Verse 10.51

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

चण्डालश्वपचानां तु बहिर्ग्रामात् प्रतिश्रयः ।
अपपात्राश्च कर्तव्या धनमेषां श्वगर्दभम् ॥ ५१ ॥

caṇḍālaśvapacānāṃ tu bahirgrāmāt pratiśrayaḥ |
apapātrāśca kartavyā dhanameṣāṃ śvagardabham || 51 ||

The dwelling of Caṇḍālas and Śvapacas shall be outside the village; they shall be made ‘Apapātra,’ and their wealth shall consist of dogs and donkeys.—(51)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Dwelling’—living place; this should be far removed from the village.

‘Apapātra,’—(a) Kept aloof; the vessels in which they have eaten shall not be cleaned for further use; they shall be thrown away; with the exception of gold and silver vessels, in connection with which special methods of cleaning have been prescribed.

(b) Or, the term ‘Apapātra’ may mean that when cooked rice, fried flour or some such food is given to them, they shall not be given in vessels that are in contact with their body; the food shall be given into the vessel lying on the ground, or held in the hand by some one else, and when the vessel thus filled has been placed on the ground, it shall be taken away by them.

(c) Or again, ‘Apapātra’ may mean broken vessel; as it is going to be asserted (in the next verse) that ‘they shall eat in broken dishes.’

‘Their wealth shall consist of dogs and donkeys’—They shall not receive cows or horses, or gold and silver, as their wealth.—(51)

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 10.51-56)

Mahābhārata (13.48.82).—‘They shall betake themselves to road-crossings, crematoriums, hills and trees; and shall wear iron-ornaments.’

Viṣṇu (16.11, 14).—‘Chaṇḍālas should live by executing criminals sentenced to death. Caṇḍālas should live out of the town and their clothes should consist of the mantles of the deceased.’