Verse 3.1

Medhātithi Manubhāṣya

dvividho brahmacārī pūrvatra pratipāditaḥ—naiṣṭhika upakurvāṇaś ceti | “ā samāpteḥ śarīrasya yas tu śuśrūṣate gurum” (Manusmṛti or Mānava-dharmaśāstra 2.244) ity anena naiṣṭhikabrahmacaryam uktam | “ā samāvartanāt” (Manusmṛti or Mānava-dharmaśāstra 2.108) iti pakṣāntaram api sūcitam | tatra naiṣṭikasya nāmadheyasya pratilambhenaiva nimittavatā avadhiśeṣaḥ sugamitaḥ | niṣṭhām samāptiṃ gacchati naiṣṭhikaḥ | śrutyaiva kālo vihitaḥ “ā samāpteḥ” iti | upakurvāṇasya-

• anena kramayogena | (Manusmṛti or Mānava-dharmaśāstra 6.85)

• tapoviśeṣair vividhair vrataiś ca vidhicoditaiḥ |

• vedaḥ kṛtsno'dhigantavyaḥ || (Manusmṛti or Mānava-dharmaśāstra 2.165)

iti saṃkhyāyā avivakṣāyā caikadvitricatuḥpañcaṣaṭsaptādiśākhādhyayanaṃ yathāśakti prāptaṃ niyamyate |

• traivedikaṃ vrataṃ caryam | trayāṇāṃ vedānāṃ samāhāras trivedī, tadgrahaṇaprayojanaṃ traivedikam | grahaṇakriyā vṛttāv antarbhavati vedādhigamasya prāgvihitatvāt | vrataṃ brahmacāridharmakalāpaḥ | caryaṃ caritavyam | kṛtyo vidhau |

• evam āharaṇādīnāṃ grahaṇāntatāyāṃ prāptāyām āha—ṣaṭtriṃśadābdikam iti | gṛhīte'pi vede kālaḥ pūrayitavyaḥ |

• yadi svādhyāyādhyayanavidhyartho dharmaḥ, tasya ca svādhyāyavidher grahaṇe nivṛttiḥ, kimarthā tarhi dvādaśavārṣikī grahaṇottarakālaṃ vratacaryānuvṛttiḥ |

• atyalpam idam ucyate | darśapūrṇamāsādiṣv apy āgneyādiyāgebhyaḥ parāñci yāny aṅgāni tatrāpy etad vaktavyam | samastāṅgānuṣṭhāna evārād upakārakādyaṅgayuktād viśiṣṭakramakād vidhyarthasaṃpady avagatāyāṃ paricodanāśabdād eva vidhiḥ saṃpadyate |

• atha mahato ladhīyāṃsas tadardhikapādikagrahaṇāvadhayaḥ pakṣāḥ santi | teṣu satsu kaḥ khalu mahāprayāsam aticirakālaṃ tāvad dvādaśavārṣikaṃ vracaraṇam ādriyeteti cet,

• phalabhūmārthino'ṅgabhūyastvam anuṣṭhāsyanti | tad uktaṃ “prayatnaviśeṣāt phalaviśeṣeṇa bhavitavyam” iti |

• nanu ca nārthāvabodhād ṛte grahaṇadvāreṇa svādhyāyādhyayanasya kiṃcid aparaṃ phalam asti | evaṃ hy āhuḥ—na tasyādhyayanamātraṃ tatrabhavanto yājñikāḥ phalaṃ samāmanantīti | tathā “dṛṣṭo hi tasyārthaḥ karmāvabodhanaṃ nāma” (Śabara Bhāṣya on PMS 1.1.1) iti śabarabhāṣye | tasya na ca kaścid viśeṣo dṛśyate |

• yady evaṃ grahaṇakāle'py antareṇa vratadharmānuṣṭhānaṃ grahaṇānuṣṭhānaprasaṅgaḥ | kaś caivam āha—arthāvabodhārthaḥ svādhyāyavidhir iti | svādhyāyavidhiḥ svārtha eva | nānyasyānyārthatāyāṃ pramāṇam asti | arthāvabodho hi grahaṇe sati vastusvabhāvata utpadyate na vidhitaḥ |

