Gobhilagrihyasutra 3

Now (follows) the Godâna ceremony (or cutting of the beard), in the sixteenth year.

The cutting of the hair (and the beard) has been explained by the (description of the) Kûdâkarana (II, 9).

The student has his hair (and beard) cut himself.

He has all the hair of his body shaven.

The sacrificial fee given by a Brâhmana consists of an ox and a cow,

That given by a Kshatriya, of a pair of horses,

That given by a Vaisya, of a pair of sheep.

Or a cow (is given by persons) of all (castes).

A goat (is given) to the person who catches up the hair.

The Upanayana.(connected with the Godânavrata and the other Vratas) has been declared by the Upanayana (treated of above, II, 10).

(The use of) a garment, however, which has not yet been washed, is not required (here),

Nor the adornment.

(One should) not initiate one who does not intend to keep the vow through one year.

Handing over to him (i.e. to the student) a staff, which should be made of (the wood of) a tree, he directs him (to observe the duties connected with his vow, in the following words):

'Obey thy teacher, except in sinful conduct.

'Avoid anger and falsehood,

'Sexual intercourse,

'Sleeping on high (bedsteads),

'Performances of singing, dancing, &c., the use of perfumes and of collyrium,

'Bathing,

'Combing the head, cleansing the teeth, washing the feet,

'Shaving,

'Eating honey and flesh,

'Mounting a chariot yoked with cattle,

'Wearing shoes in the village,

'Svayam-indriya-mokanam.'

Wearing the girdle, going the rounds for alms, carrying a staff, putting fuel (on the fire), touching water, reverentially saluting (the teacher) in the morning: these are his standing duties.

The Godâna-vrata, the Vrâtika-vrata, the Âditya-vrata, the Aupanishada-vrata, the Gyaishthasâmika-vrata (last) one year (each).

Touching water in the evening and in the morning (is prescribed) for these (Vratas).

The Âditya-vrata, however, some do not undergo.

They who undergo it, wear one garment.

They allow nothing to be between (themselves and) the sun, except trees and (the roofs of) houses.

They do not descend into water deeper than knee-deep, except on the injunction of their teacher.

For the Mahânâmnî verses (the Vrata is to be kept) twelve years,

(Or) nine, six, three (years).

These are the various possibilities.

Or also one year, according to some (teachers).

(In this case), however, the observances are enhanced.

(Keeping the Vrata through one year is allowed only) if (the student's) ancestors have learnt the Mahânâmnî verses.

There is also a Brâhmana of the Rauruki (Sâkhâ, in which it is said):

'The mothers forsooth say to their sons, when they suckle them:

'"Become men, my little sons, who endeavour to accomplish the Sakvarî-vrata!"'

During (the Vrata preparatory to the study of) these (i.e. the Mahânâmnî verses), touching water at the time of each Savana (is prescribed).

Let him not eat in the morning before he has touched water.

In the evening, after he has touched water, he should not eat, before he has put the piece of wood on the fire.

He should wear dark clothes.

He should eat dark food.

Let him be devoted to his teacher.

Let him make way for nobody.

He should be addicted to austerities.

He should stand in day-time.

He should sit at night.

And when it is raining, he should not retire to a covered place.

He should say to (the god) when he sends rain, 'The Sakvarîs are water.'

When (the god) sends lightning, he should say to him, 'Such forsooth is the nature of the Sakvarîs.'

When (the god) thunders, he should say to him, 'The great voice of the great (cow)!'

Let him not cross a river without touching water.

Let him not ascend a ship.

If his life is in danger, however, he may ascend (a ship), after having touched water.

In the same way (he should touch water) having disembarked.

For in water the virtue of the Mahânâmnîs is contained.

If he practises these duties, (the god) Parganya will send rain according to his wish.

The rules about dark (clothes), standing, sitting, (making) way, and (dark) food may be considered as optional.

After he has kept his vow through one third (of the prescribed time, the teacher) should sing to him the (first) Stotriya verse (of the Mahânâmnîs).

In the same way the two other Stotriya verses (after two-thirds of the time and at the end of the whole time).

Or all (the three verses) at the end of the whole (time).

He should sing them to (the student) who has fasted and shuts his eyes.

Having filled a brass vessel with water, having thrown into it all sorts of herbs, and dipped (the student's) hands into it, the teacher should veil (the student's eyes) from left to right with a (new) garment that has not yet been washed.

Or he should sing (the Mahânâmnîs to him) immediately after he has veiled (his eyes).

With veiled eyes, keeping silence, he should abstain from food through a period of three nights, or through one day and one night.

Or he should stand in the forest till sunset (and spend the night in the village).

On the next morning he should put wood on the fire in the forest, should sacrifice with the Mahâvyâhritis, and should cause the student to look at (the following objects, viz.)

Fire, Âgya, the sun, a Brahman, a bull, food, water, curds,

With (the words), 'The sky have I beheld! Light have I beheld!'

In that way all (the objects stated in Sûtra 40) three times.

After the ceremony for averting evil has been performed, the student respectfully salutes the teacher.

Thus he has to break the silence (enjoined upon him).

