Verse 2.102

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

पूर्वां सन्ध्यां जपंस्तिष्ठन्नैशमेनो व्यपोहति ।
पश्चिमां तु समासीनो मलं हन्ति दिवाकृतम् ॥ १०२ ॥

pūrvāṃ sandhyāṃ japaṃstiṣṭhannaiśameno vyapohati |
paścimāṃ tu samāsīno malaṃ hanti divākṛtam || 102 ||

One who, during the morning-twilight, repeats (the Sāvitrī) standing, removes the sin of the (preceding) night; while he who, during the evening-Twilight, repeats it seated, destroys the sin committed during the day.—(102).

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The present verse describes the motive for the act in question.

‘Sin’—the guilt born of having recourse to such acts as are prohibited.

‘Removes’—sets aside.

‘Of the night’—that which comes about—is committed—during the night.

The term ‘malam’ is synoymous with ‘enaḥ.’

This cannot mean that the act under question is sufficient expiation for all the sin that one may have committed during the night and day. For if it were so, then there would be no point in the prescribing of the Kṛcchra and other specific expiating rites; for the simple reason that—‘when one can find honey in a frequented place why should he go to the mountain?’—as the well known saying has it. All that the present verse means is that the act removes just those minor sins that one might commit by chance (not habitually), or which could not be avoided,—for which no specially expiatory rites arc prescribed. For instance, when a sleeping man throws about his arms or turns upon his sides, he might cause the death of small insects; or ho may, during sleep, happen to scratch his private parts, the unnecessary touching of which has been prohibited; or the uncleanliness that might be caused by the flowing out of saliva, which is not cleaned immediately; or the having recourse to prohibited things at improper times. It is in view of such minor sins that we have the assertion that ‘the man who does not offer the Twilight-Prayers should at all times be regarded as unclean.

The mention of such results following from the act in question does not deprive it of its compulsory character; as the sins described are always liable to be committed. For instauce, during the day also while passing on the road one comes across strange women, and looks at their faces, and h as his mind affected by emotions arising therefrom; or, he may happen to talk in anger, or of indecent things;—all such sins are removed by the performance of the two Twilight-Prayers.—(102)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Saṃskāra, p. 257) as eulogising the Twilight Prayer,—where ‘malam’ is explained as sin.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Vaśiṣṭha-Smṛti (26. 2. 8).—(See under 101.)

Baudhāyana-Dharmasūtra (2. 4. 18-21).—‘The sin committed through the reproductive organs, through the feet, through the arms, through the mind, through speech,—from all this one becomes absolved by offering the Evening Prayers. If one offers the Evening Prayers, him Varuṇa captures not. Similarly by offering the Morning Prayers, one becomes absolved from sins committed during the night.’

Yama (Parāśaramādhava, p. 278).—‘Those who constantly observe the Twilight have their sins removed;... whatever sin is committed during the day, by act, mind and word, all that one destroys by means of the Evening Prayers and by Breath-control; whatever sin is committed during the night, all that one destroys by means of the Morning Prayers and by Breath-control.’