Verse 11.157

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

मासिकान्नं तु योऽश्नीयादसमावर्तको द्विजः ।
स त्रीण्यहान्युपवसेदेकाहं चोदके वसेत् ॥ १५७ ॥

māsikānnaṃ tu yo'śnīyādasamāvartako dvijaḥ |
sa trīṇyahānyupavasedekāhaṃ codake vaset || 157 ||

If a twice-born person, who has not completed his course of study, eats food given at a monthly rite, he shall fast for three days and remain one day in water.—(157)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Monthly rite’—i.e., the ‘Ekoddiṣṭa’ śrāddha, which is performed every month, for one year, till the performance of the ‘Sapiṇḍīkaraṇa.’ Though the śrāddha performed on the new-moon day is also called a ‘monthly śrāddha,’ eating at it has been permitted by such texts as—‘when invited he may freely eat’; how then could there be any expiation needed in this case?

Others have held that what is permitted is eating on invitation, so that if one eats without invitation at the new-moon śrāddhas also, he should be liable to the said expiation.

‘Who has not completed his course of study’—i.e., while one is still residing with the teacher; i.e., the Religious Student.

Out of the three days, on any ono day, he may remain in water. Since the ‘three days’ are mentioned, there would be no justification for adding a fourth day.—(157)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

‘Ekāhañcodāke vaset’.—This is to be done, on the fourth day (Medhātithi),—on any one of the three fasting days (Govindarāja and Kullūka),—on the first day (Nārāyaṇa).

This verse is quoted in Aparārka (p. 1144), which explains ‘Māsika’ as standing for the Śrāddha that is done every month during the first year on the date of death, and not for the Amāvāsyā śrāddha;—and in Prāyaścittaviveka (p. 307), which says that this refers to the act being unintentional, and adds that ‘māsikānnam’ refers to food given at all after-death śrāddhas,—and that what is meant by ‘ekāhamudake vaset’ is that ‘he should fast for three days and live on water on the fourth day.’

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Vaśiṣṭha (23.12).—‘The Kṛcchra penance must he performed if the Student eats food even at a Śrāddha, or by a person who is impure on account of a recent birth or death.’

Viṣṇu (51.43-44).—‘A Student who partakes of a Śrāddha repast must fast for three days; and he must remain in water for a whole day afterwards.’