Verse 3.16

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

शूद्रावेदी पतत्यत्रेरुतथ्यतनयस्य च ।
शौनकस्य सुतोत्पत्त्या तदपत्यतया भृगोः ॥ १६ ॥

śūdrāvedī patatyatrerutathyatanayasya ca |
śaunakasya sutotpattyā tadapatyatayā bhṛgoḥ || 16 ||

One who marries a Śūdra girl becomes an outcastk,—according to atri and to the son of Utathya; according to Śaunaka, by the birth of a son; and according to Bhṛgu, by having children from her (alone).—(16).

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Śūdrāvedi’ is one who acquires—i.e., marries—a Śūdra girl.

‘Becomes an outcasts’—i.e., as good as an outcaste.

Such is the opinion of Atri, and of Utathya’s son. The authorities have been mentioned with a view to inspire respect.

The first half of the verse is supplementary to the prohibition contained in the preceding verse.

‘According to Śaunaka, by the birth of a child.’ This is an entirely different rule. It presumes that marriage with a Śūdra girl is permitted, and then prohibits intercourse with her during her ‘courses’; ‘birth of a son’ is possible only by having intercourse on the even days of the woman’s period. Thus the meaning is that ‘one should not have intercourse with his Śūdra wife during her courses.’

‘According to Bhṛgu, by having children from her.’ This also is a distinct rule by itself. ‘Tadapalya’ is one who has only such children as. are born of his Śūdra wife; and the character of such a man is called ‘tadapatyatā.’ This is the opinion of Bhṛgu; which means that ‘after one has begotten children from wives of the more respectable castes, he may have intercourse with the Śūdra wife.’

The mention of ‘outcaste’ here is only meant to indicate degradation; it does not mean that the man is to be actually treated as an ‘outcaste,’ as described under 11.182. All this we shall explain later on.—(16).

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

According to Medhātithi, Govindarāja, Nandana and Rāghavānanda, the meaning of this verse is as translated. According to Nārāyaṇa’s explanation, the translation would read as follows (rendered by Buhler):—“A man of the family of Atri who weds a Śūdra female, becomes an outcaste; one of the race of Utathya’s son, on the birth of a son; and one of Śaunaka’s or Bhṛgu’s race, by having no other but Śūdra offspring.’ Buhler adds—“It ought to be noted that, according to Kullūka alone, the three classes refer to Brāhmaṇas, Kṣatriyas and Vaiśyas respectively. Rāghavānanda particularly objects to the opinion.”

Burnell ??tes that the rule attributed here to Gautama (Utathya’s ???n) is not found in the Sūtras of Gautama, where we find only a general statement regarding the unlawful character of Śūdra offsprings of twice-born men. And Hopkins says the same thing in regard to the Smṛti of Atri.

This verse is quoted in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 495);—and in Vīramitrodaya (Saṃskāra, p. 750); neither of which provides any explanation of this rather obscure verse;—in Aparārka (p. 88), which explains the meaning to be that “according to Atri and Gautama, the Brāhmaṇa marrying a Śūdra girl ‘falls’ by the mere act of marriage; according to Śaunaka, by begetting a son on her; and according to Bhṛgu, when a grandson is born from her;”—in Prāyaścittaviveka (p. 361), which notes that this and the next verse are only meant to deprecate the marrying of a Śūdra girl, ‘in the improper order’;—and in Smṛti-candrikā (Saṃskāra, p. 208), which adds the following notes:—The Brāhmaṇa marrying a Śūdra girl becomes degraded,—this is the opinion of Atri and of the ‘son of Utathya,’ i.e. Gautama;—hence according to these authorities the Brāhmaṇa should never marry a Śūdra girl;—according to Śaunaka, however, degradation results, not from marrying, but from begetting a child on a Śūdra wife,—hence according to him, the man should avoid the Śūdra wife during the ‘periods—according to Bhṛgu again, even the begetting of a child does not lead to degradation, what leads to it is the circumstance that the Brāhmaṇa has no children except those from his Śūdra wife,—so that according to Bhṛgu only so long as he has not got a child from his Brāhmaṇa wife shall the Brāhmaṇa avoid his Śūdra wife during the periods’.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 3.13-19)

See Comparative notes for Verse 3.13.