Verse 11.214

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

तप्तकृच्छ्रं चरन् विप्रो जलक्षीरघृतानिलान् ।
प्रतित्र्यहं पिबेदुष्णान् सकृत्स्नायी समाहितः ॥ २१४ ॥

taptakṛcchraṃ caran vipro jalakṣīraghṛtānilān |
pratitryahaṃ pibeduṣṇān sakṛtsnāyī samāhitaḥ || 214 ||

The Brāhmaṇa who is performing the ‘Tapta-Kṛcchra’ shall drink hot water, hot milk, hot clarified butter and hot air,—each for three days; bathing once and having his mind concentrated.—(214)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

At the same time as stated above, he shall drink water and other things,—in quantities just enough not to satiate him. In some places we find the exact measure laid down—‘of water he shall drink three palas, of clarified butter, one pala, of milk he shall drink two palas, and of hot air, three palas.’

‘Bathing once.’—This is an exception to the general rule that one shall bathe thrice during the day and thrice during the night.—(214)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This v erse is quoted in Madanapārijāta (p. 735), which explains the meaning to be that ‘he should live for three days each upon water, milk, and clarified butter and air’;—thus the penance being Completed in twelve days;—in Prāyaścittaviveka (p. 511), which says that the ‘drinking of hot air’ is done by inhaling the vapour emanating from hot milk; and that this penance is completed in twelve days;—in Saṃskāraratnamālā (p. 782);—and in Yatidharmasaṅgraha (p. 7).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Baudhāyana (2.2.37).—‘Subsisting on water, milk, clarified butter, and fasting,—each for three days, and taking the three fluids hot,—that is Taptakṛcchra penance.’

Do. (4.5.10).—‘If one drinks hot milk, hot clarified butter, and a hot decoction of Kuśa grass, each during three days, and fasts during another three days, that is called the Taptakṛcchra.’

Vaśiṣṭha (21.21).—‘Let him drink hot water during three days; hot milk during the next three days; after drinking, during another three days, hot clarified butter, he shall subsist on air during the last three days. That is the Taptakṛcchra penance.’

Viṣṇu (46.11).—‘Let him drink for three days hot water, for another three days, hot clarified butter; and for further three days, not milk, and let him fast for three days. That is the Taptakṛcchra.’