Verse 4.96

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

पुष्ये तु छन्दसां कुर्याद् बहिरुत्सर्जनं द्विजः ।
माघशुक्लस्य वा प्राप्ते पूर्वाह्णे प्रथमेऽहनि ॥ ९६ ॥

puṣye tu chandasāṃ kuryād bahirutsarjanaṃ dvijaḥ |
māghaśuklasya vā prāpte pūrvāhṇe prathame'hani || 96 ||

The Brāhmaṇa shall perform, outside, the “Utsarjana” (Suspension) of the Vedas on the day of the Puṣya asterism, or on the forenoon of the first day of the bright fortnight of the month of Māgha.—(96)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

On the expiry of the four months and a half, when the Puṣya asterism comes for the first time,—on that day, one should perform the ‘Utsarjana’ rite. The exact form of this rite has been described by the authors of the Gṛhyasūtras.

^‘Outside’—i.e., in an uncovered place.

The exact form of these two rites—The ‘Upākarma’—and the ‘Utsarjana’ should be learnt from the Gṛhyasūtras.—(96)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Aparārka (p. 186), which adds that ‘if the Upākarma has been performed on the Full-moon day of Śrāvaṇa, then the Utsarjana should be performed on the first day of the bright fortnight of Pauṣa, while if the Upākarma has been done in Bhādrapada, then the Utsarjana should be done in Māgha’.

It is quoted in Mitākṣarā (on 1.143) to the effect that if the Upākarma has been done in Bhādrapada, the Utsarjana should be done in Māgha;—in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 521), which adds the same two options as Aparārka;—in Madanapārijāta (p. 95), which also notes the same two options;—in Puruṣārthacintāmaṇi (p. 297), which says that if the Upākarma has been done in Śrāvaṇa then the Utsarjana should be done in Pauṣa, on the first day of the bright fortnight; but if the former has been done in Bhādra then the latter should be done in Māgha on the same day;—in Hemādri (Kāla, p. 405), which adds the same remark;—in Smṛtisāroddhāra (p. 129), which has the same note;—and in Smṛticandrikā (Saṃskāra, p. 147), which says that ‘śukla pratipadi pūrvāhne’ goes with both, and adds the same explanation as above.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Baudhāyana (1.5.143).—[See above].

Āpastamba (1.9.2).—[See above].

Viṣṇu (30.2).—‘Then their Utsarjana should be performed; but not of those of whom the Upākarma had not been performed.’

Yājñavalkya (1.143).—‘During the month of Pauṣa, under the asterism of Rohiṇī, or on the Aṣṭakā day, he shall perform the Utsarjana of Vedic texts, near water, in the prescribed manner, somewhere outside.’

Pāraskara (2.12.1).—‘During the month of Pauṣa under the asterism of Rohiṇī, or on the middlemost Aṣtakā day, he shall perform the suspension (Utsarjana) of the Vedic texts.’

Gobhila (3.3.14).—‘They suspend (study) on the fullmoon day of Pauṣa.’