A bull, a brass vessel, a garment, an optional gift (of a cow): this is the sacrificial fee.

The first time he may choose (either a bull or a brass vessel).

Let him provide his teacher with clothes, according to some (teachers).

A mess of cooked food, sacred to Indra, (is prepared). Let him sacrifice of that (food) with this verse, 'To the Rik, to the Sâman we sacrifice' (Sâma-veda I, 369), or (with the verse), 'The lord of the seat, the wonderful' (ibid. I, 171), or with both (verses).

This (he should do) at (all) the Anupravakanîya ceremonies.

The Mantra has to be altered everywhere (so that he has to say), 'I have kept (the vow),' 'I have been able,' 'Thereby I have prospered,' 'I have undergone.'

The fee to be given after the study of the Parvans is, a goat for the Agni-Parvan, a ram for the Indra-Parvan, a cow for the Pavamâna-Parvan.

After (the student) has returned (from the forest), he should entertain his teacher and his retinue with food,

And his fellow-students who have come together.

The way to sing the Gyeshthasâmans has been explained by (the statements given with regard to) the Mahânâmnî-(vrata).

Here the following standing duties are to be observed:

He should not have intercourse with a Sûdrâ woman.

He should not eat bird's flesh.

He should avoid (constantly living on) the same grain, and in the same place, and wearing one garment.

He should perform the rite of 'touching water' with water drawn out (of a pond, &c.).

From (the time of) his being directed (to observe the duties of his Vrata) he should not eat from an earthen vessel,

Nor drink (from such a vessel),

(Or rather) from (the time of) his being taught (the Gyeshthasâmans, after the whole preparatory time, or after one third of that time), according to some (teachers).

On the full-moon day of Praushthapada (or) under (the Nakshatra) Hasta the Upâkarana (or opening ceremony of the annual term of Veda-study, is performed).

After (the teacher) has sacrificed with the Vyâhritis, he recites the Sâvitrî to the students as at the Upanayana;

And (he chants) the Sâvitrî with its Sâman melody,

And (the Bârhaspatya Sâman, with the text), 'Soma, the king, Varuna' (Sâma-veda I, 91).

After they have recited (the first verses) of the Khandas book, from its beginning, they may do what they like.

They eat fried barley-grains with (the verse), 'That which is accompanied by grains and by a karambha (i.e. curds with flour)' (Sâma-veda I, 2 10).

They partake of curds with (the verse), 'I have praised Dadhikrâvan' (Sâma-veda I, 358).

After they have sipped water, (the teacher) should cause them to repeat the first (?) verses, and to sing the first (?) Sâmans, of the different sections (?).

On the day sacred to Savitri they wait.

And at (the beginning of) the northerly course of the sun (they wait) one night with one day before and one day after it,

(Or they interrupt their study for) a period of three nights before and afterwards, according to some (teachers).

And both times water libations are offered to the Âkâryas.

Some perform the Upâkarana on the full-moon day of Srâvana and wait (with studying) the time (from that day) till the day sacred to Savitri (Sûtra 9).

On the full-moon day of Taisha they leave off (studying the Veda).

They should go out of the village in an easterly or northerly direction, should go to water which reaches higher than to their secret parts, should touch water (in the way prescribed above, I, 2), and should satiate the metres, the Rishis, and teachers (by libations of water).

After this second Upâkarana, until the (chief) Upâkarana (has been performed) again for the Vedic texts, an interruption of the study (of the Veda takes place), if clouds rise.

If lightning (is observed), or if it thunders, or if it is drizzling, (he shall not study) until the same time next day.

On the falling of a meteor, or after an earthquake, or an eclipse of the sun or of the moon (the study is interrupted until the same time next day),

And if a whirlwind occurs.

Let them not study on the Ashtakâ days, and on the days of the new moon,

And on the days of the full moon—

In the three months Kârttika, Phâlguna, and Âshâdha.

And (the study is interrupted) for one day and one night,

If a fellow-pupil has died,

Or the sovereign of his country;

Three days, if his teacher (has died);

One day and one night, if somebody (has died) who has reverentially approached.

If singing, or the sound of a musical instrument, or weeping is heard, or if it is storming, (the study of the Veda is discontinued) as long as that (reason of the interruption) lasts.

As regards other (cases in which the reading of the Veda should ne discontinued), the practice of the Sishtas (should be followed).

In the case of a prodigy an expiation (has to be performed) by the householder (or) by his wife.

If a spar of the roof or the middle (post of the house) breaks, or if the water-barrel bursts, let him sacrifice (Âgya oblations) with the Vyâhritis.

If he has seen bad dreams, let him murmur this verse, 'To-day, O god Savitri' (Sâma-veda I, 141).

Now (follows) another (expiation).

If he has touched a piled-up (fire-altar) or a sacrificial post, or if he has humming in his ears, or if his eye palpitates, or if the sun rises or sets while he is sleeping, or if his organs of sense have been defiled by something bad, let him sacrifice two Âgya oblations with the two verses, 'May my strength return to me' (Mantra-Brâhmana I, 6, 33. 34).

Or (let him sacrifice) two pieces of wood anointed with Âgya.

