21. The drink associated with various Kurcas

Parna-kurca—This penance provides for drinking separately on each day successively, boiled leaves of Palasa, Udumbara, lotus and bilva. Such a preparation would resemble a thick pulp 59. Kane P.V., History of Dharmasastra, Vol. IV, p.134. quotation from Pr.S. (p.187): a trptescarayitva gam godhuman yuvamisritan | tan gobhayotthan samgrhya pibed gomutrayavakam

404 or gravy perhaps modern spinach soup essentially being a decoction or a concentrate of the leaves boiled in water. This semi-liquid mixture being partaken of would amount to a drink for this study. Moreover, kusa (being considered holy) dipped in drinking water would also turn into a ritual drink. Again a drink prepared, together with the decoctions of all the four types of leaves along with kusa-water on the same day would fall under this study as would a drink made of Asvattha leaves too. The As to the different opinions about this penance Yajnavalkya-smriti and the Sankh-Likhita define Parnakrcchra as one where the leaves of Palasa, Udumbara, lotus and bilva are boiled separately on each day in succession and the decoction of each is drunk on each day separately and then water in which kusa have been dipped is drunk. 60 60. Madanaparijata, p.733, Dipakalika on Yajnavalkya-smriti (317)- sankhalikhitau padmabilvapala sodumbara kusodakan kaikamabhyastani parnakrcchrah | while Apararka, p.1234 reads- 9 ekaikamabhyastani varnakrcchah Madanaparijata p.734 reads: parna kurcah |

The Mitakshara on the Yajnavalkya-smriti (111.316) quotes a verse of Yama to the effect that when a sinner fasts for three days and nights and therefore he drinks together the decoctions of all the four and kusa-water on the same day, then the penance is called Parnakurca. The Par.M. (II.pt. ,p.181) regards Parnakurca as a variety of Parnakrcchra. The Vas.Dh.S., Jabali and Atri (116 - 117) make Parnakxcchra a penance of six days by adding the leaves of Asvattha, to the five mentioned above. The Vi.Dh.S. mentions another variety of Parnakrcchra for seven days. 61 Brahma-kurca - 405 This penance is performed with the intake of mixed ingredients of the pancagavya (cow's urine, dung, milk, ghee and curds) to the recitation of the mantras (adding a ritualistic aspect to the drink ). So, in this case, as stated earlier a cow's products partaken as liquids would feature in this study on drinks, which along with the chanting of mantras would be transformed into a ritual drink. However, different sources provide for variations in the mantras on the intake 61. Pr.Pr., p.128 G tatha vasisthah | padmodumbarapalasa bilvasvattha- kusanamudakam pitva sadratrenaiva sudhyati | |

406 of the ingredients independently. While Parasara uses pancagavya and Brahmakurca interchangeably. As for the details and variation of opinions regarding 62 the penance According to Mitakshara on the Yajnavalkya-smriti (111.314); when a man fasts on one day and on the next day mixes up the ingredients of the pancagavya with the Vedic mantras and drinks it with mantras it is called Brahma-kurca. Sankhya says that cow's urine is taken with Gayatri ( Rigveda 111.62.10), cow-dung with the mantra 'gandhadvaram' (Taitt. A.X.1) milk with the verse ( Rigveda I. 91.16), curds with Rigveda (IV. 39.6), ghee with Vaj. Sam. (XXII.1) and kusa water with Vaj. Sam. (XXII.1) and the Ait.Br. (XXXVII.3). Jabala states that when a man observes a fast for the whole day and night on a day and particularly on the full-maon day and then drinks pancagavya the next morning this is called the rite of Brahma-kurca. 63 According to Parasara (XI.27-28) pancagavya and Brahmakurca are synonyms. The Madanaparijata and Pr.S. state that the Santapana described by the Yajnavalkya-smriti ( 111.314 ) is styled Brahmakurca. 62. Mitakshara on Yaj.S.III.314- 63. yada punah purvedyuruposyaparedyuh samanyakam samyujya samanyakameva pancagavyam piyate tada brahmakurca itya ravya Jabala q. by Pr.V., p.515. Pr.Pr. folio 50a and Pr.M. p.22. ahoratrosito bhutva paurnamasyam visesatah | pancagavyam pibet pratarbrahmakurcavidhih smrtah || ,

407 Lastly mention is made of the Uddalaka vrata, which by its very name is a vrata but falls within the precincts of the praya scitta as an exceptional case, For here, the penance involves subsisting on barley-gruel and milk amiksa for the non-performance of the Upanayana within the prescribed time-limit. Turning to the Uddalakavrata which is referred to in the context of prescribing a penance for Vratyata (failure to have the Upanayana performed at the right time), as it prescribes subsisting on barley-gruel and milk amiksa which would fall under the scope of this study on ritual drinks. As for the patita-savitrika (those for whom there has been no Upanayana and therefore sinful and outside the pale of Aryan society)... Both the Vasistha and the Vaikh. Smarta explain that the Uddalaka vrata consists in subsisting on barley-gruel for two months, for one month on milk, for half a month on amiksa (the whey that arises by pouring curds in hot milk), for eight days on ghee, for six days on alms obtained without begging, for three days on water and in observing a total fast for one whole day. The Sm.C.(I., p.28) says that this vrata is so called because it was promulgated by Uddalaka. 64. 64 Kane P.V., History of Dharmasastra, Vol. II, pt.I, Poona, 1941, p. 377.