Verse 2.105 [Non-observance of Holidays]

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

वेदौपकरणे चैव स्वाध्याये चैव नैत्यके ।
नानुरोधोऽस्त्यनध्याये होममन्त्रेषु चैव हि ॥ १०५ ॥

vedaupakaraṇe caiva svādhyāye caiva naityake |
nānurodho'styanadhyāye homamantreṣu caiva hi || 105 ||

There is no regard for (observance of) days forbidden for study in connection with the appurtenances to the Veda, and with the mantras recited during oblations.—(105)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Appurtenance’ is that which helps; i.e., aids to Vedic study; the subsidiary treatises on Kalpasūtra, Nirukta and so forth. When these are being studied, no regard—no attention—need he paid to ‘days forbidden for study’; similarly with the Mantras recited during oblations,—holidays need not be observed; that, is, all this study should he carried on also during the days forbidden for study.

Another reading (for ‘anurodhaḥ’) is ‘nīrodhaḥ,’ meaning ‘cessation’; the meaning being that even on ‘days forbidden for study’ there is no cessation of the study of what are specified in the verse.

Though it is one of the necessary conditions of the injunction of ‘study’ that there should be no study on holidays, and this injunction pertains to the ‘study’ of ‘Svādhyāya,’ which is Veda,—and the subsidiary treatises are not called ‘Veda,’—yet people might be led to think that these latter also are interspersed with passages from the Veda; hence the Text makes it quite clear.

Or, the ‘subsidiary treatises’ may he taken only as an instance; the sense being that ‘just as there is no holiday in the case of the subsidiary Treatises so is there none in the case of the Veda also.’

‘With Mantras recited during oblations’;—i.e., those Mantras that are recited during the Agnihotra-oblations, or those recited during the Sāvitra and other propitiatory oblations. All this is merely by way of illustration. This fact, which is fully sustained by reason, is explained here for the benefit of persons who might think that the rule regarding the ceasing of study on holidays pertains to the uttering of any and every Vedie passage, such as the Mantras included under the ‘śaśvat-japa’ and ‘Praiṣas,’—all which form the subject-matter of the injunction of Vedic Study,—and might conclude that on the Caturdaśī and such other holidavs, even the Mantras in connection with oblations should not be recited. As a matter of fact, the observing of holidays laid down in connection with Vedic Study prescribed by the injunction of Study does not pertain to all Veda; and there are no holidays in connection with Mantras recited during the performance of religious rites.

‘In connection with the daily study of the Veda’;—i.e., in connection with that study of the Veda which has been enjoined in a preceding text as compulsory for men in all stages of life.—(105)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 149), as an exception to the rule mentioning certain days as ‘unfit for study’;—and the term ‘upakaraṇa’ is explained as aṅgāni, ‘the subsidiary sciences’; and the ‘nitya-svādhyāya’ as that reciting of Vedic texts which constitutes the ‘Brahmayajña’. The same work quotes it again (on p. 314) as precluding the Brahmayajña from the scope of the rule prohibiting the reading of Vedic texts on certain days.

It is quoted in Vidhānapārijāta (I, p. 534) as embodying an exception to the rule regarding days unfit for study;—and again in II, p. 262 as embodying an eulogy on Brahmayajña;—also in Madanapārijāta (p. 105) as laying down a case where the rules relating to time unfit for study do not apply;—and also in Vīramitrodaya (Saṃskāra, p. 537), as the foremost exception to the rules regarding days unfit for study.

It is quoted in Aparārka (p. 137), where ‘vedopakaraṇa’ is explained as ‘vedāṅga’;—in Smṛtisāroddhāra (p. 141), which construes the passage as ‘vedopakaraṇe naityake nānadhyāyaḥ,’ as otherwise there would be conflict with other texts;—in Smṛticandrikā (Saṃskāra, pp. 148 and 162) which adds the following notes: ‘Vedopakaraṇa’ are the Vedāṅgas—‘nitya-svādhyāya’ is Brahmayajña;—in Hemādri (Śrāddha, p. 775);—in Saṃskāramayūkha (p. 59), which supplies the same explanation of ‘nityasvādhyāya’;—and in Saṃskāraratnamālā (p. 338), which explains ‘Vedopakaraṇa’ as the Vedaṇgas, and notes that the singular number is used since the noun is treated as a class-name.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(Verses 105-106)

Āpastamba-Dharmasūtra (2. 4. 12. 9).—‘There are forbidden days for study, but none for the reciting of Mantras during religious acts.’

Śaunaka (Parāśaramādhava, p. 149).—‘For the compulsory recitation, for sacrifices, for a certain purpose and for the repetition of the texts, there are no forbidden days for the Vedas; nor in the reciting or imparting of Mantras.’

Āpastamba-Dharmasūtra (4. 12. 3).—‘Vedic study is Brahma-Yajña.’

Śaunaka (Vīramitrodaya-Saṃskāra, p. 537).—‘There are no forbidden days for the Daily Sacrifices, nor for the subsidiary Sciences, nor for sacrificial performances, nor for the repeating of lessons, nor in the receiving of Mantras. There is no day forbidden for the reciting of Mantras in the worshipping of gods.’

Kūrmapurāṇa (Vīramitrodaya-Saṃskāra, p. 538).—‘There is no day forbidden for the Obligatory Rites, nor in the offering of Twilight Prayers, nor in the Upākarma rites, nor in the reciting of the Homa-mantras... There are no forbidden Days for the study of the Subsidiary Sciences, or of Itihāsas and Purāṇas... One should always study the Brahmavidyā, and repeat the Sāvitrī, the Śatarudriya Hymn and also the Vedanta texts.’

Kūrmapurāṇa (Parāśaramādhava, p. 150).—‘There is no day forbidden for the study of the Subsidiary Sciences, or of Itihāsas and Purāṇas, or of the Dharmaśāstras. But these should be avoided on the Parva days.’