Or let him murmur (those two verses) at light offences.

A student, after he has studied the Veda,

And has offered a present to his Guru (i.e. to his) teacher,

Should, with the permission (of his parents), take a wife,

One who does not belong to the same Gotra,

And who is not a Sapinda relation of his mother.

The best, however, is a 'naked' girl.

Now the bath (which is taken at the end of studentship, will be described).

To the north or the east of the teacher's house there is an enclosure.

There the teacher sits down, facing the north, on eastward-pointed Darbha grass;

Facing the east the student on northward-pointed Darbha grass.

The teacher should besprinkle (him) with lukewarm, scented water, which has been boiled with all kinds of herbs.

But as if he (i.e. the student, should do so) himself—

(In such a way) he is alluded to in the Mantras; (therefore the besprinkling should be done rather by the student, and not by the teacher [?]).

With (the verse), 'The fires which dwell in the waters' (MB. I, 7, 1)—(the student[?]) pours his joined hands full of water (on the ground),

And again with (the formula), 'What is dreadful in the waters, what is cruel in the waters, what is turbulent in the waters' (ibid. 2).

With (the formula), 'The shining one I take here' (ibid. 3)—he besprinkles himself.

And again with (the formula), 'For the sake of glory, of splendour' (ibid. 4).

And again with (the verse), 'By which you made the wife (pregnant?') (ibid. 5).

A fourth time silently.

He then should rise and should worship the sun with the Mantra, 'Rising with (the Maruts) who bear shining spears' (ibid. 6-9), &c.

Optionally he may use the single sections of the Mantra separately (in the morning, at noon, and in the evening) as indicated in the text.

He should add (the formula), 'The eye art thou' (ibid. 9) after (each of the three sections of the Mantra, 6-8).

With the verse, 'Loosen the highest fetter, O Varuna' (ibid. 10), he takes off the girdle.

After he has entertained the Brâhmanas with food and has eaten himself, he should have his hair, his beard, the hair of his body, and his nails cut, so as to leave the lock of hair (as required by the custom of his family).

Having bathed and adorned himself, and having put on two garments (an under-garment and an upper-garment) which have not yet been washed, he should put a garland (on his head) with (the formula), 'Luck art thou; take delight in me' (ibid. 11).

The two shoes (he puts on) with (the formula), 'Leaders are you; lead me' (ibid. 12).

With (the formula), 'The Gandharva art thou' (ibid. 13), he takes a bamboo staff.

He approaches the teacher together with the assembly (of his pupils) and looks at the assembly of his teacher's (pupils) with (the words), 'Like an eye-ball may I be dear to you' (ibid. 14).

Sitting down near (the teacher) he touches the sense-organs at his head with (the verse), 'The she-ichneumon, covered by the lips' (ibid. 15).

Here the teacher should honour him with the Argha ceremony.

(The student then) should approach a chariot yoked with oxen, and should touch its two side-pieces or the two arms of the chariot-pole with (the verse), 'O tree, may thy limbs be strong' (ibid. 16).

With (the last words of that verse), 'May he who stands on thee, win what can be won'—he mounts it.

Having driven (some distance) in an easterly or northerly direction, he turns round from left to right and comes back (to his teacher).

When he has come back, the Argha ceremony should be performed (for him by his teacher), say the Kauhalîyas.

From that time he shall assume a dignified demeanour: this is in short the rule (for his behaviour).

Here the teachers enumerate the following (regulations).

Nâgâtalomnyopahâsam ikkhet.

Nor (should he wish for sport) with a girl who is the only child of her mother,

Nor with a woman during her courses,

Nor with one who descends from the same Rishis.

Let him not eat food which has been brought by another door (than the usual),

Or which has been cooked twice,

Or which has stood over night—

Except such as is prepared of vegetables, flesh, barley, or flour.

Let him not run while it is raining.

Let him not take himself his shoes in his hands (when putting them on or pulling them off).

Let him not look into a well.

Let him not gather fruits himself.

He should not wear a scentless wreath,

If it is not a wreath of gold.

(He should not wear a wreath) of which the expression mâlâ (garland) has been used.

He should cause the people to call it srag (wreath). (Then he may wear it.)

He should avoid using the word bhadra ('blessed') without a reason.

He should say (instead of it), mandra ('lovely').

There are three (kinds of) Snâtakas:

A Vidyâsnâtaka (or a Snâtaka by knowledge), a Vratasnâtaka (or a Snâtaka by the completion of his vow), and a Vidyâvratasnâtaka (i.e. Snâtaka by both).

Of these the last ranks foremost; the two others are equal (to each other).

(A Snâtaka) should not put on a wet garment.

He should not wear one garment.

He should not praise any person (excessively).

He should not speak of what he has not seen, as if he had seen it,

Nor of what he has not heard, as if he had heard it.

He should give up everything that forms an impediment for his Veda-recitation.

He should endeavour to keep himself (pure from every defilement) like a pot of oil.

He should not climb a tree.

He should not go toward evening to another village,

Nor alone,

Nor together with Vrishalas (or Sûdras).

He should not enter the village by a by-path.