Verse 11.128

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

त्र्यब्दं चरेद् वा नियतो जटी ब्रह्महनो व्रतम् ।
वसन् दूरतरे ग्रामाद् वृक्षमूलनिकेतनः ॥ १२८ ॥

tryabdaṃ cared vā niyato jaṭī brahmahano vratam |
vasan dūratare grāmād vṛkṣamūlaniketanaḥ || 128 ||

Or, he may perform, for three years, the penance of the ‘Brāhmaṇa-killer,’ keeping himself under control and wearing matted locks, living far off from the village, having his abode at the root of a tree.—(128)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The first half of the verse explains what is meant by the ‘one-fourth’ mentioned in the preceding verse.

‘Wearing matted locks.’— Some people hold that this is meant to exclude the wearing of rags, carrying of a part of the bedstead and so forth (which have been prescribed for the Brāhmaṇa-killer).

This, however, is not right. For what the present verse does is to apply to the case in question the ‘one fourth’ part of only those details that have been prescribed for the Brāhmaṇa-killer, and not of anything else, even though some such be possible;—walking against the current, of the Sarasvatī and such other (optional) details (laid down in 78 et. seq.,) being adopted only when there is some necessity for them.

‘Far off’— All that this means is that he should not remain in the village.

‘Under the root of a tree’;—i.e.., having built a hut there.—(128)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

According to Medhātithi and Rāghavānanda this verse only reiterates what has been prescribed in verse 126, all the details of which are meant to be observed in the present connection;—but according to Govindarāja and Kullūka, the special details, of carrying the skull and so forth, which are not expressly mentioned here, are not meant here.

This verse is quoted in Parāśaramādhava (Prāyaścitta, p. 128);—and in Prāyaścittaviveka (pp. 216 and 534).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 11.126-130)

See Comparative notes for Verse 11.126.