History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c63.t2.858

v4.c63.t2.858

18\. 'The narrowing down or curtailment of the periods of impurity depending upon the Vedic learning and the mode of life of a person' (l. 13). 'Agha' means 'āśauca'; 'vṛtta' (mode of life) refers to tending sacred fires or maintaining oneself in the way described by Manu IV. 7–10. The general rule about the period of impurity for a brāhmaṇa on the death of a sapiṇḍa was stated by Gaut. 14. 1, Manu V. 59 and 83 to be that it was ten days and Aṅgiras quoted by the Mit. on Yāj. III. 22 prescribes impurity for ten days for all varṇas, but Manu V. 59 also spoke of the period being four days, three days or one day, which, acc. to the Mit. on Yāj. III. 28–29, refers respectively to kumbhīdhānya, one who has collected food for three days or one who collects nothing for the morrow. Dakṣa VI. 6 and Parā- śara¹⁸²² III. 5 both state that a brāhmaṇa who keeps the Vedic fires and has studied the Veda becomes free from impurity in a day, one who has only studied the Veda (but does not tend sacred fires) becomes free in three days, while one devoid of both becomes free after ten days. Aparārka (p. 894) and Haradatta on Gaut. 14. 1 quote Bṛhaspati to the same effect. The Mit. remarks¹⁸²³ (on Yāj. III. 28-29) that the curtailment of the period of impurity is not absolute but is restricted only to certain special matters viz. the receiving of gifts, the performance of Agnihotra, the study of the Veda and such matters in which distress would be caused if the period were not curtailed. This explanation clearly proves that Vijñāneśvara (end of 11th century) was not aware of the prohibition of the curtailment of the periods of impurity or treated it with scant respect. The curtailment of the period of impurity was laid down probably because curtailment led to confusion, since a person may claim to be learned, while his neighbours may not concede that claim.