History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c71.s1.193

v5.c71.s1.193

Haradatta explains *upavāsa*¹²⁷ as giving up the eating of boiled rice (bhaktatyāga) and adds that upavāsa is again included under *tapāṃsi* to show the great importance attached to it. Haradatta notes that a predecessor of his relying on a Purāṇa passage explained upavāsa in Gaut. 19.11 as ‘restraint of senses’. In many of the Gṛhya sūtras upavāsa means only eating light food prepared from corn usable in sacrifices (such as rice) once in the day excluding vegetables, māṣa (pulse), salt and flesh (compare Gobhila gr. I. 5 26, Khādira gr II 1.4 and 6, Kauśika-sūtra I. 31–32, Kāṭhakagṛhya 46.2¹²⁸). The Bṛ. Up IV. 4. 22 closely associates ‘anāśaka’ (fasting) with tapas as a means to the mystic realisation of the Supreme Soul¹²⁹. Jaimini (III. 8. 9–11) appears to regard fasting as *tapas*¹³⁰. Manu XI 203 (=Viṣṇu Dh. S. 54.29) provides that fasting (for a day) is the penance for omitting the rites ordained by the Veda (such as the Darśapūrṇamāsa sacrifice and the performance of *sandhyā* adoration) and for neglecting the special duties of a *snātaka* (laid down in Manu IV. 34 ff). When a person was observing a fast he had to avoid doing certain other actions. Acc to Devala a fast becomes bereft of its good results by drinking water often, by chewing *tāmbūla*, by sleep in the day-time and by sexual intercourse¹³¹; but the Garuḍapurāṇa I. 128. 6 and Bhaviṣyapurāṇa (I. 184 27) allow even when one is fasting the use of flowers, ornaments, rich clothes, garlands, unguents, applying collyrium to the eye and the cleansing of teeth. Dakṣa quoted by the Par M states that if a man observes a fast for the day and night on the day on which the sun first turns towards the north or south, or on the Visuva day (day of equinox), and on an eclipse of the sun or the moon and bathes he is freed from all sins¹³². Manu XI. 166 (=Agnipurāṇa 169.31) prescribes a fast for three days as a penance for theft of grass, firewood, tree, dry food (i e. grains of rice), jaggery, clothes, hide and flesh. The Anuśāsanaparva (106 1) remarks¹³³ that men of all varṇas and even Mlecchas thought highly of fasts and that chapter contains an exaggerated eulogy of fasting Almost all religions (except Zoroastrianism) such as the Hebrew, Christian (in Lent) and Moslem (in Ramjan) emphasize the necessity of fasting as a discipline or as a preparation for penitence The Bhaviṣyapurāṇa (I. chap 16. 12-14) states that those who have not kindled sacred fires can please the gods by *vratas*, restraints, gifts and particularly by *upavāsas* and points out (verses 18-22) what substances (eatables) should be given up from the first to the 15th *tithi* in each fortnight In the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa and the śrauta and gṛhya sūtras the word upavasatha is used in the sense of 'upavāsa' and is derived from 'vas' (to dwell) with 'upa'. Vide H of Dh. vol II. p 1010 and n 2276 for the Śat Br. The Khādira gr II 1 4, Gobhila gr I. 6 2, Kauśika-sūtra I. 31 employ the word upavasatha Āp Dh S. II 1 1 4-5 prescribe an upavāsa for husband and wife on *parvan* days and if they cannot totally abstain from food they should eat only once by day food proper for upavāsa Aparārka p. 199, Smr C (śrāddha p 355) and Kṛtyaratnākara quote a verse from Vyāsa deriving the word upavāsa133a. The Āp Dh S. II. 5 9-13, Baud. Dh II. 7 32, Vas 6 21 and Śāṅ gr. II 16 5 have the same verse viz. 'an āhitāgni, a draught ox and brahmacārin, these three fulfill (their work) by eating, they cannot fulfill their duties by non-eating'. This is explained as not applying to prāyaścittas (Baud. Dh Ś II. 7 34) and to fasts on Ekādaśī. The Śāntiparva 323 17 states 'Just as a dirty garment is afterwards cleansed by water, so to those who are heated in (the fire of) fasting inexhaustible happiness for a long time comes.' Śānti 79 18, however, says 'merely emaciating the body by fasting is not *tapas*, but ahiṁsā, truthfulness, freedom from cruelty, restraint and compassion are *tapas*'.