• atha kiṃ svargādiphalārthino'yaṃ vidhiḥ |

• etad api kathaṃ bhaviṣyati |

• kā tarhīyaṃ vāco yuktiḥ—“phalaviśeṣeṇa” iti |

• eṣā vāco yuktiḥ | saṃskāravidhis tāvad ayaṃ svādhyāyapradhānaḥ, tasya svādhyāye karmaṇy utpannatvāt | saṃskāravidhayaś ca na sākṣād adhikāram arhanti, kiṃ tu saṃskāryadvāreṇa sādhikāravidhyantaram anupraviśanti | yathā “vrīhim avahanti” iti darśapūrṇamāsādhikāraviṣayāgneyādiyāgasādhanabhūtapuroḍāśaprabhṛtivrīhituṣakaṇa-vipramocanādisaṃskāradvāreṇa darśapūrṇamāsāpūrvasaṃbandham anubhavati avaghātaḥ, na tannirapekṣaḥ, sa eva kartavyatayā pratīyate | evam hi vedasya saṃskāryatvaṃ nānyatrāśeṣabhūtasya nirvahati | dṛṣṭaḥ svādhyāyādhyayanānantram arthāvabodhaḥ | ata idam adhyayanam arthāvabodhaparyantam avaghāta iva taṇḍulaniṣpattiparyantaḥ | etāvāṃs tu viśeṣaḥ | prakaraṇe'dhītatvād avaghāto jhaṭ iti labdhādhikāravidhyantarasaṃbandhaḥ | ayaṃ tv anārabhyādhītatvād avabodhaparyavasāyī sakalaphalakarmānuṣṭhānopayogitayā gamyamāno'dhikāraḥ | tathā vidhyarthanivṛttir eva phalaviśeṣo'bhipretaḥ | vidher hi puruṣārthatvaṃ vyutpannāvagamam, tat sākṣād bhavatu vā paraṃparayā veti na viśeṣaḥ | gamyamānādhikāratvāc ca svatantra evāyaṃ vidhiḥ svātmānam anuṣṭhāpayati, yady api nityakāmaśrutiṣv arthāvabodha upayujyate |

• ye tv arthāvabodhadvāreṇa jyotiṣṭomādividhyekakāryatvam icchanti tatphalasyaiva ca prayatnaviśeṣād atiśayam āhus teṣām ācāryakaraṇavidhinā kim aparāddham, yena mahatā yatnena tadekakāryatā niṣidhyate | aprāmāṇyaṃ vedasya bhavatīti cet, astu | na prayojanavaśena yuktisāmarthyāyāto'rtho hātuṃ śakyate | yuktis tu yuktyantareṇa balīyasā bādhyate |

• ācāryakaraṇavidhyekakāryatve tv asya vidhirūpataiva hīyate, svārthasyāvivakṣitatvāt | tattulyaṃ jyotiṣṭomādyanupraveśe'pi |

• yadā tu svatantro'yaṃ vidhiḥ svārthānuṣṭhāpakas tatsamānaskandhas tadā svayam evetikartavyatayā yukto'nuṣṭhīyate |

• tatra ye vikalpitāḥ kalpā laghīsāṃso garīyāṃsaś ca, teṣāṃ laghiyasā siddhe garīyasām anuṣṭhānaṃ vidhyartha eva viśeṣam āvahati | yathādhāne “ekā deyā tisro deyā dvādaśa deyāḥ” (vārś 3.2.3.45) ityādi | anuṣṭhite cāsmin vidhau svasāmarthyāc chruto vā bhavatu pratīyamāno vā kalpo vā, pramāṇabhedo'yaṃ na saṃbandhabheda, sarvathobhyataḥ sparśato na mucyāmahe, yady asya vidhiḥ svārthānuṣṭhāpako jyotiṣṭomādyupakārakatvaṃ ca |

• nanu kim idaṃ pūrvāparaviruddhaṃ pralapyate | prāguktam—na sākṣāt saṃskāravidhayo'dhikārasaṃbandhinaḥ, idānīṃ tu svatantra evāyaṃ vidhiḥ svārthānuṣṭhāpaka iti | yathāyaṃ viśeṣaśrutenānvayinā na saṃbadhyate, gamyamānas tv adhikāraḥ saṃskāravidhīnām apy aviruddha iti | nāyaṃ viśeṣo yady asya vidhiprayuktam anuṣṭhānam arthāvabodhāṃśa iṣyate | pāṭhamātrasyācāryavidhiprayuktatvāt saṃskāravidhīnām adhikārasaṃbandho'bhyupagataḥ syāt | atha vidhyantaropakārakatvāt tatprayuktam anuṣṭhānam, tathā saty adhikṛtasyādhyayanaṃ syān nādhītavedasyādhikāraḥ | tadā ca śūdrasyādhikāro durnivāraḥ | na cādhyayanānantaraṃ vedārthaśravaṇaṃ prāpnoti | yadaiva hi yadṛcchayā kutaścid adhigataṃ bhavati “jyotiṣṭomanāma karma vaidikaṃ svargaphalam” iti, tadaiva taditikartavyatāṃ śikṣet | tatkāla eva ca tadupayogino mantrān yājamānān adhīyīta |

