Verse 11.151

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

वपनं मेखला दण्डो भैक्षचर्या व्रतानि च ।
निवर्तन्ते द्विजातीनां पुनःसंस्कारकर्मणि ॥ १५१ ॥

vapanaṃ mekhalā daṇḍo bhaikṣacaryā vratāni ca |
nivartante dvijātīnāṃ punaḥsaṃskārakarmaṇi || 151 ||

In the performance of the Re-initiation of twice-born men, tonsure, the girdle, the staff, begging alms, and the vows are omitted.—(151)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Vows’—are understood to be those laid down in connection with Vedic study. But this is not right; since those vows have been laid down with a view to proper study, and hence there could be no possibility of their coming in on the occasion of Re-initiation. [So that the rule declaring their omission would be redundant] Hence the ‘vows’ in the present context should be understood to be those that are set before the student in such words as—‘Do not sleep during the day,’ ‘Fetch fuel in the morning and in the evening,’ ‘Be obedient to the Preceptor,’ and so forth. It is these that are omitted on the Re-initiation.—(151)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Smṛtitattva, (p. 556);—in Aparārka (p. 1075);—in Smṛtikaumudī (p. 37), as laying down in what respects the expiatory sacrament differs from the ordinary initiatory sacrament;—in Prāyaścittaviveka (p. 104), which says that all this refers to things that had come into contact with wine sometime in the past;—and in Gadādharapaddhati (Kāla p. 325).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Vaśiṣṭha (20.18).—‘They quote a verse proclaimed by Manu:—“The tonsure, the sacred girdle, the staff and the begging of alms may be omitted at a second Initiation.”’

Parāśara (12, 3).—(Same as Manu.)

Baudhāyana (2.1-20).—‘On the second Initiation, the cutting of the hair and nails, the vows and the restrictive rules may be omitted.’

Viṣṇu (51.5).—‘On the second Initiation, the tonsure, the girdle, the staff and the alms-begging shall be omitted.’