Verse 11.78

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

कृतवापनो निवसेद् ग्रामान्ते गोव्रजेऽपि वा ।
आश्रमे वृक्षमूले वा गोब्राह्मणहिते रतः ॥ ७८ ॥

kṛtavāpano nivased grāmānte govraje'pi vā |
āśrame vṛkṣamūle vā gobrāhmaṇahite rataḥ || 78 ||

Having shaved off, he may dwell at the extremity of the village, or in a cow-pen, or in a hermitage under a tree,—giving himself up to doing good to cows and Brāhmaṇas.—(78)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

This verse sets forth certain optional details regarding the ‘Twelve-year Penance,’—the ‘shaving’ being the only additional factor laid down.

The man living under a tree in the hermitage,—this being an alternative to the ‘hut’ (prescribed in 73).

“How is it that this alternative was not mentioned along with the other one (in 73)?”

The older writers have explained that this has not been done, because the author desired it to be understood that all that follows after the present verse pertains to the ‘Twelve-year Penance,’ and it does not constitute a distinct penance. If in the course of the treatment of one subject, an entirely new subject is introduced, it becomes something wholly different; and the introducing of a wholly different subject before the one already taken up has been finished, would be highly objectionable. If the rite thus interpolated were an independent one, the only thing one could do would be to adopt in practice only one of the two.—(78)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse lays down an option regarding observances during the twelve years of penance (verse 72)—according to Medhātithi, Govindarāja and Kullūka;—according to Nārāyaṇa it provides a general rule for all penances.

This verse is quoted in Mitākṣarā (3.243), which cays that this is an option to what has been said in verse 72;—in Madanapārijāta (p. 788), which also adds that this lays down an option;—and in parāśaramādhava (Prāyaścitta, pp. 399-400), which notes that the ‘vā’ of the ‘Kṛtavāpanaḥ’ indicates that ‘shaving’ is an option to the wearing of matted locks.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 11.72-86)

See Comparative notes for Verse 11.72.