Upalakshana in Manubhasya 5.78

[Full title: Mimamsa technical terms (8) Upalakshana (14-15) References in Manubhasya verse 5.78]

Passage - atrapi dasaha grahanama saucakalopalaksanartham | (Medhatithi on Manu Smriti V.78). 606 Translation Here also the mention of 'ten-days' is meant to stand for the period of impurity ordained in each individual case. Explanation While discussing the period of the impurity which arises, as a result of the birth or death of a person, when one is already undergoing the period of first impurity we have the Manusmrti V.78, which means, 1 "If within ter-days another birth or death happen to befall the Brahmana shall remain impure until that period of ten days shall have elapsed. " While commenting on the expression ten days in text of Manu, Medhatithi points out that, the expression is illustrative and it also stands for or includes the period of impurity. Here Medhatithi thereby suggests that the period of the second impurity falling within the first impurity is not to be counted from the day on which its cause has arisen. What he means to say is that the period of impurity becomes applicable only with the remainder of the former, i.e. if the app second impurity falls on the fifth day of the first impurity, the the second impurity is to be counted from the fifth day of the first impurity and not from tenth day of first impurity. The expression 'Dashfaha' also refers to the period of impurity which arises as a result of the birth and or death. 1. antardasahe cetsyatam punarbharanajanmani | tavatsyadasucirvipro yavattatsyadanirdesam " 5.78 Manu Smriti-P-421 (GE)

Sarvajnyanarayana follows Medhatithi in treating this case as a Upalaksana. 1. atrapi 'dasaha ' padam sampurna saucopalaksanam tena ksatriyadinamapi svasavasaucamadayaivameva vyavastha| 607 Sarvajnija narayana. (Manu Smriti, Vol.III, p.85).

REFERENCE punah sabdasca samanajatiyapeksaya samarthanaro bhate| vipra grahanamadhya saucinamupalaksanartham | (Medhalithi on ms v-78) 608 Translation It is in this sense that the use of the term 'another' becomes more justifiably significant. * The term 'Brahmana' also is meant to stand for persons observing the impurity. Explanation - 1 While commenting on the expression 'Vipra' in the second line of the stanza of the Manusmrti V.78 Medhatithi points out that the term 'Vipra' in the sense of a Brahmin is illustrative here and it makes the inclusion of other persons observing the period of impurity. It may be noted here that Medhatithi has not quoted any Smrti text to support the above interpretation as a case of Upalaksana. Raghavananda in his comments on the expression Vipra' also takes it as referring to the persons of the four castes but he has not used the expression Upalaksana though the exact import of the expression comes very near to the term Upalaksana. 1. antardasahe ceyatam punarbharana janmani | tava syadasucirvipro yavattasyadanirdasam || 5-78 || Manu Smriti-P-421 (G-E) 2. vipravadam caturvarnya param | / (Raghavananda)-Manu Smriti Vol.III,p.86.