History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c34.117

v2.c34.117

Bathing with water is divided into six varieties by Śaṅkha smṛti (VIII. 1-11), Agnipurāṇa 155. 3-4 and others, viz. *nitya*, *naimittika*, *kāmya*, *kriyāṅga*, *malāpakarṣaṇa* (or *abhyaṅga-snāna*), *kriyāsnāna. Nitya snāna* (daily bath) has been described above. A few observations are made below on each of the others. On certain occasions or on coming in contact with certain persons or things one has to bathe, although one may have already bathed that day. This is called naimittika (due to some occasion or cause) *snāna*. For example, on the birth of a son, in a sacrifice (at the end), on the passing away of a relative, in eclipses, one has to bathe and even at night¹⁵⁷⁸ (Parāśara XII. 26 and Devala quoted above). Similarly a man has to bathe with all his clothes on if he touches an outcast (who is guilty of one of the mortal sins), a cāṇḍāla, a woman who has recently delivered, a woman in her monthly course, a corpse, or one who has touched a corpse or one who has touched another that has come in contact with a corpse or when a man follows a corpse¹⁵⁷⁹ (Gaut. 14. 28-29, Vas. 4. 38, Manu V. 85 and 103, Yāj. III. 30, Laghu-Āśvalāyana 20. 24). According to Manu V. 144, Śaṅkha-smṛti VIII. 3, Mārk. purāṇa 34. 82-83, Brahmapurāṇa 113. 79, Parāśara XII. 28, if a man vomits or has many purges (ten or more), if he has a shave or has a bad dream, has had sexual intercourse, if he repairs to a cemetery, or is covered with smoke from a funeral pyre or touches a sacrificial post or a human bone, he has to undergo a bath to purify himself¹⁵⁸⁰. Āp. Dh. S. I. 5. 15. 16 prescribes a bath if a man is bitten by a dog and Gaut. 14. 30 prescribes it even for touching it. If a man touches Bauddhas, Pāśupatas, Jainas, Lokāyatikas, atheists, dvijātis living by condemned actions and śūdras he should bathe with his clothes¹⁵⁸¹ on. The Mit. on Yāj. III. 30, the Sm. C. I. pp. 117-119 and other digests speak of snāna being necessary on coming in contact with several birds (like the crow) and animals (like the cock and village hog), which are passed over for want of space.