• atra kecid āśrayinyāyena (Pūrva Mīmāṃsā Sūtra 4.1.18) pariharanti | yathaiva hi sviṣṭakṛdādaya ubhayarūpāḥ saṃskārārthakarmatayā, evaṃ svādhyāyādhyayanam apy abhidhānaviniyogānusāritayā kriyāphalāvabodhadarśanena ca saṃskārakarma phalavat karmārthakarma | ataḥ sādhikāratvasiddhiḥ | kaḥ punar adhikārī | upanītas traivarṇiko māṇavaka iti brūmaḥ | brahmacāridharmeṣu hy etad āmnāyate | liṅādayo hy avinābhūtaniyojyārthavidhyarthapratipādakāḥ | tatra viśeṣākāṅkṣāyāṃ kvacic chabdasamarpito viśeṣo bhavati—“svargakāmo yāvajjīvam agnihotraṃ juhoti” | kvacid śruto'py anvitābhidhānasāmarthyabalena kalpyo viśvajidādiṣu | kvacit prakaraṇād vastusāmarthyād vidhyantaraparyālocanayāpi ca pratīyate | tad etad iha sarvam asti | prakṛto brahmacārī | vastusāmarthyena cārthāvabodha upajāyate | sa ca sarvavidhiṣūpayujyate, viduṣo'dhikārāt |

• tad idam apare na mṛśyanti | saṃskāravidhitvenaivāsya pratīyamānādhikāratā | yataḥ saṃskārakarmāṇi saṃskāryārthatayānuṣṭhīyante | yadi ca saṃskārye na dṛśyeta viśeṣas tataḥ saktuvat saṃskārarūpatā hīyeta | asti cātra phalavatkarmāvabodhalakṣaṇo viśeṣaḥ | yat tu “sviṣṭakṛdādivat” iti, tat prakṛtipratyayavijñānāgamyatvarūpahānitayā yuktobhayarūpatā |

• tasmāt sthitaṃ svatantro'yaṃ vidhir māṇavakasyeti | ataś ca svata evānuṣṭheyo nāvaghātādivad darśapūrṇamāsādyadhikāraniyogākṣepeṇa |

• evam anekavedādhyayanam api draṣṭavyam | tatrāpi hy ekena vedena nirvṛtte vidhyarthe kim ity anekavedādhyayanam | phalabūmnā tu yujyate | phalaṃ ca pūrvavat, na tu vākyaśeṣādhītaṃ payodadhyādi | evām sthita ekavedādhyāyinaḥ svaśākhānadītānāṃ mantrāṇāṃ karmopayogināṃ karmānuṣṭānakāle sāmarthyāt tadākṣiptam adhyayanam anujñātaṃ bhavati | yady apy adhītavedasyādhikāre “adhīta” iti |

• anye tu “brāhmaṇena niṣkāraṇo dharmaḥ ṣaḍaṅgo vedo'dhyeyaḥ” (Patañjali, Mahābhāṣya i—1) iti niṣkāraṇa ity etasyādhikārapadatāṃ manyante | niṣkāraṇaḥ, kāraṇaṃ prayojanam anuddiśya, nityakarmavat kartavyam | na hy asyādhikārasamarpakatvam antareṇa viṣayadvāreṇa kriyākārakatadviśeṣaṇatvādinānvayaḥ saṃbhavati | tasmāt saty api saṃskāravidhitve gamyamānādhikāratvaṃ śrūyamāṇādhikāratvaṃ vāviruddham |

• apare tu saṃskāravidhitvād anadhikāratām eva jyāyasīṃ manyante | anuṣṭhānaviśeṣalābhārtho hy adhikāra upāsyate | sa ceha saṃskāryaviśeṣadarśanād eva siddhaḥ | saṃskāravidhayaḥ prayojanāpekṣāḥ | kriyāphalam evātra vidhisādhyam | tac ca karmasthaṃ grahaṇalakṣaṇaṃ dṛśyata evāviruddham |

