Verse 4.128 [Other Duties]

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

अमावास्यामष्टमीं च पौर्णमासीं चतुर्दशीम् ।
ब्रह्मचारी भवेन्नित्यमप्यर्तौ स्नातको द्विजः ॥ १२८ ॥

amāvāsyāmaṣṭamīṃ ca paurṇamāsīṃ caturdaśīm |
brahmacārī bhavennityamapyartau snātako dvijaḥ || 128 ||

On the Moonless Day, on the eighth, on the Full Moon Day, and on the Fourteenth, the twice-born Accomplished Student shall always remain a “Religious Student,” even during the “season.”—(128)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Shall remain a Religious Student.’—Abstention from congugal intercourse is among the duties of the Religious Student; and it is this that is meant here; and not the other duties of begging food, and so forth. Specially, as the phrase ‘even during the season’ brings to mind that one duty first of all.

Others hold that, during the days mentioned, the eating of honey and meat is also meant to be avoided. In support of this view, it is necessary to quote another Smṛti- text: ‘The use of oil, meat, the female generative organ and the razor is to be avoided on the sixth, on the Moonless Day, on the fourteenth of both fortnights and on the Full Moon Day.’

Others, again, have offered the following explanation:—“‘Religious Student’ is the name given to a person in a particular Life-stage; hence, when it is applied to the Householder and persons in other life-stages, it becomes simply indicative of that peculiar characteristic of the Religious Student which consists in the performance of duties conducive to Vedic Study; this is the case with the expression, ‘should remain a Religious Student.’ When the name of one thing is applied to another, it denotes similarity; and, in accordance with this principle, the expression would mean the adoption of all the duties of the Religious Student,—such as begging for food, tending of the Fire, and so forth. But the presence of such directions as, ‘all this should be done till the ceremony of Return’ (2.108), and ‘the Householder shall eat the remnants,’ clearly preclude the said duties of ‘begging for food’ and the like (which would be incompatiable with the duty of ‘eating the remnants’) [and the other duties are clearly laid down as to be observed only till the ceremony of Return ]. So that, the expression in question can only indicate the avoiding of Honey, Meat and Sexual Intercourse (which is among the duties of the Religious Student, and is compatible with the life of the Householder).”

But there is not much in all this; since the term, ‘Religious Student,’ is generally used in the sense of ‘avoiding sexual intercourse.’—(128)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Mitākṣarā (on 1.79);—in Aparārka (p. 103), which adds that on the ground of the terms ‘Aṣṭami’ and ‘Caturdaśī’ occurring along with ‘Amāvasyā’, it is understood that they stand for the eighth and fourteenth days of the Fortnight,—not of the ‘season’;—and that the particle ‘api’ indicates that intercourse on the dates mentioned is to be avoided, also when they happen to fall outside the ‘season’;—and in Hemādri (Kāla, p. 724), which adds that ‘Aṣṭamī’ and ‘Caturdaśī mentioned as they are along with ‘Amāvasyā,’ must stand for the eighth and fourteenth days of the fortnight, not those of the wife’s ‘period.’

It is quoted in Madanapārijāta (p. 346);—in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 498), which adds that the passage is to be construed as ‘strīsaṅgatyāgena brahmacārī bhavet’; ‘on the dates of the month specified, one should behave like the Student by avoiding intercourse with his wife’;—in Prāyaścittaviveka (pp. 286 and 368), as forbidding sexual intercourse on ‘parva’ days, and adds that ‘snātakaḥ’ here stands for the House-holder;—in Saṃskāraratnamālā (p. 683);—in Smṛticandrikā (Saṃskāra, p. 38);—and in Vīramitrodaya (Saṃskāra, p. 155), which adds that the particle ‘ca’ is meant to include the Saṅkrānti day,—and explains the term ‘snātaka’ to mean ‘one whose wife has bathed for her season.’

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Mahābhārata (13.140.11).—‘One who approaches his wife only during the periods remains a Religious Student.’

Āpastamba Dharmasūtra (2.1.17).—‘Recourse to one's wife during the periods is in itself an observance.’

Do. (Aparārka, p. 104).—‘The observances of the householder...... He shall not approach his wife on the eighth, fourteenth and fifteenth days of the fortnight.’

Yājñavalkya (1.79).—‘He should avoid his wife during the Parvas.’

Vaśiṣṭha (12.18).—‘One should have recourse only to his wife, only during her periods, avoiding the Parvas.’

Viṣṇu (68.1).—‘He shall not approach his wife on the eighth, the fourteenth and the fifteenth days of the month.’

Baudhāyana (1.11.36).—‘He shall not eat meat, nor shall he approach his wife.’

Viṣṇupurāṇa (Parāśaramādhava, p. 499).—‘The fourteenth, eighth, moonless day, full moon day, the day on which the sun passes from one sign to the other, are the Parvas; one who has recourse to his wife on these days goes to hell.’