History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c93.316

v7.c93.316

In Dharmaśāstra works, 'na' is frequently explained as laying down a paryudāsa (proviso or exception). In the section on the duties of a *snātaka* in Yāj. I. 129-166 'na' occurs very often. The Mit. explains (on Yāj. I. 129) that in this section wherever 'na' occurs it is meant to denote a paryudāsa (sarvatrāpi asmin snātakaprakaraṇe nañ-śabdaḥ pratyekaṃ paryudāsārtha eva). To take only one example, Yāj. in I 132 provides that one should not speak (to a man or woman) what would be painful without any necessity or cause. This does not altogether prohibit speaking what is painful; what it means is that a *snātaka* may say to another what is painful except when there is no proper reason nor proper occasion to do so. One may have to speak what is painful to an erring son or friend or near relative. Aparārka (pp 206-207) quotes two well-known verses on the distinction between *paryudāsa* and *pratiṣedha* (the two halves of which are quoted and underlined in note 2027) on the interpretation of a verse requiring a man having a son not to observe a fast on certain days &c. The first halves of those verses are; ‘Pradhānatvam vidhauyatra pratiṣedhespradhānatā (paryudāsaḥ...nañ) । aprādhānyam vidhau yatra pratiṣedhe pradhānatā । prasajyaprati ..nañ’ ।।