Verse 11.208

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

अवगूर्य चरेत् कृच्छ्रमतिकृच्छ्रं निपातने ।
कृच्छ्रातिकृच्छ्रौ कुर्वीत विप्रस्योत्पाद्य शोणितम् ॥ २०८ ॥

avagūrya caret kṛcchramatikṛcchraṃ nipātane |
kṛcchrātikṛcchrau kurvīta viprasyotpādya śoṇitam || 208 ||

On threatening a Brāhmaṇa, one shall perform the Kṛcchra; on striking him, the Atikṛcchara, and on shedding his blood, both the Kṛcchra and the Atikṛcchra.— (208)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

This propounds the expiation for the offences described above.

The ‘shedding of blood’ spoken of here is something different from ‘causing pain to a Brāhmaṇa’ mentioned above (under 67); or the two may be regarded as optional alternatives.—(208)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Smṛtitattva (p. 479);—in Mitākṣarā (3.280), which remarks that when bleeding is brought about, it must involve both ‘threatening’ (avagūraṇa) and ‘striking’ (nipātana),—as without these there could be no wounding but in the case of bleeding, the expiation would be ‘Kṛcchrātikṛcchra’ (which is prescribed for the bleeding), and not ‘Kṛcchra’ and ‘Atikṛcchra’ also (which are prescribed separately for ‘threatening’ and ‘striking’ respectively);—and in Prāyaścittaviveka (p. 464).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Baudhāyana (2.1.7).—‘He who has raised his hand against a Brāhmaṇa shall perform a Kṛcchra penance; an Atikṛcchra penance, if he strikes him; Kṛcchra and Cāndrāyaṇa, if blood flows.’

Viṣṇu (54.30).—‘For attacking a Brāhmaṇa, the Kṛcchra penance should be performed; for striking him, the Atikṛcchra; and for fetching blood from him, the Kṛcchrātikṛcchra.’

Parāśara (11.51).—(Same as Manu.)

Yājñavalkya (3.293).—‘For raising a stick against a Brāhmaṇa, the Kṛcchra penance; for striking him, the Atikṛcchra; for fetching his blood, the Kṛcchrātikṛcchra; for inflicting such hurt as keeps the blood within the skin, the Kṛcchra should be performed.’