A History of Ancient Sanskrit Literature, so far as it illustrates the Primitive Religion of the Brahmans c8.91

c8.91

“The word ‘therefore’ implies a reason, which is that as the śrauta (sacrificial) and gârhya (domestic) ceremonies have been explained, and as these ceremonies presuppose other observances, these other observances must now be explained too. For when it was said before (in the Śrauta and Gṛihya-sûtras), that such and such an act was to be performed by a man after he had rinsed his mouth, by a man who is clean, who holds a pavitra in his hand, who is invested with the sacred thread, &c., an acquaintance with all these things, such as rinsing, &c., is presupposed. The twilight prayers, too, are referred to in the preceding Sûtras, when it is said, that a man who does not perform his twilight prayers is impure, and unworthy of every sacrifice. Several other instances occur; and it is therefore necessary to explain now immediately those other precepts called sâmayâchârika (temporal). Sâmayâchârika is derived from samaya (agreement) and âchâra (custom). Samaya, a human agreement, is of three kinds: vidhi, injunction; niyama, restriction; pratishedha, prohibition. Rules founded upon samaya are called samayâchâras, from which the adjective sâmayâchârika. Dharma (virtue) is the quality of the individual self, which arises from action, leads to happiness and final beatitude, and is called apûrva, supernatural. But, in our Sûtra, dharma means law, and has for its object dharma as well as adharma: things to be done and things to be avoided.