History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c63.t2.974

v4.c63.t2.974

*Madya* is a generic term applicable to all intoxicating drinks; *surā* is said to be of three kinds, viz. that prepared from molasses, that from honey (or madhūka flowers or from grapes) and that from corn flour (Manu XI. 94, Viṣṇu Dh. S. 22. 82 and Saṁvarta 117). The Viṣṇu Dh. S. (22. 83-84) specifies ten kinds of madya, all of which a brāhmaṇa was not even to touch. Gaut. II. 25¹⁸⁸¹, Āp. Dh. S. I. 5. 17. 21, Manu XI. 95 forbid all kinds of *madya* to brāhmaṇas at all stages of life. Āp. I. 7. 21. 8, Vas. I. 20, Manu XI. 54, Viṣṇu Dh. S. 35. 1 hold that the drinking of *surā* is one of the five grave sins (mahāpātakas), while Yāj. III. 227 employs the word 'madya' in place of surā in this connection. Baud. Dh. S. I. 1. 22 however notes that among the five practices peculiar to the brāhmaṇas of the north was that of drinking rum and Baud. condemns it. The verses of Manu XI. 93-94 about the three kinds of surā have been the subject of frequent and varying interpretations. Viśvarūpa on Yāj. III. 222, the Mit. on Yāj. III. 253, Aparārka p. 1069 and others establish that the word 'surā' primarily applies to *paiṣṭī* (liquor prepared from flour) alone, that paiṣṭī is forbidden to all brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas, that it is the drinking of paiṣṭī alone that constitutes a mahāpātaka, that all intoxicating drinks are forbidden to brāhmaṇas in all ages, but intoxicants other than *paiṣṭī* (such as those prepared from molasses or madhūka flowers) are not forbidden to kṣatriyas and vaiśyas. Manu XI. 93 says that surā is the refuse of cooked food (rice); therefore members of the three higher castes should not drink surā. This clearly shows that Manu took surā as meaning only paiṣṭī (liquor prepared from rice flour). The Viṣṇu Dh. S. (22. 84) expressly says that kṣatriyas and vaiśyas are not polluted by touching the ten kinds of madyas specified by it. In the Udyogaparva (59. 5) both Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa) and Arjuna are described as intoxicated by drinking the liquor prepared from honey and the Tantravārtika establishes that there was nothing wrong in this as both were kṣatriyas. Intoxicants were not forbidden to śūdras. Brahmacārins of whatever varṇa had to abstain from intoxicants of all kinds. Aparārka¹⁸⁸² (p. 63)