Verse 11.101

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

तपसापनुनुत्सुस्तु सुवर्णस्तेयजं मलम् ।
चीरवासा द्विजोऽरण्ये चरेद् ब्रह्महनो व्रतम् ॥ १०१ ॥

tapasāpanunutsustu suvarṇasteyajaṃ malam |
cīravāsā dvijo'raṇye cared brahmahano vratam || 101 ||

If a twice-born person is desirous of removing the guilt of stealing gold by means of penance, he should perform the penance prescribed for the slayer of a Brāhmaṇa,—living in a forest, clothed in rags.—(101)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

This only refers to the ‘Twelve-year Penance,’ and not to any other of the several expiations prescribed for the slayer of a Brāhmaṇa;—the construction being—‘He shall perform that penance which has been prescribed for the slayer of a Brāhmaṇa.’

‘Who desires to remove’—anxious to wipe off; desirous of purification.—(101)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

“According to Nārāyaṇa this verse refers to an unintentional offence; according to Kullūka and Rāghvānanda, to the theft of a small sum.”—Buhler.

This verse is quoted in Parāśaramādhava (Prāyaścitta, p. 415), as describing the ‘austerity’ mentioned in the preceding verse;—and in Aparārka (p. 1080), which remarks that this refers to a case where the gold stolen belonged to a Brāhmaṇa devoid of good qualities, or where the theft has been committed by a Brāhmaṇa possessing good qualities in times of distress for the support of his family;—and that in a case where one without qualities has stolen gold belonging; to a Brāhmaṇa with good qualities, in large quantities, or for such evil purposes as gambling and the like, the expiation must be one that ends in the culprit’s death.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 11.99-102)

[See above 8.314-316.]

See Comparative notes for Verse 11.99.