Verse 5.79

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

त्रिरात्रमाहुराशौचमाचार्ये संस्थिते सति ।
तस्य पुत्रे च पत्न्यां च दिवारात्रमिति स्थितिः ॥ ७९ ॥

trirātramāhurāśaucamācārye saṃsthite sati |
tasya putre ca patnyāṃ ca divārātramiti sthitiḥ || 79 ||

On the death of the Teacher, they declare the impurity to last for three days; on the death of his son or wife, it lasts for one day and night; such is the law.—(79).

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Teacher’, ‘Ācārya’, here stands for the Initiator:—on his death—the impurity of the pupil lasts for three days.

On the death of the Teacher’s son or wife,—it lasts for one day and night.—(79).

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

(Verse 80 of others.)

This verse is quoted in Aparārka (p. 187), and again on p. 912, where it is added that the rule herein laid down, is meant for the case where the pupil does not perform the antyeṣṭi for the Teacher; in a case where he does perform it, it involves an impurity extending over full ten days, as declared above, under verse 64.

It is quoted in Mitākṣarā (on 3.24), which also makes ṭhe same remark as Aparārka;—in Nirṇayasindhu (p. 380);—in Madanapārijāta (p. 431);—in Hāralatā (p. 76), which explains the second half as—‘on the death of the Teacher’s son, from whom one has not read anything, the impurity lasts for one day and night, and so also on the death of the Teacher’s wife, other than the one for whom Gautama has prescribed an impurity of three days’;—in Śuddhimayūkha (p. 37);—and in Kṛtyasārasamuccaya (p. 63).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Gautama (14.28).—‘If the Teacher, his son or wife, or a person for whom one sacrifices, or a pupil (has died, or been carried), the impurity lasts three days.’

Baudhāyana (1.11-28).—‘For a Teacher, a Sub-teacher and their sons, three days and nights.’

Viṣṇu (22.42).—‘On the death of the Teacher or the maternal grand-father, in three days.’

Viṣṇu (22.44).—‘On the death of the Teacher’s wife, the Teacher’s son, the Sub-teacher, the maternal uncle, the father-in-law, the wife’s brother, fellow-student and pupil,—purification comes after one day and night.’

Yājñavalkya (3.21).—‘On the death of the Teacher, the pupil, the Exponent of Veda, the maternal uncle and the Vedic scholar, purification comes after one day.’

Āśvalāyana Gṛhyasūtra (4.4.19, 21).—‘Ten days after the death of a Guru who is no Sapiṇḍa three nights after the death of the Teachers.’

Śāṅkhāyana Gṛhyasūtra (4.7.9-10).—‘When the Teacher has died, for ten days (the Veda shall not be read);—when he has heard of it, for three days.’

Pāraskara Gṛhyasūtra (2.11.7).—‘If his Guru has died, let him go down into water and interrupt study for ten nights.’

Gobhila G ṛhyasūtra (3.3.26).—‘Three days, if his Teacher has died.’

Bṛhaspati (Aparārka, p. 913).—‘One shall remain impure for three nights, on the death of the maternal grand-father, the Teacher and the Vedic scholar.’

Uśanas (Aparārka, p. 913).—‘On the death of the maternal uncle, the father-in-law, the friend, the guru, the guru’s wives,—the impurity lasts for one night along with the preceding and following days.’