History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.73
History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.73
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v6.c81.73.1
After dealing with the etymology and semantic development of the word 'vrata' from the passages of the Ṛgveda in which the word occurs, it is now time to turn to the other Vedic Saṁhitās and the Brāhmaṇas for finding out how that word is dealt with in them Some of the Ṛgvedic verses occur in other Vedic Saṁhitās In several such passages vrata appears to mean 'divine ordinances' or 'ethical patterns of conduct'. For example, the verse³⁵ Ṛg I. 22 19 'Mark the deeds of Viṣṇu, the helpful friend of Indra, whereby he watches over his ordinances' occurs also in T S I. 3 6 2, Atharva VII. 26 6, Vāj S VI. 4 ; Ṛg VIII. 11 1³⁶ 'O Agni! thou art a God that protects ordinances among (gods and) men, thou art to be praised in sacrifices' is also found in Atharva 19 59 1, Vāj S IV 16, T. S. I. 1 14 4-5 and I 2 3 1 ; Ṛg. I. 24. 15 is found in Vāj S. XII 12 and Atharva VII. 83 (88) 3 and XVIII. 4 69 ; Ṛg X. 191. 3 is almost the same as Atharva³⁷ VI. 64 2, the latter substituting the word 'vrataṁ' for 'manaḥ' in the former and thereby indicating that 'vrata' means 'resolve to undertake a religious observance' ; Ṛg VII. 103 1, in which frogs that lie down silent for a year and begin to croak at the advent of the rains are compared to brāhmaṇas observing a religious vow, occurs in the Atharvaveda IV. 15 13 ; Ṛg X. 12 5 is the same as Atharva XVIII. 1 33; Ṛg X. 24 is almost the same as Atharva XIX. 59 2 ; Ṛg I. 84. 12 is equal to Atharva XX.
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109 3, in all of which the words *vrataṁ* and *vratāni* occur. Agni is frequently called 'vratapāḥ' in the Ṛgveda (V. 2. 8, VI 8 2, VIII. 11 1, X. 32 6) and also Sūrya is so called (Ṛg I. 83 5 ) In the other Saṁhitās Agni is styled 'vratapā' as well as 'vratapati' (protector or lord of vratas) Atharva XX. 25. 5 (Sūryo vratapā) is the same as Ṛg I. 83. 5, Atharva XIX. 59 1 (tvam-Agne vratapā asi) is same as Ṛg VIII. 11. 1; Vāj S I. 5.³⁸ says 'O Agni, lord of vratas! I shall undertake a religious observance (or obligation). May I be able to carry it out, may that (undertaking) of mine succeed; here do I approach truth from untruth'. The T. S I. 3 4. 3 also styles Agni 'vratapati'. Here and there Vedic Saṁhitās other than the Ṛgveda do employ the word 'vrata' in the sense of 'ordinances of a god or of gods' as in T. S. IV. 3 11. 1, 2, 3 or Atharva VII. 40 (41) 1, VII. 68 (70). 1 ('Sarasvati vrateṣu te').
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But in many places in all the Saṁhitās (other than the Ṛgveda) and in the Brāhmaṇas and Upaniṣads generally the ordinary senses of vrata are two, viz (1) religious observance or vow, or restrictions as to food and behaviour when one has undertaken a religious vow, or (2) the special food, that is prescribed for sustenance when a person is engaged in a religious rite or undertaking, such as cow's milk, *yavāgū* (barley gruel) or the mixture of hot milk and curds (called *āmikṣā*) Both meanings of vrata are given by Yāska in his Nirukta³⁹ A few passages from the Saṁhitās and Brāhmaṇas are cited below to illustrate both meanings. For the first meaning, vide the following: T. S II. 5. 5. 6 'this⁴⁰ is his vrata (vow); he should not speak what is untrue, should not eat flesh, should not approach a woman (for sexual intercourse), nor should his apparel be washed with water impregnated with cleansing salt; for, all these things the gods do not do'; T S. V 7. 6. 1⁴¹ 'birds are indeed fire; when one who has performed Agnicayana eats the (flesh of) birds, he would be eating fire and would meet with disaster (or distress); (therefore) he should observe this vrata (not to eat bird's flesh) for a year, for vrata does not extend beyond a year'. The Śāṅkhāyana⁴² Br VI 6 prescribes 'He has to observe the vrata, viz that he should not see the rising sun nor the setting sun'. The Tai Ā. I.
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26 6 states 'this is the vrata for him (for him who has performed Āruṇaketuka-cayana), viz he should not run while it is raining, should not urinate or void ordure in water, should not spit, should not bathe naked, should not step over lotus leaves or gold, should not eat (the flesh) of a tortoise'