Verse 5.8

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

अनिर्दशाया गोः क्षीरमौष्ट्रमैकशफं तथा ।
आविकं सन्धिनीक्षीरं विवत्सायाश्च गोः पयः ॥ ८ ॥

anirdaśāyā goḥ kṣīramauṣṭramaikaśaphaṃ tathā |
āvikaṃ sandhinīkṣīraṃ vivatsāyāśca goḥ payaḥ || 8 ||

The milk of the cow that has not passed its ten days, as also that of the camel and of one-hoofed animals and of sheep; the milk of the irregular cow, as also the milk of the cow without her calf.—(8)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

If we read the opening words as ‘anirdaśāham goḥ kṣīram,’ then the prohibition regarding the milk of the camel and other animals also would be understood as limited to the ten days from calving; so that the qualification ‘that has not passed its ten days’ being taken with every one of the animals, it would become necessary to depend entirely upon usage in support of the absolute prohibition of the milk of the camel and other animals. If however we rend ‘anirdaśāyāḥ’ in the feminine form, then there would be no possibility of the above misunderstanding. Because it would not be possible to interpret the nominal affixes (attached to filenames of the other animals) as, in any way, connecting these animals with the epithet ‘anirdaśāyāḥ’)

In as much as the word ‘milk’ is repeated in the second half of the verse, this implies that what are forbidden by the former half are the milk of the camel, of the one-hoofed animals, of the sheep, of the goat and of the cow within ten days of its calving,—along with all its preparations; while in the case of the ‘irregular’ cow and the cow ‘deprived of its calf’, it is the milk only that is forbidden. Such is the usage also.

That cow is called ‘anirdaśāha,’ ‘not passed its ten days’, in whose case ten days have not passed since her calving.

‘Irregular cow’;—the cow that is expected to give milk both morning and evening, but gives it only at one time; giving milk in the evening only if not milked in the morning; and on account of the supply of milk being scanty, she is milked once only.

Some people explain ‘Sandhini’ as standing for that cow which, on having lost her own calf, is made to yield milk by bringing to her the calf of another cow; and in this case the cow ‘without her calf’ would be one whose calf is alive, but is separated from it, and is milked, independently of the calf, through presenting before her such special articles of food as the husks of barley, rice etc., so that the cow would be called ‘without her calf’ by the calf being held aside; just as people say—‘bring the cow without her calf’.

The ‘cow’ having been already mentioned in the first half, the term is repeated in the second half, with a view to show that similar milk of the goat and the buffalo is not forbidden. The same does not hold good regarding the epithet ‘anirdaśāyāh,’ ‘that has not passed its ten days;’ so that in this connection the ‘cow’ includes the front and the buffalo also. So says Gautama (17.22-23)—‘The milk of the cow that has not passed its ten days, during the period of impurity; also of the goat and the buffalo.’

The term ‘payaḥ’ ‘milk,’ has been added because it is not easy to construe the term ‘of the cow,’ with the term ‘kṣīram,’ ‘milk’ as contained in the compound ‘sandhinīkṣīram.’—(8)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

‘Sandhinī’—‘a cow that gives milk only once a day’ (Medhātithi, and Govindarāja);—‘a cow in heat’ (Kullūka, who quotes Hārita in support, Nārāyaṇa and Rāghavānanda);—‘a cow big with calf’ (Nandana);—‘a cow whose own calf being dead, is milked with the help of another’s calf’ (‘some one’ mentioned in Medhātithi.)

This verse is quoted in Mitākṣarā (on 3.290), where it is said that the unintentional drinking of these milks, if done once only, makes one liable to the penance of a single day’s fast, while if done intentionally, or if repeated, it entails a three days’ fast.

It is quoted in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 712), where the ‘Sandhinī’ is described as ‘the cow that approaches the bull i.e., the cow in heat’,—and the ‘anirdaśā’ as ‘the one that has not passed more than ten days since delivery.’

It is quoted in Smṛtitattva (p. 448), which adds the following:—‘anirdaśā’ is that which has not passed ten days since its delivery;—the ‘cow’ stands for the goat and the buffallo also;—‘ekaśapha’ are the horse and other one-hoofed animals;—the ‘sandhinī’ is the cow that seeks for the bull; the avoiding of the second ‘goḥ’ in the second line indicates that it is the milk of the cow only that has lost its calf, and not that of the goat or the buffalo.

It is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Āhnika, p. 525), which adds the following:—‘nirdaśā’ is the cow that has passed ten days since delivery;—‘ekaśapha’ are the horse and other one-hoofed animals—‘āvika’ is ‘the milk of the ewe’;—‘sandhinī’ is the cow in heat;—‘vivatsā’ is one devoid of her calf.

It is quoted in Madanapārijāta (p. 929), which contains the same remarks as Mitākṣarā;—in Nṛsiṃhaprasāda (Śrāddha p. 13a)—in Hemādri (Śrāddha, p. 567);—in Śuddhikaumudī (p. 328), which explains ‘ekaśapha’ as standing for the Horse and the like, and ‘Sandhinī’ as the cow ‘which has been covered by the bull’;—and in Prāyaścittaviveka (p. 335).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Gautama (17.22-26).—‘The milk of the cow until ten days have elapsed since its calving, which is its period of impurity;—also of the she-goat and the she-buffalo;—the milk of sheep and of the camel is never to be drunk, as also that of one-hoofed animals; also the milk of the cow that is constantly dripping milk, or which gives birth to twins or of the irregular cow; also of the cow that has lost its calf.’

Baudhāyana (1.12.9-11).—‘The milk of an animal until its calf is ten days old, and of one that gives milk while pregnant should not be drunk;—nor that of a cow which has no calf, or which is milked with a strange calf; the milk of sheep, camels or one-hoofed animals.’

Āpastamba (1.17.22-24).—‘The milk of sheep,—also the milk of the camel, the deer, the milk of the irregular cow and of the cow that gives birth to twins,—also of the cow within ten days of its calving.’

Vaśiṣṭha (14.34-85).—‘Let him not drink the milk of the cow in heat, nor of one whose calf has died;—nor that given by cows, buffalos and goats within ten days of calving.’

Viṣṇu (51.28-40).—‘All milks, except that of the cow, the goat and the buffalo;—the milk of even these within ten days of calving;—also the milk of those which are irregular in milk, or which constantly drip milk, or which has lost its calf.’

Yājñavalkya (1.170).—‘Milk of the cow in heat, of the cow within ten days of its calving, of the cow that has lost its calf,—one should avoid; also the milk of camels, of one-hoofed animals, of women, of wild animals and of sheep.’

Śaṅkha (Aparārka, p. 216).—‘The milk of all animals with two teats should be avoided, except that of the goat.’

Āpastamba (Parāśaramādhava, p. 712).—‘The well-behaved Kṣatriya, or Vaiśya or Śūdra should not drink the milk of the Kapilā cow.’

Hārīta (Vīramitrodaya-Āhnika, pp. 525, 526).—‘One shall not drink the milk of the cow in heat;—nor of the cow whose calf is absent or dead, of the cow that has been milked dry, nor of one just calved, till seven days have elapsed, according to some,—ten days, according to others,—while according to some, milk becomes drinkable after a month;—they say that for two months, all the milk should he given to the calf; during the third month, one shall milk only two teats, during the fourth three teats.’