Verse 11.149

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

ब्राह्मणस्तु सुरापस्य गन्धमाघ्राय सोमपः ।
प्राणानप्सु त्रिरायम्य घृतं प्राश्य विशुध्यति ॥ १४९ ॥

brāhmaṇastu surāpasya gandhamāghrāya somapaḥ |
prāṇānapsu trirāyamya ghṛtaṃ prāśya viśudhyati || 149 ||

If a Brāhmaṇa who has partaken of the Soma inhales the odour given out by a wine-drinker, he becomes pure by thrice suppressing his breath in water and eating clarified butter.—(149)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Odour given out by a wine-drinker.’—The odour that conies out of the mouth of a person who has drunk wine, is due to its digestion undergone in the stomach and contact with other substances therein contained; hence the offence is a comparatively light one. The odour of wine kept in a vessel, can be easily avoided (hence the inhaling of its odour would be a serious offence).

Others explain the text to mean that this same expiation applies to a case where the said odour is inhaled by a Brāhmaṇa who is habituated to drinking wine.

‘Who has partaken of Soma’— This specification implies that what is said here does not apply to the case of one who has performed the Darśa-pūrṇamāsa sacrifices.

‘Eating clarified butter.’—Here also, the eating of other things is not precluded.

Since ‘wine’ has been mentioned by name, what is said here does not apply to the case of other intoxicating drinks.—(149)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Mitākṣarā (3.255), which remarks that this refers to the case of a Soma-sacrificer unintentionally smelling the liquor; if it is intentional, the expiation is to be doubled;—in the Madanapārijāta (p. 822), which also remarks that this refers to unintentional smelling; intentional smelling involving double the said expiation;—in Aparārka (p. 1164);—in Parāśaramādhava (Prāyaścitta, p. 349), as referring to the case of the smelling of the mouth of the man who has drunk wine;—and in Nṛsiṃhaprasāda (Prāyaścitta 9b).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Mahābhārata (12.165.76).—(Same as Manu.)

Gautama (23-6).—‘If he inhales the fume exhaled by a man who has drunk wine, he shall thrice suspend his breath and eat clarified butter.’

Viṣṇu (51.25).—‘A Soma-sacrificer who has smelt the breath of a man who had been drinking wine, must plunge into water, recite the Aghamarṣaṇa-mantra three times and eat clarified butter afterwards.’