History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c24.s1.543

v2.c24.s1.543

Snāna (the ceremonial bath) was ordained by the sūtrakāras after a student finishesd his Vedic study. The Āśv. gṛ. (III. 9. 4) remarks 'after having finished (the task of learning) *vidyā*, they should invite his teacher to name the gift (of wealth or otherwise) he desired or when the pupil has been permitted by the teacher, the pupil may take a ceremonial bath.'⁹⁷⁵ This shows that one may perform *snāna* either when he had finished his Vedic and other studies or he may do so even without finishing his intended studies, if the teacher permitted him to do so. The Pār. gṛ. II. 6 is more explicit 'The student should take the ceremonial bath after finishing (the study of) the Veda or when he has gone through the period of student-hood for 48 years, or for 12 years according to some (teachers); (he should) take the bath when permitted by the teacher.' A person who has taken the ceremonial bath is called a *snātaka*. A snātaka is said by the Pār. gṛ. (II. 5),⁹⁷⁶ Gobhila (III. 5. 21–22), Baud. gṛ paribhāṣā sūtra I. 15, Hārīta and others to be of three kinds, viz vidyāsnātaka (or Veda-snātaka as Baud. gṛ. paribhāṣā has it), vratasnātaka and vidyā-vratasnātaka (or veda-vrata-snātaka as in Baud). One who has finished Veda study, but has not gone through the vratas (described above) is called *vidyā-snātaka*; one who has finished the vratas, but has not finished his Veda study is styled *vrata-snātaka*; while one who has finished both is named *vidyā-vrata-snātaka*. Yāj. I. 51 in saying that a student 'after finishing Veda (study) or the vratas (observances of brahmacarya) or both, and after giving to the teacher what the latter chooses to ask should take the ceremonial bath with the teacher's permission' impliedly refers to the three-fold division of snātakas. These three alternatives are due to the fact that a student may not have the ability or the time to go through the full Vedic curriculum and the vratas. Medhātithi on Manu IV. 31 notices that according to some vrata-snātakas are those who without finishing Veda study take the ceremonial bath three years after upanayana. Gobhila (III. 5. 23) says that of these, vidyā-vrata-snātaka is the best, the other two being equal to each other. Āp. Dh. S. (I. 11. 30. 1-5) refers to this three-fold division and adds that all three are to be honoured as snātakas, but that great reward follows by honouring vidyā-vrata-snātakas.