Verse 2.219

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

मुण्डो वा जटिलो वा स्यादथ वा स्यात्शिखाजटः ।
नैनं ग्रामेऽभिनिम्लोचेत् सूर्यो नाभ्युदियात् क्व चित् ॥ २१९ ॥

muṇḍo vā jaṭilo vā syādatha vā syātśikhājaṭaḥ |
nainaṃ grāme'bhinimlocet sūryo nābhyudiyāt kva cit || 219 ||

He may have his head shaved, or wear his hair in braids, or have only the top-hair braided. The sun should never set, nor should it rise, while he is still in the village.—(219)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Muṇḍaḥ’—means that he should shave the whole of his head.

‘Jaṭilaḥ’—one who has hairs braided, i.e., inextricably sticking to one another.

Or one whose ‘śikhā’ top-hair,’ only is braided; and the rest of the head is shaven.

And he should so behave himself that the sun does not set while he is still in the village; ‘village’ here includes the town also. The meaning is that at the time of sun-set he should betake himself to the forest. Similarly the sun should not rise while he is in the village; that is, for the Religious Student, sun-rise also should take place while he is in the forest.

‘Enam’—refers to the Religious Student.

Others have explained this to mean that ‘the Sun should not set while he is still addicted to the vulgar acts of sleeping and the like.’ To this same effect we have the term ‘sleeping’ in the next verse. Under this explanation what the verse prohibits is sleeping during the two twilights; and it does not mean that he should be actually in the forest at those times; for the Student would be still too young and would be frightened (by being in the forest at twilight). In fact Gautama (9.10) has declared that the twilights should be spent outside the village after the ‘Godāna’ ceremony; and this ceremony is laid down as to be performed in the sixteenth year; and arrived at that age, the student can, if he reaches the forest, offer his twilight prayers there.—(219)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

‘Grāme’—‘While he stays in the village’ Medhātithi, Govindarāja, Nārāyaṇa and Nandana);—‘while he is still sleeping in the village’ (‘others’ in Medhātithi, Kullūka and Rāghavānanda).

This verse is quoted in Aparārka (p. 64);—in Saṃskāramayūkha (p. 42), as laying down three distinct alternatives;—and in Nṛsiṃhaprasāda (Saṃskāra, p. 46b).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Gautama (1.29).—‘With head shaven, with hair in braids or with top-hair braided.’

Āpastamba Dharmasūtra (1.2.31,32).—‘With braided locks;—or others may have the head shaven, leaving the top-hair braided.’

Vaśiṣṭha (7-8).—‘Dependent on the Teacher, with hair braided or with top-hair braided, he shall walk behind the Teacher when he walks.’

Viṣṇu (28.41).—‘The Religious Student shall have either his hair all shaven or all in braids.’