Verse 11.180

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

संवत्सरेण पतति पतितेन सहाचरन् ।
याजनाध्यापनाद् यौनान्न तु यानासनाशनात् ॥ १८० ॥

saṃvatsareṇa patati patitena sahācaran |
yājanādhyāpanād yaunānna tu yānāsanāśanāt || 180 ||

If one associates with an outcast for one year, he himself becomes an outcast; not by sacrificing for him, or teaching him, or forming a matrimonial alliance with him,—but by walking, sitting or eating.—(180)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The term ‘outcast’ connotes disqualification in regard to the rites of twice-born men; the meaning is that he ‘falls,’ recedes, becomes deprived of, his rights.

‘Outcasts,’—of the four castes, Brāhmaṇa and the rest;—‘if one associates with them—in one year he becomes an outcast,’ he becomes equal to the outcast.

What is it that he is supposed to do when ‘associating?’

‘Walking, sitting and eating’—(a) ‘walking’ means conversing, touching the body and moving about in his company; similarly (b) ‘sitting,’ on the same bed, or on the same seat; and (c) ‘eating,’ on the same seat, or out of the same dish.

‘Sacrificing, teaching and forming matrimonial alliance,’—it is with these that ‘not’ has to be construed.

It becomes necessary to explain whether, by^‘sacrificing’ for an outcast, one does not become an outcast at all, or he becomes so in more or less than a year.

On the basis of other Smṛti -texts it is understood that by sacrificing for an outcast, one becomes an outcast immediately.

The right reading would be^‘yājanādhyāpanam,’ with the Accusative ending;—as the nouns are meant to be governed by the present-participle term^‘ācaran,’ which also indicates the reason for what is here laid down (for the purpose of the indication whereof the Ablative has been used).—(180)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

“Govindarāja and Nārāyaṇa explain the verse differently:—‘He who associates with an outcast by sacrificing for him, or by forming a matrimonial alliance with him, himself becomes an outcast after a year, but not by using the same carriage or seat, or eating with him’.”—Buhler.

This verse is quoted in Madanapārijāta (p. 849), which explains the meaning as follows:—‘By associating with an outcast on conveyances, seats and dinners after one year,—but by associating with him in sacrificing, teaching and the like, he becomes an outcast, not after one year, but immediately

It is quoted in Aparārka (p. 1087), which offers the following explanation:—By associating in any way with a known outcast, himself becomes an outcast; that is, becomes like him;—there are some acts in which associating with the outcast makes one an outcast, irrespective of all other considerations; and such acts are ‘sacrificing, teaching and marrying’; each of these acts by itself makes the associator an outcast;—the acts of going on the same conveyance, sitting together and eating, on the other hand, do not by themselves make him an outcast; they do so through other acts.

It is quoted in Mitākṣarā (8.261), as meaning that only such acts as those of ‘travelling together and so forth’ make one an outcast by being continued for one year;—it adds that ‘sitting’ includes ‘sleeping’ also. It remarks that the passage is to be construed as follows:—‘Saṃvatsareṇa patati patitena sahācaran yānāsanāśanāt’; and ‘Yājanādhyāpanādyaunāt na tu saṃvatsareṇa patati, kintu sadya eva’; and concludes thus—‘By sacrificing and other acts the man becomes an outcast at once, while by sleeping and other acts he becomes so only by continuing it for one year’.

It is quoted in Prāyaścittaviveka, (pp. 149 and 156), which construes ‘Yāṇāṣanāśanāt’ as ‘Yānasanāśanāt utpannam saṃyogam ācaran’,—and adds that these three, when done all together and intentionally, do degrade the man.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Mahābhārata (12.165.37).—(Same as Manu.)

Baudhāyana (2.2.35).—‘He who associates with an outcast, by using the same carriage or seat with him, becomes an outcast in one year; not so by sacrificing for him, or teaching him, or forming a matrimonial alliance with him.’

Vaśiṣṭha (1.22).—‘They quote the following:—“He who during a year associates with an outcast becomes an outcast; not by sacrificing for him, or teaching him, or forming a matrimonial alliance with him, but by using the same carriage or seat.”’

Gautama (21, 3).—‘He who associates for a year with outcasts (becomes an outcast).’

Viṣṇu (35.3-5).—‘He who associates with an outcast becomes an outcast himself after one year; and so does he who rides in the same carriage with him, or who eats in his company, or who sits on the same bench, or who lies on the same couch with him. Matrimonial intercourse, sacrificial intercourse or vocal intercourse with an outcast entails immediate loss of caste.’

Yājñavalkya (3.261).—‘He who associates with these (outcasts) for one year, himself becomes equal to them.’

Devala (Aparārka, p. 1086).—‘If a man knowingly lives with an outcast for one year, he becomes mingled with him, and at the end of the year, becomes an outcast himself. Sacrificing for the outcast, forming matrimonial connections with him, teaching him, eating with him,—doing these one becomes an outcast immediately.’

Bṛhaspati (Do.).—‘Occupying the same seat or couch with an outcast, sitting in the same line with him, mixing up one’s cooked food with his, using the same vessels, sacrificing for him, teaching him, going on the same conveyance with him, eating with him; these are the nine forms of association; this should not he done with low men.’

Parāśara (Do., p. 1088).—‘The Brāhmaṇa unintentionally forming connections with outcasts becomes equal to him, either in five days, or ten days, or twelve days, or half-a-year, or one year.’