India as Known to Panini: A Study of the Cultural Material in the Ashtadhyayi c11.s3.14

c11.s3.14

The other aspects of religious life included domestic rites, vows like *Chāndrāyaṇa* (V.1.72), and *Japa* or repetition of *mantras* (I.2.34). One who took the vow of restraint of speech was called *vāchaṁyama* (III.2.40), and similarly the vow to sleep on hard ground *sthāṇḍila* (IV.2.15). These epithets applied to one observing *pārāyaṇa*, a Brahmachārī or a *bhikshu* (IV.2.15). One who silently performed *Japa* as a habit (*tat śīla*) was called *jañjapūka* (III.2.166). Such muttering would sometimes be for mere show or a sham practice (*bhāvagarhāyām*, *jañjapyate*, III.1.24). Reference is also made to the offering of *bali*, probably to different deities (II.1.36), *e.g.* *Mahārāja-bali* offered to the Mahārāja class of deities like Kubera. Special food stuffs selected for preparing *bali* were called *bāleya* (V.1.13).