• aśrute vibhāge smṛtyantarād vibhāgāvagatiḥ—“prativedaṃ brahmacaryaṃ dvādaśābdāni” (ydh 1.36) iti | ke punar atra trayo vedā abhipretāḥ | ṛgvedo yajurvedaḥ sāmaveda iti | atha kiṃ nātharvaṇo veda iti | ka evam āha | kiṃ tv atra yathāśrutaṃ saṃskāryatvanirbarhaṇāyām arthāvabodhaniṣṭhatayā tasya vidher anuṣṭhānalābhaḥ | avabodho hi sakalakarmānuṣṭhānopayogīti | ātharvaṇaś cābhicārādyupadeśabahulaḥ | tasmān na jyotiṣṭomādikarmāṇi vidhīyante | nāpi teṣāṃ kiṃcid āṅgam | trayyaiva hautrādhvaryavaudgātrādisakalatadaṅgaparisamāptiḥ | pradhānotpattividhayaś ca trayyām eva jyotiṣṭomādīnāṃ santi | brahmatvam api trayyām eva vidyate | triśabdaś ca saṃkhyāvacanaḥ | na ca saṃkhyāśabdāḥ kaṃcid dharmam ekam anapekṣya pravartante | ato yeṣām eveha karyopadeśaparatā ta eva triśabdenābhigadituṃ śakyante | na cātharvaṇasya tatkāryānupraveśaḥ | na tatra pradhānavidhayo jyotiṣṭomādīnām, nāṅgavidhayaḥ | śyenādiṣv abhicārayajñeṣu ta evartvijaḥ saivānyāpītikartavyatā | veśeṣo'pi yaḥ so'pi trayyām evopadiṣṭaḥ | ata ṛgyajuṣām ṛksāmabhyāṃ caikatra karmaṇi samāveśābhāvāt trivedīvyapadeśānupapatter nātharvaṇasyeha grahaṇaṃ svādhyāyaśabdavācyatvāt tv adhyayanavidhes tadviṣayatvam aviruddham |

• tadardhikam | ṣaṭtriṃśatsaṃkhyā pratyavamṛśyate | tato'rdham aṣṭādaśavarṣāṇi | atrāpi vibhāgakalpanā ṣaḍvarṣāṇi | atrāpi pādikam | pādaś caturbhāgabhāginī saiva saṃkhyā | nava varṣāṇi | caturtho bhāgaḥ | prativedaṃ trīṇi |

• kathaṃ punas tribhir varṣair vedaḥ śakyo grahītum |

• bhavati kaścin medhāvitamaḥ |

• apara āha | na grahaṇasvarūpaprayuktā dharmāḥ, kiṃ tarhi tadviṣayeṇa vidhinā prayujyante | tatrāpi nivṛtte grahaṇe yadi kānicid ahāni niyamānupālanam adhyayanakāle kriyate tāvat saṃpādyata eva śāstrārthaḥ | bhavet svādhyāyavidhyarthaṃ tāvataivāṅgakalapānuṣṭhānam | asamāptagrahaṇasya tadvratanivṛttau vratasnātakavyapadeśaḥ | ataḥ kālaviśeṣavidhānaṃ yuktam | tribhir varṣaiḥ vinā na vratasnātako bhavati | tad yady api “snānaṃ vedasamāptāu” iti kecit smaranti, tathāpi tadarthavratasamāptāv api prayoga upacārād ukta eva |

• tad ayuktam | saty api vidhiprayukte yāvadadhyayanabhāvitaiva vratānāṃ yuktā | adhyayanasaṃyogena hi tāni codyante | yāvadadhyayanaṃ bhavitum arhanti | vacanād eva hi trisāṃvatsarī vratavaryā prāg api grahaṇād yady etat pṛthagvākyam | atha tu grahaṇāntikam evety ekaṃ vākyam, tato nāsty agṛhīte vede vratanivṛttiḥ | evakāreṇaivam eva pakṣam anumanyante |

• yadi nāsty agṛhīte vede tannivṛttiḥ, kathaṃ tarhi vratasnātako vedasnātaka iti bhedena vyapadeśaḥ |

• caturthe vakṣyāmaḥ |

• ṣaṭtriṃśadabdāḥ samāhṛtāḥ “ṣaṭtriṃśadabdam”, tatra bhavaṃ ṣāṭtriṃśadābdikam | evaṃ traivedikam | tadardhaparimāṇaṃ tadardhikam | evaṃ pādikaṃ grahaṇāntikam iti | sarvatra “ata iniṭhanau” (Pāṇini, Aṣṭādhyāyī 5.2.115) iti matvarthīyaḥ | na tu yasya yatparimāṇaṃ tat tasyāstīti śakyate'padeṣṭum || 3.1 ||