History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c71.s1.177

v5.c71.s1.177

As the Veda could be studied in and after the sūtra period only by the male members of the first three classes, the *japa* of Vedic texts for the removal of sins was not possible for śūdras; therefore, the Mit. (on Yāj III. 262) says that although the śūdra (and women and those born of pratiloma marriages also) has no *adhikāra* (power or capacity or authority) for the recitation of Gāyatrī and other Vedic mantras, still the sūdra and women after revolving in the mind the name of the deity put in the dative case can engage in *japa* with the word *namaḥ* (i e he can only utter the words 'namo namaḥ' and not *om* &c)