Verse 4.127

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

द्वावेव वर्जयेन्नित्यमनध्यायौ प्रयत्नतः ।
स्वाध्यायभूमिं चाशुद्धमात्मानं चाशुचिं द्विजः ॥ १२७ ॥

dvāveva varjayennityamanadhyāyau prayatnataḥ |
svādhyāyabhūmiṃ cāśuddhamātmānaṃ cāśuciṃ dvijaḥ || 127 ||

The twice-born man shall always carefully avoid only two conditions as unfit for study: viz. an unclean place of study and his own unclean condition.—(127)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The mention of ‘always’ here shows that the aforesaid occasions are to be regarded as ‘unfit for study,’ only optionally; among these also those that are obligatory have already been indicated; e.g., whenever the term ‘always’ occurs; it has also been shown where what is stated is purely descriptive; e.g., verse 114.

The place is regarded as ‘unclean’ when it is in contact with such unclean things as bones, the generative organs, and so forth.

The conditions that make the man himself ‘unclean’ shall be described in Discourse V.

Though the present conditions of ‘unfitness for study,’ are mentioned in the context dealing with ‘Vedic Study,’ yet they are, in reality, permanently ‘unfit for study;’ for the simple reason that the unclean man is not entitled to any act; as says the Brāhmaṇa—‘For the sacrifice, there are two conditions that make it unjit—when the man himself, or the place, is unclean.’ The sacrifice here referred to is the ‘Brahmayajña,’ the daily reciting of Vedic mantras.—(127).

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Aparārka (p. 193), which adds that this refers to that ‘Vedic study’ which forms part of the daily ‘Brahmayajña’, being based, as it is, on the following Taittirīya text: ‘Tasya vā etasya yajñasya dvāvanadhyāyau yadātmā’ śuciryoddeśaḥ,’—which bears specially upon the Brahmayajña;—in Hemādri (Kāla, p. 775), which says that this refers to that Vedic study which forms part of the daily Brahmayajña;—in Smṛticandrikā (Saṃskāra, p. 164), which has the same note;—and in Gadādharapaddhati (Kāla, p. 196).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Yājñavalkya (1.149).—‘When the place or the man himself, is unclean, when there is thunder and lightning, etc.’

Āśvalāyana Gṛhyasūtra (3.4.7).—‘Two occasions have been recognised as unfit for study—viz., when the place is unclean and when the man himself is unclean.’

Pāraskara (1.11.7-9).—‘On the death of the teacher, one shall enter the water and desist from study for ten days—for three days, on the death of a fellow-student;—for one day on the death of one who is not a fellow-student.’

Gobhila (3.3.24.27).—‘On the death of a fellow-student,—on the death of one’s own king,—on the death of the teacher, for three days; for a day and night, on the death of the pupil.’