History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c24.s1.528

v2.c24.s1.528

All sūtrakāras are agreed that godāna or keśānta follows the procedure of cūḍākaraṇa with a few differences. The Āśv. gṛ. (I. 18. 1-9) points these out. Caula is performed in the 3rd year, while godāna is performed in the 16th. Āśv. gṛ. further says "wherever the word keśa occurs (in the mantras or procedure of caula) he should employ the word śmaśru (beard). He moistens the beard here. (The mantra is) 'purify his head and face, but do not deprive him of life'. He gives orders (to the barber) 'arrange his beard, the hair of his body and his nails, ending in the north'. Having bathed and stood up silently during the rest of the day, he should break his silence in the presence of his teacher (saying to the teacher) 'I give a gift'. The fee is a pair of cows. Let the teacher instruct him to keep the observances for a year"⁹⁶⁶. Nārāyaṇa notes that being grown up he should not sit on his mother's lap as in caula (but sit to her right) and that the instruction is to be on the next day. Nārāyaṇa says that the instruction referred to is the one mentioned in Āśv. gṛ. I. 22. 20 from 'cutting the hair' to 'giving in charge' i. e. from Āśv. gṛ. I. 19. 8. to I. 20. 7. It is better to hold as Pār. and Bhār. gṛ. ordain that the instruction is as to brahmacaryavrata (mentioned⁹⁶⁷ in Āśv. gṛ. I. 22. 17) or that he is not to shave himself for a year, 12 days, 6 days or at least 3 days. Pār. gṛ., Śāṅkhāyana and several others allowed the fee of only one cow⁹⁶⁸. Gobhila (III. 1. 5) and Khādira (II. 5. 3) allowed optionally the gift of a pair of horses or a pair of sheep for kṣatriyas or vaiśyas respectively. According to Gobhila and Khādira shaving the beard precedes a vrata called godānika for one year and both state at length the observances of that vrata (Gobhila III. 1. 11-29, Khādira II. 5. 7-16).