above, XXII, 9.
23. The text occurs Taitt. Ar. X, 24, i. 24-25. Manu V, 87; Vishmi XXII, 75.
26. Manu V, iot. 28. Gautama I, 58.
Xxiii, 34- Penances. 1 2 1
29. (The same penance must be performed) for
a day and night, if a dog, a cat, or an ichneumon
pass quickly (between those who recite the Veda).
30. If he has swallowed the flesh of a dog, a cock,
a village pig, a grey heron, a vulture, a Bhasa, a
pigeon, a man, a crow or an owl, (he must) fast
during seven days, (and thus) empty his entrails ;
(afterwards he must) eat clarified butter, and be
initiated again.
31. 'But a Brahmawa who has been bitten by a
dog, becomes pure, if he goes to a river that flows
into the ocean, (bathes there), suppresses his breath
one hundred times, and eats clarified butter.'
32. ' Time, fire, purity of mind, water, looking at
the sun, and ignorance (of defilement) are the six
means by which created beings are purified.'
33. It is declared in the Veda that, on touching
a dog, a A'aw^ala, or an outcast, he becomes at once
pure, if he bathes, dressed in his clothes.
34. If (while reciting the Veda) they hear noises
29. Gautama I, 59.
30. Vishnu LI, 3-4; Gautama XXIII, 4-5; Manu XI, 157. The Sutra is badly corrupted in Kn'sh»apa#<fita's edition. I read kanka instead of vanka, leave out vayasa after bhSsa, and change ka-kolukana-ff* sddane to kakolukama^sjldane. The latter change is absolutely necessary ; firstly, because the penances for killing dogs and men have been given above ; secondly, because the word manu- sha requires a noun which it qualifies at the end of the compound ; thirdly, because the penance which is prescribed, fasting until the entrails are empty, is absurd for murder, but appropriate for eating forbidden food; and fourthly, because the parallel passages of other Smrriis actually do prescribe it for eating the flesh of excessively impure animals and for cannibalism. The change of am a to " is a very common mistake in Devanagari MSS.
31. Vishnu LIV, 12. 32- Vishmi XXII, 88. 33. Apastamba I, 5, 15, 1 6.
122 VASISHTFA. XXIII, 35.
made by outcasts or K&nd&\zs, they shall sit silent and fasting during three days ;
35. Or if they repeat that (text of the Gdyatrl)
at least one thousand times, they become pure ; thus
it is stated in the Veda.
36. By this rule (the penance to be performed by)
those who teach or sacrifice for vile men has been
explained. It is declared in the Veda that they
become pure by also relinquishing the fees (which
they received).
37. By this same (rule the penance prescribed
for) an Abhfcasta, (one accused of a heinous crime,)
has been explained.
38. (If he has been accused of) killing a learned
Brahma«a, let him subsist during twelve days on
water (only), and fast during (another) twelve days.
39. If he has falsely accused a Brahmawa of a
crime which causes loss of caste, or of a minor
offence which does not cause loss of caste, he shall
subsist during a month on water (only), and con-
stantly repeat the (Rikas called) .Suddhavatls ;
40. Or he may go to bathe (with the priests) at (the conclusion of) a horse-sacrifice.
41. By this (rule the penance for) intercourse with a female of the K&nd&a. caste has been declared.
42. Now (follows the description of) another
Krz£££ra penance, applicable to all (men), where (the
rule given above) has been altered.
43. On one day (let him eat) in the morning (only),
on the (following) day at night (only), on the (next)
day food given without asking, and on the (fourth)
day (let him) fast ; the succeeding (three) periods of
36. Vish»u LIV, 25, 26. 38. Ya^iavalkya III, 287.
39. Ya£-«avalkya 111,286. 41. Vish*u LIII, 5, 6.
Xxiv, 2. Penances. 123
four days (must be passed) in the same manner.
Wishing to show favour to the Brahmawas, Manu,
the chief among the pillars of the law, has thus
described the SisukriM/tra. (the hard" penance of
children) for infants, aged, and sick men.
44. Now follows the rule for (the performance of) the A'andrayawa (lunar penance).
45. On the first day of the dark half (of the month)
let him eat fourteen (mouthfuls), let him diminish the
(number of) mouthfuls (each day by one), and conti-
nue in this manner until the end of the fortnight. In
like manner let him eat one mouthful on the first day
of the bright half, and (daily) increasing (the number
of) mouthfuls, continue until the end of the fortnight.
46. Meanwhile let him sing Simans, or mutter the Vyahrztis.
47. A month during which he thus performs a
A'dndrayawa, the jRishis have called by way of
laudation, 'a means of purification ' (pavitra). It is
prescribed as an expiation of all (offences) for which
no (special penance) has been mentioned.
CHAPTER XXIV.
1. Now (follows the description of) an Atikn'^- MTSL penance.
2. Let him eat as much as he can take at one
(mouthful, and follow the rules given) above for a
Kr^^ra, (viz.) to eat during three days in the
morning, (during another three days) in the evening,
(during further three days) food given without
