Verse 2.40

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

नैतैरपूतैर्विधिवदापद्यपि हि कर्हि चित् ।
ब्राह्मान् यौनांश्च सम्बन्धान्नाचरेद् ब्राह्मणः सह ॥ ४० ॥

naitairapūtairvidhivadāpadyapi hi karhi cit |
brāhmān yaunāṃśca sambandhānnācared brāhmaṇaḥ saha || 40 ||

The Brāhmaṇa should not in ant case, even in times of distress, establish spiritual or uterine relationship with these persons, until they have been duly purified.—(40)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘With these’—Vrātyas;—‘until purified’—by expiatory rites;—‘duly,’ i.e., according to rules laid down in the scriptures laying down expiatory rites; e.g., ‘making them undergo three Kṛcchras, etc., etc.;’—‘even in times of distress’—i.e., under no circumstances however distressful;—‘should not establish,’ enter into, ‘relationship’ with them.

The question arising as to whether or not this prohibits all kinds of relationship, the text supplies the answer in the negative—‘spiritual or uterine .’

The term ‘brāhma,’ ‘spirit,’ here stands for the Veda; and it is relationships through the Veda that are prohibited; such relationships as officiating at sacrifices, teaching and accepting gifts; the meaning being that one should neither officiate at their sacrificial performances, nor appoint them to officiate at sacrifices, they should not be taught, nor should one read with them. Since it is only one who knows the meaning of the Veda that is entitled to accept gifts, the accepting of gifts also becomes a ‘Vedic’ or ‘spiritual’ relationship.

‘Uterine relationship,’—the giving and taking of daughters in marriage.

The specification of the ‘Brāhmaṇa’ is intended to be illustrative only.

The sense of all this is that, in view of the disqualification here described, the boy whose father is no more should, if he is intelligent, try to avoid the disqualification, by presenting himself (at the proper time) for Initiation. To this end we have the Śruti—“Satyakāma Jābāla went to Gautama Hāridrumata and said—‘I shall, sir, live with you as a religious student”; where the boy himself requested the teacher to inflate him. The initiating of boys is however entirely optional; so that if the teacher should be found unwilling to take up the initiation, be should be appealed to by the boy by means of presents, etc.—(40)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Prāyaścittaviveka (p. 144);—and in Smṛticandrikā (Saṃskāra, p. 73), which explains ‘brahma-sambandha’ as ‘teaching and so forth,’ and ‘apūtaiḥ’ as those who have not performed the prescribed expiatory rites.

It is quoted in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 446);—and also in Vīramitrodaya (Saṃskāra, p. 349), which explains the term ‘apūtaiḥ’ as ‘those who have not performed the prescribed expiatory rites;’ and the ‘relationships’ referred are explained as standing for Initiation, Reading, Teaching, Sacrificing and Receiving gifts.

This verse is quoted in Aparārka (p. 68) in support of the view that dealings are permitted with such men as may have performed the expiatory rites laid down for the omission of the sacraments;—it adds that this is made clear by the epithet ‘Apūtaiḥ’.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Āpastamba-Gṛhyasūtra, 1.1.33; 1.2.6.—‘With these (apostates) one should avoid association, dining and marriage; in the event of their being desirous of expiating (the omission and the consequent apostacy), they should keep, for twelve years, the observances relating to Vedic studies, and then undergo the Upanayana, and be sprinkled with water with Pāvamānī and other mantras.’

Vaśiṣṭha-Smṛti, 11.55.—‘They should not perform their Upanayana, nor teach them, nor sacrifice for them, nor marry them.’

Āśvalāyana-Gṛhyasütra, 1.19.7.—‘They should not perform their Upanayana, nor teach them, nor sacrifice for them, nor have any dealings with them.’ [The Vīramitrodaya-Saṃskāra, p. 349, explains ‘dealings’ to mean ‘marriage-connection.’]

Pāraskara - Gṛhyasūtra, 2.5.40.—[Exactly the same as above.]

Gobhila-Gṛhyasūtra, 2.10.6.—‘They should not perform their Upanayana, nor teach them, nor sacrifice for them, nor have marriage-relations with them.’

Baudhāyana-Smṛti (Vīramitrodaya-Saṃskāra, p. 348).—‘There are no rites for the apostate until he passes through the Upanayana; so long as he is not born in the Veda, he remains like a Śūdra.’

Āśvalāyana-Smrti (Vīramitrodaya-Saṃskāra, p. 349).—‘No dealings—either Vedic (tutorial), or marital or commercial,—should he ever held with them by any cultured person who is true to his dharma.’