Verse 2.44

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

कार्पासमुपवीतं स्याद् विप्रस्यौर्ध्ववृतं त्रिवृत् ।
शणसूत्रमयं राज्ञो वैश्यस्याविकसौत्रिकम् ॥ ४४ ॥

kārpāsamupavītaṃ syād viprasyaurdhvavṛtaṃ trivṛt |
śaṇasūtramayaṃ rājño vaiśyasyāvikasautrikam || 44 ||

The Sacrificial Thread worn over the shoulder,—which is triple and twisted upwards,—should be hade op cotton for the Brāhmaṇa, of hempen fibres for the Kṣatriya, and op woolen fibres for the Vaiśya.—(44)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The term ‘upavīta’ stands for the peculiar manner in which cloth is worn; as will be explained later in Verse 63; as such, it is only a quality; and since this quality cannot be made of cotton, the quality is taken as standing for the thing to which the quality belongs; the meaning being that the thing that is to be worn in the particular way should be made of cotton; the term ‘upavītam’ being regarded as formed with the ‘ach’ affix, according to Pāṇini 5.2.127, ‘upavītam’ being equivalent to ‘upavītavat.’

‘Twisted upwards’—i.e., turned round, coiled upwards.

‘Triple’—consisting of three yarns.

This ‘twisting upwards’ is laid down for that article which, on coming out of the spinning wheel, has acquired the properties of the ‘yarn’ and has then been folded three times. That is to say, three yarns should be brought together and by upward twisting made into a cord, and then used as the ‘sacred thread.’ Of this cord, either only one or three or five or seven should be worn. It comes to be known as the ‘sacrificial thread’ by reason of its being connected with sacrificial performances; in as much as it is worn for the purposes of sacrificial performances, it is so called figuratively.

Now, of the three kinds of sacrifice, the Iṣṭi, the Paśu and the Soma sacrifices, it may be worn single at all these, when they are all looked upon as ‘sacrifices’ in general (and hence, uniform); or it may be worn three-fold, when they are looked upon either as performed with the help of three fires, or as being divided into the three classes of ‘Ahīna,’

‘Ekāha’ and ‘Satra’; or again, it may be worn seven-fold, in view of the number of stages in the Soma sacrifice being seven; or lastly, it may be worn five-fold, in view of there being three ‘Savanas’ (extractions of Soma-juice) and two ‘Sandhyās’ (twilights).

[In the absence of Cotton], the ‘Thread’ may be made of silk and other fibres also; such is the direction given ill other Smṛtis.

‘Avi’ is sheep; the yarn made of wool is ‘woolen fibre’; the term ‘ārik?sūtrikam’ being formed with the ‘ṭhañ’ affix, according to the Vārtika on Paṇini 4.3.60. Or, we may read ‘avikasūtrikam’ this word being formed with the ‘ṭhan’ affix having the sense of the possessive.—(14)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Smṛtichandrikā (Saṃskāra, p. 80), Which says that ‘trivṛt’ means ‘made of nine yarns’;—and in Nityāchārapradīpa (p. 31).

It is quoted in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 448); in Madanapārijāta (p. 21),—and in Vīramitrodaya (Saṃskāra, p. 414);—also in Nirṇayasindhu (p. 190);—in Aparārka (p. 58);—in Nṛsiṃhaprasāda (Saṃskāra, p. 43a);—in Saṃskāramayūkha (p. 38), which has the following notes:—‘ūrdhvavṛtam’ and ‘trivṛt’ are to be construed with ‘śaṇasūtramayam’; also,—‘āvikam’ means ‘of sheep- wool.’

‘Urdhvavṛtam’—This is thus defined by ‘Saṅgrahākāra.’ a writer quoted in Parāśaramādhava and Madanapārijāta—‘That which is twisted threefold by the right hand moving upward’—i.e. twisted towards the right.

‘Trivṛt’—has been explained in Vīramitrodaya as standing for ‘consisting of nine threads’; and thus on the basis of a Śruti text which defines ‘Trivṛt’ as nine. The same explanation is given in Aparārka also;—so also Smṛtikaumudī (p. 6.)

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Baudhāyana-Dharmasūtra, 5.5.—‘The Sacred Garment consists of the silken thread triplicated, hanging down to the navel and passing under the right arm.’ [‘Kauśa’ has been taken to mean ‘silken’ by the Kalpataru, but ‘made of kuśa’ by the Vīramitrodaya- Saṃskāra, p. 415.]

Viṣṇu-Smṛti, 27.19.—‘The sacred garment and the cloths are to be of cotton, hempen fibre and wool.’

Paiṭhīnasi (Vīra-Saṃskāra, p. 415).—‘Cotton thread is for all.’

Gobhila (Vīramitrodaya-Saṃskāra, p. 415).—‘The sacred garment is made of cotton, cloth or Kuśa -string.’

Devala (Vīramitrodaya-Sarhskāra,p. 415).—‘The Twice-born should wear the sacred garment made of cotton or flax or cow-hair or hemp or tree-bark or grass.’

Devala (Parāśaramādhava, p. 449).—‘The sacred thread should be made of nine-yarned thread.’

Ṛṣyaśṛṅga (Parāśaramādhava, p. 449).—‘The purposes of the sacred garment should be served by means of the cloth, and in the absence of cloth, by means of the Triplicated Thread.’

Ādityapurāṇa (Parāśaramādhava, p. 449).—‘The sacred garment to be worn should consist of either flax or cotton or hemp.’

Bhṛgu and Kātyāyana (Do., p. 416).—‘The Upavīta should consist of three threads twisted upwards, then twisted downwards, then twisted upwards again.

Gṛhyapariśiṣṭa (Do.).—‘One thread should be folded thrice and then twisted three times.’

Devala (Do.).—‘The sacred garment should consist of nine threads, with a single knot.’

Paiṭhinasi (Do.).—‘The sacred garment should be of cotton for the Brāhmaṇa consisting of six triplicated threads; for the Kṣatriya, of flax, and for the Vaiśya, of wool.’

Bhṛgu (Do., p. 421).—‘For the Student there should be only one Upavīta, for the Householder and the Recluse, two; and for the Renunciate also only one.’

Bhṛgu (Aparārka, p. 58).—‘Three threads should he twisted upwards in three folds; the Upavīta shall be triplicated; and it should have a single knot.’

Vaśiṣṭha (Do.).—‘For the Accomplished Student there should he two Upavītas.’

Kaśyapa (Do.).—‘For the Householder, they may he three, four, five, eight or ten; for the Student only one; so also for the Recluse.’

Kātyāyana (Do., p. 422).—‘One should always wear the Upavīta.’

Kātyāyana (Parāśaramādhava, p. 449).—‘It should he of three threads three-fold, twisted upward and turned downwards. It has one knot.’

Pariśiṣṭa (Do., p. 423).—‘During acts in honour of Gods, the garment should be worn on the left shoulder (technically called Upavīta); during those in honour of Pitṛs, on the right shoulder (technically called Prāchīnāvīta); during malevolent rites, on both shoulders, hanging over the chest down to the navel; and during the vulgar act, hanging on the hack (technically called nivīta).’

Śruti (Darśapūrṇamāsa section—quoted by Śabara, 3.4.1).—‘Nivīta for men, Prachīnāvīta for Pitṛs and Upavīta for Gods.’