Manava Dharmashastra 4.36

4.36

yajñopavītakuṇḍalayordhāraṇaṃ śarīrasaṃyogaḥ | yasya ca yasminnaṅge samucitaḥ sanniveśaḥ sa tatraiva viniyojanīyaḥ | yathā kuṇḍalaṃ karṇayorupavītaṃ kāya iti | karṇābharaṇasya kuṇḍalākhyatvāt | kaṇṭhasaktasya ca sūtrasya dakṣiṇabāhuddhāraṇenopavītatvāt | dṛṣṭaprayojanatvācca yaṣṭyādīnāṃ sarvadā'ṅgasaṅgaḥ | tathāhi yaṣṭidhāraṇaṃ śrāntasyāvalaṃbanārthaṃ sammukhāgataghātakagavādinivāraṇārthaṃ ca | uddhṛtodakena śaucasya vihitatvāt ādhārāpekṣayā kamaṇḍalurniyamyate | sa ca tulyakāryatvāt kalaśādīn nivartayati, na kuṇḍalakaṭakādīn | ataśca purīṣanimittasyodakaśodhyāśucitvāpanodārthaṃ sodakatvaṃ kamaṇḍaloḥ | uktaṃ ca “muhūrtamapi śaktiviṣaye nāśuci tiṣṭhediti” | 'śaktiviṣaya' iti-yadi pūrvagṛhītamudakamupayuktamanyathāprāptamaśucitvanimittaṃ ca śleṣmaniṣṭhovanādyutpannaṃ tatrodakālābhādaśucitvaṃ na doṣaḥ | tathāpi mūtrapurīṣavisaṃsane snānaṃ vakṣyati ( a011 ślo0 202) “vinā'dbhirapsu vāpyārttaḥ śārīraṃ saṃniveśya tu | sacailo bahirāplutyeti” | śuciśca smṛtyantare pratipadmamāmnātaḥ | evaṃ ha smāha bhagavānvasiṣṭhaḥ [ a0 12 ra 0 15-17 ] | “apsu pāṇī ca kāṣṭhe ca kathitaḥ pāvakaḥ śuciḥ | tasmādudakapāṇibhyāṃ parimṛjya kamaṇḍalum ||
"paryagnikaraṇaṃ homaṃ manurāha prajāpatiḥ | kṛtvā cāvaśyakāni ācāmecchaucavittamaḥ" || baudhāyanenāpyuktam "atha kamaṇḍaluṃ dhāryam" ityupakramya | "tasmācchaucaṃ tataḥ kṛtvā parisṛjya kamaṇḍalum | paryagnikaraṇaṃ hyetadadbhustuparimārjanam" || tathā | "kamaṇḍaluṃ pariharetpūrvāvastho'pyaśaucataḥ | na cainaṃ kutsayedvidvānna śaṅkenna ca dūṣayet ||" ākāraviśeṣanimittaścāyaṃ śabdo na jātimādriyate | ato mṛṇmayasya sauvarṇasya rājatasya vā eṣaiva śuddhirna prakṛtijātisambandhinī | mūtrādisparśe tu prakṛtijātiśuddhiravadheyā | hastamārjanaṃ tūcchiṣṭapuruṣasaṃsparśadiśucitvāt | tathā ca gautamaḥ, "kvacicchaucārthaṃ saṃnidhāya" ityāha | ata ihāpi saṃnidhānamevābhipretaṃ, na svātmanā grahaṇam | vedo darbhamuṣṭistasya ca "prāgopasparśanaṃ darbheḥ" ityādi prayojanam | ataścādṛṣṭārthānāṃ sārvakālikaśarīrasambandho, dṛṣṭārthānāṃ tu saṃnidhirnityaṃ, prayojanatastu grahaṇamiti | śubhe darśanīye, ākārataḥ tāpacchedakaṣaiśca suvarṇaśuddhayā |

Inasmuch as ‘cleaning’ has been laid down as to be done with water taken out of a reservoir, the present text restricts the vessel to the ‘water-pot’ definitely; and this precludes the jar and other vessels, which serve the same purpose (of holding water), and not such other things as the ear-ring, the bracelet, and so forth.

Thus it is that the water-pot has to be kept filled with water, for the purpose of removing such uncleanliness as may be caused by contamination during the act of paying the calls of nature, and which is capable of being removed by water. It has been said that—‘in matters within one’s power, one should not remain unclean for a single moment.’ The meaning of the phrase, ‘in matters within one’s power,’ is as follows If the water held before has been used up, and then there happens to come about such further uncleanliness as is caused by spitting, and the like, then, if water be not available, there would be no harm in the man remaining unclean for sometime (till he can obtain the requisite water); but even so, in connection with the calls of nature, our author is going to prescribe bathing under 12. 22, where it is laid down that ‘the man should dip into water, with all his clothing.’

Precise rules regarding the means of cleaning have been laid down in another Smṛti text. Says the revered Vaśiṣṭha (12-15-17)—“For water, hand and wood, Fire has been declared to be the means of cleaning; hence, having washed the water-pot with the hands and with water, the offering that one makes, has been declared by manu Prajāpati to constitute Paryagnikaraṇa (Fire-purfication). The person knowning the laws of cleanliness should rinse his mouth after having done all necessary acts.’

Baudhayāna also has said—after having begun with the words, ‘Now the water-pot is to be held,’—‘Having become clean, and when one washes the water-pot, this washing of things constitutes Paryagnikaraṇa (Purification by fire); even in his previous condition, the man shall leave off the water-pot, on account of its being unclean; but the learned shall not decry it, nor censure it, nor regard it as objectionable.’

The name ‘kamaṇḍalu,’ ‘water-pot,’ is based upon the particular shape, and not upon any particular species or kind, of its material. So that, whether it be made of eathernware or of gold, or of silver,—the cleaning, in all cases, is to be done in the manner just described, and in the manner that has been prescribed in connection with the original substance of which it may be made. But, on its coining into contact with urine and such things, the purification is to done in the manner laid down in connection with the constituent material. In all cases, the hands are to be washed, because of their being in contact with. such sources of contamination as the man in an unclean state.

Says Gautama also—‘Having placed the pot somewhere near him, for the purpose of purification,’ etc, etc., So, in the present verse, what is meant by ‘holding’ is keeping near oneself, and not the actual holding in the hand.

‘Veda’ is the name of ‘Kuśa-handful.’ The use for this consists in the ‘touching of the organs,’ which has been laid down as to be done with ‘Kuśa-blades.’

The upshot of all this is that things that serve transcendental purposes shall be held on the body at all times, while those that serve only visible purposes are to be kept only when need arises.

‘Bright. ’— Beautiful, in shape, and also by the burnishing of the gold by heating and polishing.—(37)