History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c72.469

v5.c72.469

The following pages will deal with the purification of things (*dravyaśuddhi*). But a few general observations must first be made. The Āp Dh. S (II 6. 15 17–20) states that infants do not become polluted or impure (by the touch of a woman in her monthly course) up to the time the *saṁskāra* of *annaprāśana* (*taking cooked food for the first time*), that, according to some, up to one year or as long as they cannot distinguish between the different directions or up to the time of *Upanayana* according to others. Manu V. 127–133, Yāj I. 186, 191–193, Viṣṇu Dh. S 23. 47–52, Baud. Dh I 5 56–57, 64, 65, Śaṅkha 16 12–16, Mārkaṇḍeya-purāṇa 35 19–21 state that the following are always pure:—what is not seen to be polluted; what is cleansed with water; what is commended expressly (by a brāhmaṇa as pure, when there is a doubt), water collected on (pure) ground that is not visibly polluted by an impure thing and that in quantity is so much that a cow can slake its thirst therein and that has the smell, colour and taste (of pure water); the hand of a craftsman (such as a washerman or a cook while engaged in his peculiar work); articles exposed for sale in a market such as rice and barley (though touched by many intending buyers); alms (collected by a *brahmacārin* though walking from house to house on the road), the mouth of a woman (at the time of dalliance), meat of animals seized or killed even by dogs, cāṇḍālas, and carnivorous birds, rays (of the sun), fire, dust, the shadow (of a tree or the like), a cow, a horse, land, wind, dew drops, flies, a calf at the time of making the cow flow with milk from the udder–these latter are pure when they come in contact with a person Then it was said that certain birds and animals were either always pure or as to certain parts of the body e. g. Yāj I. 194 says that the mouths of goats and horses are pure but not of the cow. Baudhāyana ⁷⁰⁰ quoted by Aparārka p. 276 provides that the cow is pure except as to its mouth, and a cat when it is leaping or moving about. Bṛhaspati⁷⁰¹ and Yama (q. by Aparārka p. 276) state: 'the feet of brāhmaṇas, and the mouth of goats and horses, the backs of cows and all limbs of women are pure; the cow as to its back, the elephant as to its shoulder, the horse as to all its limbs and the dung and urine of cows, all these are pure'. Atri (240, 241) contains several verses⁷⁰² on this point. 'Things taken out from a mine or from kitchens (or places where grain is pounded &c.) are never impure, since all such places (where anything is prepared in the mass) except a place for the manufacture of liquor are pure. All fried (or roasted) things, fried barley and grain, dates, camphor, whatever else is well fried is pure'. In Atri V. 13 we read⁷⁰³ 'flies, a continuous stream (of any liquid), the earth, water, fire, a cat, a wooden ladle and a mongoose are always pure'. Parāśara (X. 41) states:⁷⁰⁴ 'space (ākāśa), wind, fire, water fallen on the earth, darbhas are not to be deemed polluted just as camasas in sacrifices are held to be not polluted.' Par. M. quotes a verse of Caturviṃśatimata⁷⁰⁵ that raw meat, ghee, honey, oils extracted from fruits—these even when contained in vessels belonging to caṇḍālas become free from taint the moment they are taken out of these vessels. Bṛhaspati provides:⁷⁰⁶ 'machines for crushing grapes and sugarcane stalks, mines, the hands of craftsmen, the milk pail, fluids that come out from crushing machines, actions (such as cooking) done by women and children when they are impure (by walking barefooted on the road) and are seen to be so, are still free from taint One's⁷⁰⁷ own bed, garment, wife, child, water pot—these are free from taint for oneself, but these are impure to others. Śaṅkha 16.15 is to the same effect