History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c19.277

v2.c19.277

*Nāpita* (barber). The Śāṅkhāyana gṛhya I. 25 refers to him (in cūḍākarma). Uśanas (32-34) and Vaik. (X. 12) say that he is the offspring of a clandestine affair between a brāhmaṇa male and a vaiśya female and Uśanas derives the word by saying that he shaves the body above the navel of a person.¹⁹⁰ Vaik. (X. 15) says that the offspring of an ambaṣṭha male from a kṣatriya female is a nāpita, but he shaves the hair on the body below the navel. Parāśara (XI. 21)¹⁹¹ says that the offspring of a brāhmaṇa from a śūdra girl is called dāsa if saṁskāras are performed on him, but if they are not performed he becomes a nāpita. Pāṇ. (VI. 2. 62) specially provides for the accentuation of words meaning artisan (*śilpin*, like nāpita or kulāla) when compounded with the word *grāma*. The Sūtasaṁhitā (Śiva—chap. XII. 15) says that the offspring of the clandestine union of a brāhmaṇa male and a vaiśya female is called kumbhakāra or ūrdhva-nāpita, while verse 32 says that the offspring of a kṣatriya female from a niṣāda is called ‘adho-nāpita’.