Manava Dharmashastra 2.171

2.171

vedapradānādācāryaṃ pitaraṃ paricakṣate | kṛtsnavedādhyāpanāṅgopanayanāṅgabhūtasāvitryanuvacanamātrādeva | pradānaṃ māṇavakasya vedākṣaroccāraṇe svīkarotpādanam | ‘‘yadyevaṃ, yāvannācāryeṇa pitṛtvaṃ prāptaṃ tāvanna māṇavako dvitīyaṃ janma samaśnute | aprāptadvijabhāvaśca prāgivopanayanātkāmacāraḥ syāt’’—ata āha na hyasminmāṅgām̐ñjibandhanādasya māṇavakasya kiñcitkarma śrautasmārtamācārapraviṣṭaṃ vā'dṛṣṭārthaṃ prayujyate—na tatrādhikriyate—upanayanasamanantarameva sarvairdvijātipuruṣadharmairadhikriyate | ‘‘nanvavaiśadyāttasyāmavasthāyāṃ kathamadhikriyatām |’’ etadarthamevoktaṃ ‘‘gurau śiṣyaśca yājyaśceti’’ | ācāryeṇāsau śikṣayitavyaḥ | taduktaṃ ‘śaucācārāṃśca śikṣayet’ (manu0 2|69) | yathā ca gautamaḥ (a. 2 sū. 6) -‘upanayanādirniyama’ iti | ācāryasya tu vedasamāpanānto vyāpāraḥ |

They call the Teacher “father,” on account of his imparting the Veda. Before the tying of the girdle, the performance of no religious act is proper for him.—(171)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
‘They call the teacher “Father,” on account of his imparting the Veda,’—i.e., On account of his teaching the entire Veda, not merely of expounding the Sāvitrī. ‘Imparting’ stands for making the boy agree to pronounce the words of the Veda.

“If it be as described here, then, until the teacher has acquired the position of the father, the boy cannot obtain his second birth; and until he has become ‘twice-born,’ he would be as unrestrained in his conduct as he is prior to the Upanayana.”

In view of this difficulty the text adds—‘before the tying of the girdle for him’—no religious act—any act, Śrauta, or Smārta or conventional, for the acquiring of transcendental results,—is performed; i.e., he is not entitled to perform any such act. In fact it is only after his Upanayana that the boy becomes entitled to the performance of the duties of his caste and of humanity.

“How could there be any question of the boy being entitled to the performance of any such acts, when he is lacking in the requisite knowledge (prior to Initiation and Vedic Study)?”

It is in view of this that it has been declared that “the pupil is to his teacher both pupil to be taught and person to he helped in the performance of sacrifices”; [and while he is himself kicking in the requisite knowledge] he should be taught by his teacher (how to perform the acts); as it has been said above (2.69)—‘The teacher should teach him the rules of cleanliness and right conduct.’ Says Gautama also (2.6)—‘The restraints begin with the Upanayana.’ The business of the teacher extends up to the completion of Vedic Study.—(171)

The second half of this verse is quoted along with the next verse in Vīramitrodaya (Saṃskāra, p. 348);—in Vyāvahāra Bālambhaṭṭi (p. G55);—and in Smṛticandrikā (Saṃskāra, pp. 66 and 69).

Comparative notes by various authors
Vaśiṣṭha (2.5).—‘By reason of his imparting the Veda, they call the Teacher father.’

Āpastamba-Dharmasūtra (1.1.16).—‘He gives him birth through knowledge.’

Gautama (1.10-11).—‘This is his second birth; he from whom this is obtained is the Teacher.’

Gautama (2.1).—‘Before the Upanayana, the boy may do what he likes, say what he likes and eat what he likes.’

Baudhāyana (2.7).—‘Till the Upanayana, they lay no restriction on the actions of the boy.’

Vaśiṣṭha (2)—(reproduces the second half of Manu).