History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c72.403
History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c72.403
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Yāj. (III. 28-29) prescribes that there is sadyaḥśauca (purification after a bath) in case of birth or death (of a sapiṇḍa) for priests chosen for a sacrifice (after they are offered Madhuparka), for those who have undergone dīkṣā for a vedic sacrifice (like *Somayāga*) and those who are engaged in performing the constituent parts of a Vedic sacrifice, those who continuously distribute food at a charity house, those who are engaged in prāyaścittas like cāndrāyaṇa or the vows of *snātakas*, for brahmacārins (when performing the duties of their *āśrama*), for persons who everyday make gifts of a cow, gold etc (at the time of making the gift), for those who have realized Brahman (ascetics); there is sadyaḥśauca at gifts (when once begun), at marriage, in a Vedic sacrifice, in battle (for those who are about to be engaged in it), when there is commotion in a country (through invasion), and in a severe calamity (like famine when one can accept food from any body). Gaut. (14. 43-44) says that there is sadyaḥśauca in the case of kings as otherwise there will be obstacles in their duties and also in the case of brāhmaṇas in order to prevent the cessation of their duties of teaching. Śaṅkhalikhita say the same ‘Rājā dharmāyatanam sarveṣāṁ tasmādanavaruddhaḥ pretaprasavadoṣaiḥ’ (Śuddhikalpataru p. 62). It is stated in Manu V.
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93 that kings,⁶⁶⁷ those engaged in *vratas* and *sattras* (like *Gavām-ayana*) are not liable to undergo the blemish of aśauca, because they (kings) occupy the position of Indra (ruler) and are like Brahma (which is free from all taint) and Manu V. 94 clinches the matter further by observing ‘sadyaḥśauca is ordained for the position of a king which can be obtained only by great merit (in past lives) for the sake of the protection of the subjects and the reason of this (rule) is the position that he occupies.’ Similarly, Gobhilasmṛti⁶⁶⁸ (III. 64-65, often quoted as Chandogapariśiṣṭa of Kātyāyana) states 'in a sūtaka, a brahmacārin should not give up his peculiar duties (Veda study and vratas), a sacrificer his various actions (required) in a sacrifice after he has undergone dīkṣā, one who is practising penance should not give up kṛcchra and the like; these do not incur impurity even on the death of their father (or mother)' The Kūrmapurāṇa⁶⁶⁹ provides 'no impurity is declared on death in the case of perpetual or temporary brahmacārins, forest hermits or ascetics'. Similar rules are given by Atri 97-98, Liṅga-purāṇa, pūrvabhāga, chap. 89.77. The Mit. on Yāj III. 28 remarks that in the case of the three āśramas of *brahmacārin*, *vānaprastha* and *yati* there is freedom from impurity in all cases and at all times; ascetics and brahmacārins have to undergo a bath with clothes on the death of their father or mother (Dharmasindhu p. 442);
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in the case of several others such as those who are continually making gifts or are observing vratas there is freedom from impurity only when they are engaged in those particular actions and not when they are engaged in any action whatever or when they mix up among others for everyday work.⁶⁷⁰ Similar rules occur in Parāśara III. 21-22. It has already been stated following Manu V. 91 (=Viṣṇu 22.86) that a brahmacārin was not to perform the last rites (of carrying the corpse, cremation) for anybody except for five persons (viz. his parents, upādhyāya, ācārya and guru) He did not incur aśauca by performing the funeral rites of his parents and offering water and piṇḍa to them. But if he did so for any one other than the five mentioned by Manu he had to observe āśauca for ten days, and to undergo prāyaścitta and had his upanayana performed again. A brahmacārin had to observe after *samāvartana* (returning from the Vedic teacher) āśauca for three days for all relatives that died during the period of his studenthood (Manu V. 88, Viṣṇu Dh. S. 22.87). Gautama (14. 42-44) says generally⁶⁷¹ that on the death of children (before the appearance of teeth or before Cūḍā), of those who are separated by a country, of ascetics and of those who are not sapiṇḍas, the relatives are purified by only a bath;
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so also there is sadyaḥśauca for kings, for otherwise there would be conflict with their duty (of protecting the subjects) and for a brāhmaṇa also in order that there may be no cessation of Vedic study.⁶⁷² The Śuddhiprakāśa (p. 93) remarks that though there is no āśauca (as stated by Yāj III. 28) yet a sacrificial priest and a dīkṣita had to bathe on the death of a sapiṇḍa, a brahmacārin also would have to take a bath if he followed the funeral procession of his father or mother &c, but an ascetic would not have even to bathe and that usage was the same in its day.