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The Grihya Sutras, Part 2 (SBE30), by Hermann Oldenberg, [1892], at sacred-texts.com


NDIKÂ 2.

1. 1 He takes as his yagñopavîta (i.e. sacrificial cord) a string, or a garment, or simply a rope of Kusa grass.

p. 17

2. Raising his right arm, putting the head into (the upavîta), he suspends (the cord) over his left shoulder, so that it hangs down on his right side: thus he becomes yagñopavîtin.

3. Raising his left arm, putting the head into (the upavîta), he suspends it over his right shoulder, so that it hangs down on his left side: thus he becomes prâkînâvîtin.

4. Prâkînâvîtin, however, he is only at sacrifices offered to the Manes.

5. 5 Having gone in a northern direction from the fire, having washed his hands and feet, and having seated himself, he should sip water three times and wipe off (the water) twice.

6. Having besprinkled his feet (with water) let him besprinkle his head.

7. Let him touch the organs of his senses with water:

8. The two eyes, the nose, the two ears.

9. Whatever (limb of his body) requires his consideration (whether it is pure or not), that he should touch with water (i.e. with a wet hand).

10. Here they say:

11. Let him not touch (himself with water, or sip water) while walking,

12. Nor standing,

13. Nor laughing,

14. Nor looking about,

15. Nor without bending down,

p. 18

16. Nor (throwing up the water) with his fingers,

17. 17 Nor except with the (proper) Tîrtha,

18. Nor uttering a sound,

19. Nor without looking (at the water),

20. 20 Nor with his shoulders put back,

21. 21 Nor wearing a part of his under garment as if it were an upper garment,

22. Nor with warm water,

23. Nor with foamy water,

24. And in no case wearing sandals,

25. 25 (Not) with a turban on his head (?),

26. (Not with his garment) tied round his neck,

27. And not stretching out his feet.

28. 28 When he has finally touched (water) again, he becomes pure.

29. 29 Let him, however, sip only water that reaches his heart.

30. For if he does otherwise, he remains impure.

31. Now the cases in which he has to touch (water) a second time.

p. 19

32. 32 Having slept, or eaten, or sneezed, or taken a bath, or drunk something, or changed (his garments), or walked on the high road, or gone to a cemetery, he should sip water and then sip water again.


Footnotes

16:1 2, 1-4. Rules regarding the Upavîta. Khâdira-Grihya I, 1, 4-6. Compare the detailed description of the nine threads of which the Upavîta-string should consist, in the Grihya-samgraha II, 48 seqq. A string was evidently considered as the regular and preferable form of the Upavîta; with regard to the second kind of Upavîta mentioned in Sûtra 1, the commentary says, 'A garment (is used), p. 17 if the Upavîta has been lost, for instance, in a forest, and if it is impossible to get a string.' A similar remark is given with reference to the third kind of Upavîta, the rope of Kusa grass.

17:5 5-32. Rules regarding the âkamana and upasparsana. Khâdira-Grihya I, 1, 7-10; Manu II, 60 seqq.

18:17 As to the Tîrthas (or parts of the hand) sacred to the different deities or beings, comp. Vasishtha III, 64 seqq., &c. See also Manu II, 58.

18:20 According to the commentary he has to hold his hands between his knees. Comp. Sâṅkh.-Grihya I, 10, 8. Thus the shoulders are brought forward.

18:21 21-27. These Sûtras form three regular Sloka hemistichs. Only at the end of the second hemistich there is a metrical irregularity (sopânatkah kvakit standing at the end of the verse).

18:25 Kâsaktikah, which the commentary explains as a compound of ka, 'the head,' and âsaktikâ = âveshtikâ.

18:28 Khâdira-Grihya I, 1, 10.

18:29 In other texts (for instance, Manu II, 62; Vasishtha III, 31 seqq.) it is stated that a Brâhmana should sip water that reaches his heart, a Kshatriya water reaching his throat, a Vaisya water that wets his palate; a Sûdra should only touch water with his lips.

19:32 This Sûtra again forms a Sloka, though a slightly irregular Sloka.


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