History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c71.s1.430

v5.c71.s1.430

The procedure for undergoing penances for sins and lapses prescribed by the assembly of learned men has varied in details from time to time. The Gaut. Dh S. 26 6-17 prescribes the method of performing Kṛcchra penance It is briefly as follows: The sinner desiring to be free of sin quickly should stand by day and sit up by night (i e. should take sleep in a sitting position and not lie down), he should speak the truth and should not hold conversation with *anāryas* (śūdras &c.), should bathe thrice in the day, should perform *mārjana* (splashing or sprinkling water on the head and other limbs by means of *kuśas* dipped in water after repeating sacred mantras) with the three verses 'āpo hi sthā' (Rg. X.9.1–3), with the verses called Pavitravatī and with the eight verses beginning with 'hiraṇyavarṇāḥ sucayaḥ pāvakāḥ' (Tai. S V. 6 1.1–8) Then he should perform the *tarpaṇa* ²⁷⁰ (satiating with water) with thirteen mantras beginning with *namaḥ* and ending with *namaḥ* (each respectively containing 6, 4, 4, 13, 2, 2, 2, 6, 5, 2, 2, 6, 2 names of deities) This constitutes for him the worship of Āditya (the Sun) and he offers oblations of clarified butter with these thirteen mantras and, after he passes twelve days in this way, on the 13th he offers nine oblations of boiled rice to Agni, Soma, Agni and Soma, Indra and Agni, Indra, the Viśve Devas, Brahman, Prajāpati, Agni Sviṣṭakṛt Then he serves dinner to brāhmaṇas The Āp. Dh. S II. 6 15.9 states ²⁷¹ the general rule that in all religious observances one should give dinner to brāhmaṇas that are pure (in conduct) and that have studied the Veda. The Baud Dh S. (II. I. 95–99) prescribes that in a kṛcchra penance one has to bathe thrice in the day, to lie down on the ground (not on a cot &c ), to wear only one piece of cloth, to shave one's hair on the head, the moustache and the body and to pare one's nails, and that the same mode is prescribed also for women (sinners) except the tonsure of the head Manu (XI. 222–225) prescribes that in all penances there is *homa* with the mahāvyāhṛtis every day, the sinner has to practise *ahiṁsā* (non-injury to all sentient beings), truthfulness, absence of anger and straight-forwardness, has to bathe thrice by day and thrice by night together with the clothes on, he should not talk with women, sūdras and *patitas*, he should stand by day and sit down at night or if unable to do so he should sleep on the ground (raised platform called *sthaṇḍila*), should observe celibacy and the rules of a student, such as wearing girdle of muñja grass and carrying a staff (of *palāśa* &c ), should honour gods, brāhmaṇas and his elders, should always recite the Gāyatrī and sacred texts.