Manava Dharmashastra 5.8

5.8

yadīha‘anirdeśāhaṃ goḥ kṣīramiti’ pāṭhaḥ uṣṭrādīnāmapi daśāhādikaḥ pratiṣedha āśaṅkyeta | anirdeśāgrahaṇānuvṛttyā tatra samācāra ātyantikapratiṣedhārtha āśrayaṇīyaḥ | anirdeśāyā iti tu strīliṅgapāṭhe āśaṅkava nāsti | na hi taddhitāntarairanirdeśāyā śrauṣṭramityādibhiḥ sambandhopapattiḥ | uttaratra ca punaḥ kṣīragrahaṇātsamācārācca uṣṭraikaśaphāvikānirdaśagavīkṣīrāṇi savikārāṇi pratiṣidhyante | sandhinīvivatsayostu kṣīrameva | anirdeśā ca gaurucyate yasyāḥ prasūtāyā daśāhānyanatikrāntāni | sandhinī yā ubhayoḥ prāptadohā kathaṃcidanyatarasminduhyate | prātarapradugdhā sāyaṃ duhyate | sā tu svalpakṣīratvādekasminneva kāle, sā'sau sandhinī | kaścidāha yā mṛtasvavatsā parakīyaṃ vatsaṃ saṃcārrya duhyate sā ‘sandhinī’ | ‘vivatsā’ tu yā satyeva vatse vinākṛtavatsā vatsaprasravaṇamanapekṣya kuṣṭhakayavaśālituṣādinā bhojanaviśeṣeṇa duhyāt | vivatsāyā iti | etenaiva vatsagrahaṇenāvatsā dhenurānīyatāmitivadgoriti labdhe gograhaṇamajāmahiṣyorapratiṣedhārtham | na punaranirdeśāyā ityatra | ataśca gograhaṇaṃ tatrājādyupalakṣaṇārtham | tathā ca gautamaḥ ( 17 | 22-23 ) “gośca kṣīranirdeśāyāḥ sūtake | ajāmahiṣyośca” ityāha | payodhrahaṇaṃ sandhinīkṣīramiti samāsāntavartinaḥ kṣīrapadasya nātisukaraḥ sambandho yataḥ |

The milk of the cow that has not passed its ten days, as also that of the camel and of one-hoofed animals and of sheep; the milk of the irregular cow, as also the milk of the cow without her calf.—(8)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):
If we read the opening words as ‘anirdaśāham goḥ kṣīram,’ then the prohibition regarding the milk of the camel and other animals also would be understood as limited to the ten days from calving; so that the qualification ‘that has not passed its ten days’ being taken with every one of the animals, it would become necessary to depend entirely upon usage in support of the absolute prohibition of the milk of the camel and other animals. If however we rend ‘anirdaśāyāḥ’ in the feminine form, then there would be no possibility of the above misunderstanding. Because it would not be possible to interpret the nominal affixes (attached to filenames of the other animals) as, in any way, connecting these animals with the epithet ‘anirdaśāyāḥ’)

In as much as the word ‘milk’ is repeated in the second half of the verse, this implies that what are forbidden by the former half are the milk of the camel, of the one-hoofed animals, of the sheep, of the goat and of the cow within ten days of its calving,—along with all its preparations; while in the case of the ‘irregular’ cow and the cow ‘deprived of its calf’, it is the milk only that is forbidden. Such is the usage also.

That cow is called ‘anirdaśāha,’ ‘not passed its ten days’, in whose case ten days have not passed since her calving.

‘Irregular cow’;—the cow that is expected to give milk both morning and evening, but gives it only at one time; giving milk in the evening only if not milked in the morning; and on account of the supply of milk being scanty, she is milked once only.

Some people explain ‘Sandhini’ as standing for that cow which, on having lost her own calf, is made to yield milk by bringing to her the calf of another cow; and in this case the cow ‘without her calf’ would be one whose calf is alive, but is separated from it, and is milked, independently of the calf, through presenting before her such special articles of food as the husks of barley, rice etc., so that the cow would be called ‘without her calf’ by the calf being held aside; just as people say—‘bring the cow without her calf’.

The ‘cow’ having been already mentioned in the first half, the term is repeated in the second half, with a view to show that similar milk of the goat and the buffalo is not forbidden. The same does not hold good regarding the epithet ‘anirdaśāyāh,’ ‘that has not passed its ten days;’ so that in this connection the ‘cow’ includes the front and the buffalo also. So says Gautama (17.22-23)—‘The milk of the cow that has not passed its ten days, during the period of impurity; also of the goat and the buffalo.’

The term ‘payaḥ’ ‘milk,’ has been added because it is not easy to construe the term ‘of the cow,’ with the term ‘kṣīram,’ ‘milk’ as contained in the compound ‘sandhinīkṣīram.’—(8)