History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c71.s1.433

v5.c71.s1.433

Vas. 24.5 (a long prose passage) contains similar provisions. Yāj III. 312-13 are very important. They prescribe the practice of certain virtues and rules of conduct called *yamas* (such as *brahmacarya*, kindliness, forbearance, truthfulness, *ahiṁsā* &c.) and *niyamas* (such as bath, silence, fasting, purity of body &c.) as necessary adjuncts in all penances. The Laugākṣigṛhya (V. 3-11) prescribes the procedure for all penances Yāj. III. 325 holds that one should, while performing the penance of kṛcchra or cāndrāyaṇa, bathe thrice daily, recite holy mantras (as stated in Vas 28.11-15) and should eat balls of rice over which the Gāyatrī has been recited. Śaṅkha²⁷² (18.12-14) also summarises the different items that have to be gone through in undergoing a penance The Madanapārijāta (pp 781-784), Pr. V. (pp 503-506), Pr. Sāra (pp 21,22 and 200-203), Pr. T. pp. 497-510, 523-524, Pr. Mayūkha pp. 18-21, Pr. Prakāśa (folios 38b to 43b), Prāyaścittenduśekhara (pp. 15 and 88) and other works provide elaborate rules about the procedure of undergoing prāyaścittas. It is not possible nor necessary to set out these in detail here. Briefly put, on the day previous to the actual day of commencing penance the sinner should pare his nails, shave his head, bathe with clay, cow-dung, holy water &c, drink clarified butter, make a declaration of performing the penance indicated by the assembly of learned men. On the next day he should bathe, perform śrāddha, drink *pañcagavya*, should perform homa, give *dakṣiṇā* (gold, cows &c.) to the brāhmaṇas and feed them. Parāśara (XI. 3) says that at the end of the rite of penance pañcagavya should be taken and one, two, three or four cows should be donated respectively by a brāhmaṇa, a kṣatriya, a vaiśya and a śūdra. Yama (verse 63) says that brāhmaṇas should be fed on the performance of a penance and a dakṣiṇā of one golden *māṣa* should be given to each brāhmaṇa. Jābāli says that at the beginning and close of all penances the sinner should offer in the smārta fire oblations of clarified butter to the accompaniment of the *Vyāhṛtis*, perform śrāddha and offer *dakṣiṇā* consisting of a cow or gold. Vide Aparārka (p. 1230) and Par. M II part 2 p. 195 for Jābāli's verses. The Pr Prakāśa (folio 30a) adds that according to the Mahārṇava the number of *vyāhṛti-homas* should be 28 or 108.