Verse 2.204

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

गोऽश्वौष्ट्रयानप्रासादप्रस्तरेषु कटेषु च ।
आसीत गुरुणा सार्धं शिलाफलकनौषु च ॥ २०४ ॥

go'śvauṣṭrayānaprāsādaprastareṣu kaṭeṣu ca |
āsīta guruṇā sārdhaṃ śilāphalakanauṣu ca || 204 ||

He may sit with the teacher on carts drawn by oxen, horses and camels, on terraces and on grass-mats; as also on reedmats, rocks, benches and boats.—(204)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The terra ‘cart’ is connected with each of the foregoing terras; and the cart yoked with, drawn by, oxen (
), ‘horses’ (‘aśva’) and ‘camels’ (uṣṭra) is called ‘gośvoṣṭvayānam?’; the terra ‘yukta’ (‘yoked,’ ‘drawn by’) being dropped, as in the word ‘dadhighāṭa’ (‘curd-jar’). That this is so is clear from the fact that it is not possible for two men to ride together on the hare back of the ox, etc. If we had the word ‘yāna’ standing by itself, then we might have taken the verse itself as permitting the riding along with the teacher on the bare back of the ox, etc. In some places we do find this to he permitted by usage.

‘Terrace,’—the surface on the top of houses; and in such places sitting with the Teacher is as possible as on the floor of houses.

‘Grass-mats’—beds made of grass and leaves, etc.

‘Reed-mats’—beds made of reeds and sticks.

‘Bocks’—stone-slabs either on the top of hills or elsewhere.

‘Benches’—scats made of wood, called ‘pota,’ ‘varta,’ etc.

‘Boats’;—i.e., contrivances for floating on water, which would include rafts and other similar things.—(204)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Madanapārijāta (p. 107);—and in Vīramitrodaya (Saṃskāra, p. 462) where ‘phalakam’ is explained as Kāṣṭhanirmitam dīrghāsanam, ‘a long seat made of wood’, a bench:—also on page 491, where it is quoted in support of the view that the prohibition contained in verse 198 must refer to cases other than those of carts and conveyances. It further adds that though the riding on conveyances drawn by ox etc. is prohibited,—yet the sanction accorded here is in view of the possibility of such lading in abnormal times of distress. It is interesting to note that no such scruples have prejudiced Medhātithi, who apparently belonged to a part of the country where riding on bullock-carts is permissible; while the author of Vīramitrodaya belonged to a part of the country where such riding is prohibited, e.g. in Mithilā.

It is quoted in Smṛticandrikā (Saṃskāra, p. 120) as sanctioning, in certain cases, the sitting of the pupil with the teacher.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Baudhāyana (1. 2. 35).—‘There is nothing wrong in sitting with the Teacher on a boat, or a stone-slab, or an elephant, or the roof of a house, or a mat, or on a wheeled conveyance.’ Āpastamba Dharmasūtra (1. 8. 12).—‘In a journey he should ascend the conveyance behind the Teacher.’

Viṣṇu (28.27, 28).—‘He should not sit on the same seat with the Teacher;—except on a stone-slab, a boat, or a conveyance.’