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Manava Dharmashastra 2.219

Manubhāṣya 2.219

Language
Sanskrit

2.219

muṇḍaḥ sarvataḥ keśavapanaṃ kārayet | jaṭilo vā | jaṭā parasparamatyantaṃ saṃlagnakeśāḥ, tadvān jaṭilaḥ | śikhājaṭaḥ śikhaiva vā jaṭā yasya | jaṭākārāṃ śikhāṃ dhārayet, pariśiṣṭe muṇḍaḥ | tathā ca kuryādyathā grāme sthitasya sūryo nābhinimlocet nāstaṃ gacchet | grāmagrahaṇaṃ nagarasyāpi pradarśanārtham | astamayasamayamaraṇye sambhāvayet | evaṃ grāme nābhyudiyādudayo'pi sūryasya yathā'raṇyasthasya brahmacāriṇo bhavati tathā kuryāt | enaṃ prakṛtaṃ brahmacāriṇam | anye tu grāmaśabdaṃ 'grāmyeṣu dharmeṣu svāpādiṣu vartamānaṃ na nimlocet' ityevamarthaṃ varṇayanti | tathā ca uttaratra, 'śayānam' ityāha | tato'yaṃ sandhyayoḥ svapnapratiṣedhaḥ, nāraṇye tatkālāvasthānam | bālo hi brahmacārī bibhiyāt | gautamena tu (a0 2 sū0 6 | 10) bahiḥ-sandhyatvaṃ parato godānāduktam | godānavrataṃ ca ṣoḍaśavarṣe, tadā ca prāptaḥ śaknotyaraṇye sandhyāmupāsitum |

He may have his head shaved, or wear his hair in braids, or have only the top-hair braided. The sun should never set, nor should it rise, while he is still in the village.—(219)

Ganganatha Jha 1920, Manu-Smṛti: The Laws of Manu with the Bhāṣya of Medhātithi

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
‘Muṇḍaḥ’—means that he should shave the whole of his head.

Ganganatha Jha 1920, Manu-Smṛti: The Laws of Manu with the Bhāṣya of Medhātithi

‘Jaṭilaḥ’—one who has hairs braided, i.e., inextricably sticking to one another.

Ganganatha Jha 1920, Manu-Smṛti: The Laws of Manu with the Bhāṣya of Medhātithi

Or one whose ‘śikhā’ top-hair,’ only is braided; and the rest of the head is shaven.

Ganganatha Jha 1920, Manu-Smṛti: The Laws of Manu with the Bhāṣya of Medhātithi

And he should so behave himself that the sun does not set while he is still in the village; ‘village’ here includes the town also. The meaning is that at the time of sun-set he should betake himself to the forest. Similarly the sun should not rise while he is in the village; that is, for the Religious Student, sun-rise also should take place while he is in the forest.

Ganganatha Jha 1920, Manu-Smṛti: The Laws of Manu with the Bhāṣya of Medhātithi

‘Enam’—refers to the Religious Student.

Ganganatha Jha 1920, Manu-Smṛti: The Laws of Manu with the Bhāṣya of Medhātithi

Others have explained this to mean that ‘the Sun should not set while he is still addicted to the vulgar acts of sleeping and the like.’ To this same effect we have the term ‘sleeping’ in the next verse. Under this explanation what the verse prohibits is sleeping during the two twilights; and it does not mean that he should be actually in the forest at those times; for the Student would be still too young and would be frightened (by being in the forest at twilight). In fact Gautama (9.10) has declared that the twilights should be spent outside the village after the ‘Godāna’ ceremony; and this ceremony is laid down as to be performed in the sixteenth year; and arrived at that age, the student can, if he reaches the forest, offer his twilight prayers there.—(219)

Ganganatha Jha 1920, Manu-Smṛti: The Laws of Manu with the Bhāṣya of Medhātithi

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