Verse 5.100

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

असपिण्डं द्विजं प्रेतं विप्रो निर्हृत्य बन्धुवत् ।
विशुध्यति त्रिरात्रेण मातुराप्तांश्च बान्धवान् ॥ १०० ॥

asapiṇḍaṃ dvijaṃ pretaṃ vipro nirhṛtya bandhuvat |
viśudhyati trirātreṇa māturāptāṃśca bāndhavān || 100 ||

A Brāhmaṇa, having carried, like a relation, a dead Brāhmaṇa who is not his ‘Sapiṇḍa’ relation,—or the near relatives of his mother,—becomes pure in three days.—(100).

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Like a relative’,—i.e., from a religious motive, and not on payment of wages.

‘Near relatives of his mother’:— the term ‘near’ is meant to include such close relations as the maternal uncle and the like. From this it appears that the term ‘non-sapiṇḍa’ here stands for those who are not ‘samānodaka’,—and not only for all except sapiṇḍa -relations.—(100).

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

(Verse 101 of others.)

This verse is quoted in Mitākṣarā (on 3.14), which deduces the following conclusions from this and the next verse:—If, through affection for the dead, one after having carried the dead body, lives in the house and takes his food there, then he remains impure for ten days;—if he remains in the house but takes no food there, the impurity lasts for three days;—if he only carries the body, but neither remains in the house nor takes food here, then the impurity lasts for one day only;—in Śuddhimayūkha (p.17);—in Smṛtisāroddhāra (p. 220);—in Śuddhikaumudī (p. 59), which explains ‘bandhuvat’ as ‘through affection and adds that if it is done merely as a meritorious act, then there is mere bathing.

It is quoted in Madanapārijāta (p. 413), which notes that the rule pertains to the carrying of the dead body of a person belonging to the same caste as oneself;—in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 631), which deduces the same conclusions as Mitākṣarā, and adds that it refers to the dead of the Brāhmaṇa’s own caste; for those of different castes, the rule is laid down by Gautama, that the impurity is to be regulated according to the rules pertaining to that caste;—and in Smṛtitattva (II, p. 293), which explains ‘bandhuvat’ to mean ‘through affection’, and deduces the same conclusions as Mitākṣarā, and adds that in the case of ‘relations’ if one carries the dead body only with a view to acquiring spiritual merit, the man remains impure for three days, even though he may not live in the house or take his food there.

It is quoted in Aparārka (p. 883), which adds that from the rest of the verse it is clear that what is said here applies only to that case where one does not take his food in the house of the dead;—in Hāralatā (p. 82), which has the following notes:—‘nirhṛtya,’ ‘having carried and burnt,’—‘bandhuvat,’ through affectionate regard;—this implies that if it is done by way of helping a helpless person, then this rule is not applicable,—‘māturāptān,’ uterine brother or sister or maternal uncle and so forth;—and in Gadādharapaddhati (Kāla, p. 320) which adds that this rule applies to ages other than the Kali.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Baudhāyana (1.11.32-33).—‘If one unintentionally touches the corpse of a stranger, he becomes pure by bathing in his clothes;—if he does it intentionally, he remains impure for three days.’

Parāśara (3.39-41).—‘Those twice-born men who carry the dead body of a Brāhmaṇa who has none of his own, obtain the rewards of sacrifices at each step of the journey (to the cremation-ground); for those men of meritorious acts, there is no sin or impurity, and they become purified immediately by bathing; on carrying and burning the dead body of a Brāhmaṇa who has no sagotra and no relations, one becomes purified by breath-suspension.’

Aṅgiras (Panlśaramadhava, p. 631).—‘If one somehow carries the dead body of one who is not his sapiṇḍa, he becomes pure the same day by bathing in his clothes and touching fire.’

Parāśara (Aparārka, p 883).—‘The Brāhmaṇa is not defiled by touching or cremating a dead body; one who carries it, and applies fire to it, becomes pure after bathing.’