Verse 2.70 [Rules of Study]

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

अध्येष्यमाणस्त्वाचान्तो यथाशास्त्रमुदङ्मुखः ।
ब्रह्माञ्जलिकृतोऽध्याप्यो लघुवासा जितैन्द्रियः ॥ ७० ॥

adhyeṣyamāṇastvācānto yathāśāstramudaṅmukhaḥ |
brahmāñjalikṛto'dhyāpyo laghuvāsā jitaindriyaḥ || 70 ||

When about to study, he shall be taught with his face to the north, when he has sipped water according to law, has formed the Brahmāñjali (with his hands), wears light clothing and has the organs under full control.—(70)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The Future ending (in ‘adhyīṣyamāṇaḥ’) denotes the immediate future; and means ‘when engaging in study,’ ‘when beginning to study,’ ‘when desiring to proceed with his study.’

‘He shall be taught, with hist face to the north.’—Gautama (1.65) has laid down that ‘the pupil should face the east, while the Teacher faces the west.’

‘When he has sipped water according to law’—refers to the rules prescribed above regarding the sipping of water.

The compound ‘brahmāñjalikṛtaḥ’ is to be expounded as ‘he by whom Brahmāñjali has been formed.’ the past participal adjective (‘kṛtaḥ’)being placed at the end, according to Pāṇini 2.2.37;—the present compound being analogous to such compounds as ‘āhitāgni’ and the like. Or, we may read ‘brahmāñjalikṛt.’

‘Wears light clothing’;—i.e., with clothes thoroughly washed; a thorough washing always makes the cloth ‘light’; hence ‘lightness’ indicates cleanliness. Or, ‘light clothing’ may be taken in its literal sense, the lightness of the clothing being meant to serve a visible purpose: if the boy were

Heavily clad in thick woolen clothes, he would not feel the strokes of the rope with which he would be struck when found to be inattentive, and not feeling the stroke, he would not study in the proper manner; and if the teacher, on this account, found it necessary to remove the cloth from the back (each time that the rope would be laid on the back), this would tire the teacher himself; and further, if the boy were struck with the rope on the naked body, he, would feel great pain.

‘One who has his organs under full control’;—i.e., one who has fully subdued all bis organs, both external and internal. The sense is that he should not turn his eyes this way and that, should not listen to anything and everything that may be talked of, he should devote all his attention to his own study.—(70)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

‘Laghuvāsāḥ’—Lightly cothed,—clothed with washed, and hence light, dress’ (Medhātithi);—‘with clean clothes (Kullūka);—‘clothed in dress which is not gorgeous, i. e. which is less valuable than the Teacher’s’ (Rāghavānanda).

This verse is quoted in Vidhānapārijāta, (p. 521); in Madanapārijāta (p. 99);—and in Vīramitrodaya (Saṃskāra, p. 523), which having adopted the reading prā?listu kṛtāpośo for ???likṛto'dhvāpyo explains that the presence of the two words ‘āchāntaḥ’ and ‘kṛtāpośo’—both of which denote ācamana—makes it clear that the ācamana is to be done twice.

Burnell refers to Ch. XV of Prātiśākhya of the Ṛgveda.

This verse is quoted in Smṛticandrikā (Saṃskāra, p. 136), which notes that this ‘ācamana’ forms part of the act of Reading;—in Saṃskāramayūkha (p. 50) which has the same note;—in Saṃskāraratnamālā (p. 315);—and in Nṛsiṃhaprasāda (Saṃskāra, p. 47a).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Kāmandaka (2. 22-23).—‘The duties of the Religious Student are—to live in the house of his preceptor, to tend the sacred fires, to study the Veda and its auxiliaries, to observe vows, to perform ablutions three times, to beg alms, and live with the teacher all his life In the absence of the preceptor, he may live with the preceptor’s son, or with one of his fellow-students;—or if he likes, he may adopt another mode of life.’

Gautama-Dharmasūtra, 1. 52, 54, 60.—‘Touching the organs with Kuśa-grass;—permitted by the teacher, he should sit to the right of the teacher, facing the East or the North; touching the teacher’s left foot, with his hand, be should address the request to the teacher, saving “Please sir, teach.”

Śaṅkha-Smṛti, 3. 5.—‘Being permitted by the teacher, one should begin reading, adopting the Brahmāñjali attitude, respectfully looking on the teacher’s face.’

Laghu-Vyāsa (Vīramitrodaya-Saṃskāra, p. 524).—‘He who reads a verse, or a half or a quarter of it, without the teacher’s permission, is a stealer of Veda, and falls into hell.’