Verse 5.114

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

द्रवाणां चैव सर्वेषां शुद्धिरुत्पवनं स्मृतम् ।
प्रोक्षणं संहतानां च दारवाणां च तक्षणम् ॥ ११४ ॥

dravāṇāṃ caiva sarveṣāṃ śuddhirutpavanaṃ smṛtam |
prokṣaṇaṃ saṃhatānāṃ ca dāravāṇāṃ ca takṣaṇam || 114 ||

For all liquids, purification has been declared to consist in throwing out a little; for solids, in sprinkling; and for wooden articles, in scraping.—(114).

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Liquids’—Substances that have the tendency to flow; e.g., clarified butter, oil, gruel and so forth; when small quantities of these,—not more than a seer—are defiled by the cow and other things,—their purification is done by means of, ‘utpavana’,—i.e., the removal or throwing away, of a portion of the original contents. In another Smṛti-text it has been declared as follows:—‘Utpavana is done by means of two blades of Kuśa, with the hymn—‘pavamānaḥsuvarjanaḥ, &c.’

Others have explained ‘utpavana’ to mean ‘make to overflow’; the meaning being that another similar substance is to be poured into the defiled liquid till the vessel becomes filled to overflowing and a portion of the liquid flows out.

What is here prescribed is to be done in the case of direct contamination.

In the case of small quantities, the liquid has to be thrown away.

When, on the other hand, it is the vessel that is contaminated—and there is no direct defilement of the liquid itself—it should be removed into another vessel. In the case of liquids becoming contaminated by the contact of food-leavings, it has been declared ‘clarified butter should be placed in water and Vedic mantras recited’; and it is clear that the things have to be poured into another vessel, which latter is to be placed in water; for if the oil itself were placed in water, it would not remain fit for use. Similarly in the case of clarified butter also.

The said ‘utpavana’ is meant for liquids. But when liquids come into contact with urine and other unclean things, to this extent that their own odour and colour cease to be perceptible,—they have to be thrown away.

As regards such liquids as have been boiled, Śaṅkha has prescribed re-boiling also.

This same purification pertains to even urine and other unclean liquids, when they are to be used by the Śūdra and others. But in this case ‘utpavana’ would mean only ‘overflowing’. As Vaśiṣṭha has said—‘for things on the ground it is like water’.

^‘Solids’—hard substances; such as cooled clarified butter, curds, sugar-candy, cakes and the like. In the ease of these, if the portion that is defiled is thrown away, the remainder becomes purified. Śaṅkha has declared—‘In the case of dry substances, by the removal of contamination’.

Or, the term ‘saṃhatāḥ’ may stand for things composed of several components; such as, couch, seat, bed and the like, which are composites, composed of homogeneous as well as heterogeneous constituents.

But in all cases, purification is obtained by the removal of contamination.

In the case of contact with a dead body, or with unclean things that have dried up, that part which has come into direct contact with such things is to be washed and the rest of the thing is to be sprinkled with water.

In the case of wooden articles—i.e., things made of wood only, such us a scat, a board and the like made of wood—if these are contaminated by the touch of a dead body, or a cāṇḍāla or Śūdra,—there should be scraping.

Others hold that scraping is to be done only when the thing touches Ordure; in which case, the stain and the smell have got to be removed by scraping, and the rest of the thing is to be washed and sponged with clay and water.

On contamination by a dog and such things, there should be washing, as in the case of ordure.

In the case of the wooden bed and such things made up of wood and ropes &c (and not of wood only), purification is secured as in the ease of ‘solids’ or ‘composites’.—(114).

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

(Verse 115 of others.)

‘Utpavanam’—‘Throwing away of a portion’ (Medhātithi);—‘pouring another liquid into the vessel to overflowing, so that some of the original contents flow out’ (‘others’ in Medhātithi);—‘passing through it of two blades of kuśa-grass’ (Kullūka, Govindarāja and Rāghavānanda);—‘straining through cloth’ (Nārāyaṇa).

This verse quoted in Mitākṣarā (on 1.190), which explains ‘utpavanam’ as ‘pouring over a piece of cloth so that foreign source of impurity may be strained out—and in Smṛtitattva (II, p. 297) which, reading ‘utplavanam’, explains it as ‘removing the insect or such other foreign substances by straining the liquid through cloth’;—in Hemādri (Śrāddha, p. 805);—and in Nṛsiṃhaprasāda, (Śrāddha, p. 16a).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Gautama (1.29).—(See under 110.)

Baudhāyana (1.8.35).—‘Objects made of wood must be planed.’

Baudhāyana (1.13.26).—‘Wooden vessels touched by impure men shall be scraped.’

Baudhāyana (1.14.16, 17).—‘Sour milk and preparations of milk arc purified by pouring them from one vessel into another; in like manner, let him pour oil and clarified butter, which have been touched by impure persons, into water, and then use them.’

Āpastamba (1.17.12).—‘A wooden vessel becomes pure by being scraped.’

Vaśiṣṭha (3.49).—‘Objects made of wood should be planed.’

Viṣṇu (23.27, 29, 30).—‘Wooden articles, by planing; many things in a heap by sprinkling water; liquids by straining.’

Yājñavalkya (1.190).—(See above, under 153.) (See other texts under 113.)