History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c24.s1.429

v2.c24.s1.429

Āp. Dh. S.⁹¹⁸ says 'if a person's father and grandfather also had not the upanayana performed for them, then they (i. e. the three generations) are called slayers of *brahma* (holy prayers or lore); people should have no intercourse with them, should not take their food nor should enter into marriage alliances with them; but if they desire then penance should be administered to them'. It then prescribes that they have to perform the penance (observing rules of student-hood) one year for each generation (that had not the upanayana performed), then there is upanayana and then they have to bathe (thrice or once) every day for a year with certain mantras viz. the seven Pāvamānī verses beginning with 'yad anti yacca dūrake' (Ṛg. IX. 67. 21–27), with the Yajuṣ pavitra (Tai. S. I. 2. 1. 1 = Ṛg. X. 17. 10), with the *sāmapavitra* and with the mantra called Āṅgirasa (Ṛg. IV. 40. 5) or one may pour water only with the vyāhṛtis⁹¹⁹. After all this is done, one may be taught the Veda. Āp. Dh. S. goes further (I. 1. 2. 5–10) and says 'if the generations⁹²⁰ beginning with the great-grandfather had not the upanayana performed on them, they are called the cemetery and that if there is desire they may observe the rules of student-hood for twelve years, then upanayana may be performed and then the person so desirous of upanayana will have to bathe with the Pāvamānī and other verses (as stated above), then instruction in the duties of the householder may be imparted to him (i. e. to the 4th); he cannot, however, be taught the Veda; but his son may have the saṁskāra performed as in the case of one who is himself *patitasāvitrīka* and then his son will be one like other āryas'. Haradatta⁹²¹ remarks that Āp. does not declare the prāyaścitta for him whose great-grandfather's father also was without upanayana, but that those who know the dharmaśāstra should find out a proper prāyaścitta even in such cases. It is clear that Āp. contemplates cases where for three generations there had been no upanayana and the fourth generation also had not the upanayana performed at the right time and desired to have it performed for him. Pār. gives a brief rule 'when three generations are *patitasāvitrīka*, their offspring (i. e. the fourth generation) is excluded from the sacrament of upanayana and he cannot be taught the Veda.'⁹²² So Pār. is more restrictive than Āpastamba.