Manava Dharmashastra 2.43

2.43

ādiśabdalopamatra smaranti | muñjādyalābha iti | kartavyā iti ca bahuvacanamupapannataram | bhinnajātisambandhitayā suvyakto mekhalābhedaḥ | ekajātisambandhitve tu kevalavyaktibhedālambanaṃ bahuvacanaṃ syāt | viprasyeti ca prakṛtasya bahuvacanena pariṇāmaḥ kartavyaḥ | vikalpaścaikaviṣayatve syāt | na ca sambhavatyāṃ gatau vikalpo yuktaḥ |
tena muñjābhāve kauśī | jyāyā abhāve'śmantakena | śāṇānāṃ balvajaiḥ | tṛṇauṣadhivacanātkuśādyaiḥ | pratinidhiniyamaścāyam | kuśādyabhāve'pyanyanmuñjādisadṛśamupādeyam | trivṛtā granthinaikena | nāyaṃ granthisaṅkhyābhedo varṇabhedena | api tu pratyekaṃ vikalpaḥ | kuśādimekhalāsvapyayaṃ granthibhedo dharmabhedaścodyamānaḥ smṛtyantarasamācārasyānityatve'pi draṣṭavyaḥ |

In the event of Muñja (and thb rest) being not available, they should be made of Kuśa, Ashmantaka and Balvaja,—triplicated with one, three or four knots.—(43)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
Writers declare that the phrase ‘and the rest’ is understood, the sense being ‘in the event of Muñja and the rest being not available.’ And the reason for this is that it is only thus that the plural number ‘should be made,’ becomes more appropriate; specially as the diversity of the girdle has been clearly prescribed in accordance with the diversity of castes. If the girdle spoken of in the present verse were meant for that of any one caste only, then the plural number could be justified only by taking it as referring to the girdle worn by the endless individual members of that one caste; and further, it would be necessary in this case to alter the singular number in ‘viprasya’ (of the preceding verse) into the plural number (to bring it into conformity with the present verse); and lastly, in this case all the three alternatives herein mentioned would have to be taken as pertaining to the one girdle (of the Brāhmaṇa only). And no such multiplicity of option should be allowed so long as there is any other way of taking the text.

Thus then the sense of the present verse is as follows—(a) if Muñja is not available, the girdle should be made of Kuśa; if the bow-string is not available, it should be made of Ashmantaka; and (c) if the hempen fibre is not available it should be made of Balvaja.

The terms ‘kuśa,’ etc., denote grasses and herbs.

This verse is meant to restrict the choice of substitutes; so that in the absence of kuśa, etc., one would not be justified in using any other similar substances.

Triplicated by one knot. The various numbers (of knots) are not meant to be restricted to the three castes respectively; they are intended to be optional alternatives for every one of them. This difference in the number of knots in the girdle made of kuśa, etc., as well as the other details laid down in connection with it are to be regarded as regular injunctions, even though the customs laid down in other Smṛtis are not necessarily binding.—(43)