Verse 11.223

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

त्रिरह्नस्त्रिर्निशायां च सवासा जलमाविशेत् ।
स्त्रीशूद्रपतितांश्चैव नाभिभाषेत कर्हि चित् ॥ २२३ ॥

trirahnastrirniśāyāṃ ca savāsā jalamāviśet |
strīśūdrapatitāṃścaiva nābhibhāṣeta karhi cit || 223 ||

Thrice in the day and thrice in the night shall he enter water along with his clothes; and he shall never converse with women, Śūdras and outcasts.—(223)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Thrice in the day’—i.e., at the time of the three ‘extractions’; as laid down by Gautama (26.10)—‘water shall be touched at each extraction.’

During the night also, he shall bathe at the three ‘watches,’—leaving off the midnight one; as this last would not be a proper time for bathing.

‘The clothes’ along with which the man is to bathe should be the two pieces that one wears ordinarily as a matter of necessity.

‘Enter water.’—This implies that the bathing is not to be done with water drawn from the well or tank.

‘With women’—even of the Brāhmaṇa caste—‘he shall not converse’;—except with his mother, elder sister and other elderly relations. Conversation with one’s wife on business-matters is not forbidden; but other kinds of conversation should not be carried on.—(223)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Madanapārijāta (p. 748)—which adds the following notes:—Thrice during the day and thrice during the night; this rule regarding six baths is applicable to those fit for it physically; so that the number of baths may be increased or decreased. In Tapta-Kṛcchra penance there is a single hath;—in Aparārka (p. 1230);—and in Nṛsiṃhaprasāda (Prāyaścitta 38a).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Baudhāyana (3.8.17).—‘Let him not talk with women and Śūdras, addressing them first; let him not look at urine or ordure.’

Gautama (26.8).—‘He shall not converse with anybody but Aryans.’

Yājñavalkya (3.325).—‘One who is performing the Kṛcchra or the Cāndrāyaṇa shall bathe at the three times, shall recite sacred texts, and consecrate the food-morsels with the Gāyatrī.’

Vaśiṣṭha (24.5).—‘He shall avoid speaking to women and Śūdras.’