History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c34.126

v2.c34.126

When a man applies oil to his body, uses myrobalans and engages in a bath solely for cleaning the body (and with no idea of performing an obligatory duty or securing religious merit) that is called *malāpakarṣaka* or *abhyaṅga-snāna*. The Sm. C. I. p. 125, Aparārka pp. 195-196 and other works lay down elaborate rules about this snāna. One rule is that on certain tithis like parva (vide Manu IV 128 and Yāj I. 79 above on p. 204) there is to be no bath with oil &c. It is said that one desiring prosperity should use dried myrobalan (āmalaka) at the time of bath except on the 7th and 9th tithis and on parva days.¹⁵⁸⁴ Vide Vāmanapurāṇa 14. 49 ff. (quoted in Sm. C. I, p. 125) for astrological rules.