Verse 5.119

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

कौशेयाविकयोरूषैः कुतपानामरिष्टकैः ।
श्रीफलैरंशुपट्टानां क्षौमाणां गौरसर्षपैः ॥ ११९ ॥

kauśeyāvikayorūṣaiḥ kutapānāmariṣṭakaiḥ |
śrīphalairaṃśupaṭṭānāṃ kṣaumāṇāṃ gaurasarṣapaiḥ || 119 ||

Of Silken and woolen stuffs, by means of saline earth; of blankets by soap-berries; of ‘aṃśupaṭṭa,’ by the Bel-fruit; and of linen by white mustard.—(119).

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Uṣa’ is saline earth.

The ‘soap-berry’ and other things mentioned are well-known.

When the stuffs spoken of are stained by an oily substance, they have to be rubbed over with the powder of the things mentioned, and then washed.

‘Silken-stuff’, ‘kauśeya’, is a particular kind of doth; so also the ‘aṃśu-paṭṭa’; the ‘āvika’, is woolen stuff. In connection with this latter Hārīta has declared that ‘woolen articles are purified by the sun.’ But this should be understood as pertaining to such stuffs as are constantly worn, and hence come into contact with the bodies of several persons; and not when they have become defiled by foreign contamination.

By reason of all these being ‘cloth’, it might be thought that ‘sprinkling and washing’ would be the means of purifying them; and the present text prescribes the methods for moving the stains of oil, &c.

‘Kṣauma’, ‘Linen’, includes jute stuff also. (119).

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

(Verse 120 of others.)

‘Aṃśupaṭṭa’—‘Cloth made of thinned bark’ (Govindarājā, Nandana and Nārāyaṇa);—‘women’s garments made of fine cloth’ (Kullūka and Rāghavānanda).

This verse is quoted in Parāśaramādhava, (Prāyaścitta, p. 138), which describes ‘āvika’ as ‘kambala, blanket’,—‘kauśeya’ as ‘silk’,—‘aṃśupaṭṭa’ as netrapaṭa—‘ariṣṭa’ as ‘the fruit of the Putrajīva berry’,—‘kutapa’ as ‘a particular kind of blanket made of the wool of goats common in the, regions of Avantī (Ujjain) (or var: lec: in mountainous regions);—and in Hemādri (Śrāddha, p. 805).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Baudhāyana (1.8.39-42).—‘Blankets of goat-wool, with areca nuts;—cloth of sheep’s wool by the sun’s rays;—linen-cloth with paste of yellow-mustard;—cotton-cloth with earth.’

Vaśiṣṭha (3.55).—‘Linen-cloth, with paste of yellow mustard.’

Viṣṇu (23.19-22).—‘Silk and wool with saline earth;—blankets of goat-wool, with the fruits of the soap-plant;—clothes made of bark, with bel fruit;—linen, with white sesamum.’

Yājñavalkya (1.186-187).—‘Woolen and silk cloths are cleansed by saline earth, water and cow’s urine; Aṃśupaṭṭa ?? bel fruits; blankets by soap-berries; linen with white mustard; earthenware by re-heating.’

Devala (Aparārka, p. 261).—‘Wools, silks, blankets, linen and cloth are easily cleansed by drying and sprinkling; if they have been tainted by impure tilings, then by things specifically prescribed for the cleaning of each of them.’

Hārīta (Do., p. 262).—‘All clothes are cleansed by washing—cotton and jute, with saline earth and ashes; linen and woolen, with berries of Putrañjīva; skins, with Putrañjīva berries and saline earth; leather is cleansed like cloth; leather-vessels should he painted.’

Aṅgiras (Do.).—‘Woolen cloths are cleansed by curd-water, ant-earth, and mustard; heavy woolens by being rubbed with oil, flour, and Kulmāṣa grains.’