History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c24.s1.408

v2.c24.s1.408

The Baud. gṛ. III. 2. 4 ff says that there are vratas of one year each which precede the study of certain brāhmaṇa texts (of the Kṛṣṇa Yajurveda); they are hotāraḥ⁹⁰⁴, śukriyas, upaniṣadaḥ, godānam and sammitam and it describes them in detail. For want of space all these are passed over. The Saṁskāra-kaustubha (pp. 571-580) gives in some detail the procedure of the Mahānāmnī vrata, Mahāvrata, Upaniṣadvrata and Godānavrata. It states that the Mahānāmnīvrata is performed in the 13th year from birth and Godānavrata in the 16th. It appears, however, that these vratas gradually fell into desuetude and medieval writers often pass them over altogether or barely mention them and emphasize only the general observances of brahmacārins viz. celibacy, begging for food, avoiding honey, wine and singing &c. For example, the Smṛtyarthasāra⁹⁰⁵ (p. 6) refers to Sāvitrīvrata, then the vrata for Vedic study and then the Āraṇyaka vratas. The Mit. on Yāj. I. 52 (vedam vratāni vā pāraṁ nītvā) explains 'vratam' as simply the duties of the student already enumerated by Yāj. (among which the specific vratas of Mahānāmnī &c. do not figure).