Apastamba Dharma-sutra

by Āpastamba | 1879 | 60,011 words

The Dharmasutra of Āpastamba forms a part of the larger Kalpasūtra of Āpastamba. It contains thirty praśnas, which literally means ‘questions’ or books. The subjects of this Dharmasūtra are well organized and preserved in good condition. These praśanas consist of the Śrautasūtra followed by Mantrapāṭha which is used in domestic rites and is a colle...

Praśna II, Paṭala 4, Khaṇḍa 8

1. On the second and following days of the guest's stay, the host shall not rise or descend (from his couch) in order to salute his (guest), if he has been saluted before (on the first day).

2. He shall eat after his guests.[1]

3. He shall not consume all the flavoured liquids in the house, so as to leave nothing for guests.[2]

4. He shall not cause sweetmeats to be prepared for his own sake.[3]

5. (A guest) who can repeat the (whole) Veda (together with the supplementary books) is worthy to receive a cow and the Madhuparka,[4]

6. (And also) the teacher, an officiating priest, a Snātaka, and a just king (though not learned in the Veda).

7. A cow and the Madhuparka (shall be offered) to the teacher, to an officiating priest, to a father-in-law, and to a king, if they come after a year has elapsed (since their former visit).

8. The Madhuparka shall consist of curds mixed with honey, or of milk mixed with honey.[5]

9. On failure (of these substances) water (mixed with honey may be used).

10. The Veda has six Aṅgas (auxiliary works).[6]

11. (The six auxiliary works are) the Kalpa (teaching the ritual) of the Veda, the treatises on grammar, astronomy, etymology, phonetics, and metrics.

12. (If any one should contend that) the term Veda (on account of its etymology, implying that which teaches duty or whereby one obtains spiritual merit) applies to the complete collection of (works which contain) rules for rites to be performed on the authority of precepts, (that, consequently, the Kalpa-sūtras form part of the Veda, and that thereby) the number (fixed above) for those (Aṅgas) is proved to be wrong,[7]

13. (Then we answer), All those who are learned in Mīmāṃsā are agreed that (the terms Veda, Brāhmaṇa, and the like, which are applied to) the principal (works), do not include the Aṅgas (the Kalpa-sūtras and the rest). he remembers at any time during dinner,

14. If he remembers at any time that he has refused a guest, he shall at once leave off eating and fast on that day,

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

8. Manu III, 117; Yājñ. I, 105.

[2]:

Flavoured liquids, i.e. milk, whey, &c.

[3]:

Manu III, 106.

[4]:

Manu III, 119 and 120; Yājñ. I, 110;: Weber, Ind. Stud. X, 125. A guest is also called goghna, 'cow-killer,' because formerly a cow used to be killed on the arrival of a distinguished guest. The rite is described by Āśvalāyana Gṛhya-sūtra I, 24, 31-33.

[5]:

Āśvalāyana Gṛhya-sūtra I, 24, 5 and 6.

[6]:

This Sūtra explains the term vedādhyāya, '(a guest) who can repeat the (whole) Veda,' which occurs above, Sūtra 5--Haradatta. See Max Müller's History of Ancient Sanskrit Literature, p. 111.

[7]:

This Sūtra and the following one are directed against those who consider the Kalpa-sūtras to be a part of the Veda, the revealed texts. See also Max Müller's History of Ancient Sanskrit Literature, p. 95 seq.

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