History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c71.s1.485

v5.c71.s1.485

*KṚCCHRA*—This is the general word for several penances The Sāma. Br (I 2 1) starts ³⁰² by saying 'we shall now expound three kṛcchras' and adds that one should eat sacrificial food for three days only by day and eat nothing at night, then for three days more one should eat at night only, then for three more days one should not beg or ask for food from others and should then observe a complete fast for three days If he is in a hurry to purify himself he should pass the day standing and the night in a sitting posture. Gaut. (26.2–16) describes the procedure of the first Kṛcchra (called Prājāpatya by later writers), then Atikṛcchra (26 18–19), and then Kṛcchrātikṛcchra (26 20). Baud. Dh. S (II.1.91) speaks of Parāka as Kṛcchra. Āp. Dh S (I.9.27.7) describes the Kṛcchra penance of twelve days. The Kṛcchra penance described by Gaut. 26 2–16 is one for twelve days and is called Prājāpatya by Manu (XI 211), Śaṅkha (18 3), Yāj III 319 and others. Laugākṣi Gṛ. (5 3–11) describes Kṛcchra According to the Par ³⁰³ M. (II part 1 p. 30) and Pr. Pr. (folio 64a) the word Kṛcchra without any qualifying epithet (*upapada*) means Prājāpatya. The Pr. T. (p 481) states that the Kṛcchra described by Gaut. (26 1–5) is given the name of Prājāpatya by Manu (XI. 211). Besides the rules about the intake of food, Gaut. prescribes certain other observances viz speaking the truth, not holding conversation with men and women that are *anāryas* (not of the three higher castes), always singing the sāmans called ‘Raurava’ and ‘Yaudhājapa’, bathing thrice in the day in the morning, the noon and the night, then performing mārjana ³⁰⁴ (sprinkling of of water) with the three verses beginning with ‘Āpo hi sthā’ (Ṛg X.9.1–3), with the mantras called ‘pavitravatī’ viz. those beginning with ‘pavamānaḥ suvarjanaḥ’ (Tai. Br. I 4 8 1) and the eight verses beginning with ‘Hiraṇyavarṇāḥ’ (in Tai. S V. 6.1), he should perform *tarpaṇa* with water with 13 *mantras* (Gaut 26.12); he performs the worship of Āditya (the sun) with the same mantra (i. e. after *tarpaṇa* with the 13 mantras, he is to perform the worship of the sun with the same thirteen mantras) and offers oblations of clarified butter with the same 13 mantras and then on the 13th day he cooks boiled rice and offers oblations into ordinary Agni (‘svāhā’ added at the end of each, such as ‘agnaye svāhā), Soma, Agni and Soma, Indra and Agni, Indra, Viśve devāḥ, Brahman, Prajāpati and Agni Śviṣṭakṛt and then feeds the brāhmaṇas.