Verse 6.15

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

त्यजेदाश्वयुजे मासि मुन्यन्नं पूर्वसञ्चितम् ।
जीर्णानि चैव वासांसि शाकमूलफलानि च ॥ १५ ॥

tyajedāśvayuje māsi munyannaṃ pūrvasañcitam |
jīrṇāni caiva vāsāṃsi śākamūlaphalāni ca || 15 ||

In the month of Āśvina he shall throw away the formerly-gathered ‘hermit’s food’, as also the worn-out clothes and the herbs, roots and fruits.—(15).

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

This throwing away of the food during the month of Āśvina is applicable to cases where the man is either one who lays by provision for six months or for one who does it for a year.

“As a rule hermits’ food should be collected only in such quantities as may be actually needed for the rites to be performed; so that there can be no surplus; under the circumstances, what would be there to be thrown away?”

The answer to this is as follows At the time that the man is gathering food he cannot always keep a weighing balance in his hand; hence it is quite possible that some small quantities may be left over; and it is these that have to be thrown away during the month of Āśvina.

‘Worn out clothes’.—There is no throwing away of such clothes as are not worn out.—(15).

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

‘Ārtaḥ’—‘In distress, i.e., not having anything else to offer to the god’s’ (Medhātithi);—‘tormented by hunger’ (Kullūka and Govindarāja);—‘ill’ (Nārāyaṇa).

This verse is quoted in Aparārka, (p. 942);—and in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 529).

This verse is quoted in Aparārka (p. 942), which quotes Laugākṣi enumerating the ‘grāmajātāni’—‘vrīhayo yava-godhūmāvubhau ca tilasarṣapau ikṣuḥ priyaṅgavaścaiva grāmyā oṣadhayaḥ smṛtaḥ.’

The verse is quoted also in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 529).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Āpastamba (2.22.24).—‘When he obtains fresh grain, he shall throw away the old one.’

Viṣṇu (94.12).—‘He who has collected provisions for a year must throw away his store on the full moon day of the month of Āśvina.’

Yājñavalkya (3.47).—‘He shall store provision sufficient either for a day, or for a month, or for six months, or for a year; and give it up in the month of Āśvina.’