Verse 3.239

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

चाण्डालश्च वराहश्च कुक्कुटः श्वा तथैव च ।
रजस्वला च षण्ढश्च नैक्षेरन्नश्नतो द्विजान् ॥ २३९ ॥

cāṇḍālaśca varāhaśca kukkuṭaḥ śvā tathaiva ca |
rajasvalā ca ṣaṇḍhaśca naikṣerannaśnato dvijān || 239 ||

The Cāṇdāla, the pig, the cock, as also the dog, the unclean woman and the eunuch should not look at the Brāhmaṇas while eating.—(239)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Pig’—the village-hog.

Though it has been declared that ‘these shall not look at dose quarters,’ yet what the cultured people avoid is these being near the place. In verse 241 below also, the mention of an act (other than seeing) in the passage ‘the pig spoils the food by smelling’ is a purely deprecatory supplement. Certainly, there can be no smelling by one who does not see.

In fact, the verse merely describes the things that may happen to be near by; what is meant is the Injunction that, since, as a rule, the pig is prone to sniff at the food, and the cock is prone to flapping its wings, and so forth,—therefore, one should feed the Brāhmaṇas in a sheltered place; and the purpose served by the present verse is that it implies that, where there is no danger of such untoward happenings, the feeding may be done in an unsheltered place also.

‘Eunuch’—One without the signs of masculinity.—(239)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Hemādri (Śrāddha, p. 516); and Dāna, p. 108);—in Śrāddhakriyākaumudī (pp. 105 and 169);—and in Gadādharapaddhati (Kāla, p. 521).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 3.239-241)

Gautama (15, 24).—‘What is seen by the dog, the Caṇḍāla and the outcast becomes defiled.’

Āpastamba Dharmasūtra (2.17, 20).—‘They forbid the seeing of the Śrāddha by dogs and unqualified persons.’

Viṣṇu (82.6-9).—‘One should not look at a woman in her courses, nor a dog, nor the village-hog, nor the village-cock.’

Viṣṇu (quoted in Caturvarga-cintāmaṇi-Śrāddha, p. 516).—‘No persons of deficient limbs, nor those with superfluous limbs, nor Śūdras, nor outcasts, nor persons suffering from serious diseases, shall look at the Śrāddha.’

Uśanas (Do.).—‘The village hog, the cat, the cock, the mungoose, the woman in her courses, the Śūdra woman or her husband should be removed to a distance.’

Yama (Do.).—‘The cock, village-hog, crow, oat, the husband of a girl married after puberty, impotent man, woman in her courses,—all these should be always kept away at the time of the Śrāddha;—the cock defiles by the flapping of its wings, the hog by smelling and the crow by crowing; the dog by looking at it and the cat by hearing it, the husband of the girl married after puberty defiles it by receiving gifts, and the Śūdra by his eyes; the impotent man defiles by Ms shadow and the woman in her courses by her touch.’

Bṛhad- Yama (38).—‘All these should be carefully kept away; otherwise the Pitṛs go away disappointed and the man remains indebted.’

Devala (Aparāka, p. 472).—‘All that is disgusting or unclean, naked man, a rogue, a woman in her courses, a man dressed in blue or ruddy clothes, one with ears lopped off, weapons, iron, lead, man clothed in dirty clothes, food kept overnight,—these shall be avoided at Śrāddhas. If wine happen even to touch the house, the Śrāddha goes to the Rākṣasas.’

Vyāsa (Do.).—‘The Caṇḍāla, the man clothed in ruddy clothes, the leper, the outcast, the embryo-killer, one of doubtful birth, relatives of outcasts,—all these should be avoided when one is performing a Śrāddha.’

Brahmāṇḍapurāṇa (Do.).—‘The naked man and others should not see the Śrāddha, those who renounce the Veda are called naked; the thief, the cruel man should not he seen, all other wicked men should he avoided.’