Verse 6.53

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

अतैजसानि पात्राणि तस्य स्युर्निर्व्रणानि च ।
तेषामद्भिः स्मृतं शौचं चमसानामिवाध्वरे ॥ ५३ ॥

ataijasāni pātrāṇi tasya syurnirvraṇāni ca |
teṣāmadbhiḥ smṛtaṃ śaucaṃ camasānāmivādhvare || 53 ||

His vessels shall be non-metallic and free from holes; the cleansing of there has been ordained to be done by water, just like that of the vessels at a sacrifice.—(53)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Non-metallic—His vessels for carrying food or water shall not be made of gold or other metals.

‘Free from holes’— not having any holes etc.,

These are cleansed, like the sacrificial vessels, by means of water alone; but only when they are not stained; if there are stained, these should be removed by the use of other (cleaning) substances also. (53)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Parāśaramādhava, (Ācāra, p. 567);—in Mitākṣarā (on 3.60), which remarks that the citing of the instance of ‘Cups at the sacrifice’ indicates that the vessels may be considered pure for practical purposes;—in Āparārka, (p. 964);—in Madanapārijāta, (p. 377);—in Nṛsiṃhaprasādā, (Saṃskāra, p. 70b);—and in Yatidharmasaṅgraha, (p. 78), which shows that the example of ‘chamasa’ indicates that the things are ‘clean’ only so far as to be used.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 6.53-54)

Viṣṇu (96.7, 8).—‘He should receive food in an earthen vessel, or in a wooden bowl, or in a vessel made of gourd; he should cleanse these vessels with water.’

Yājñavalkya (3.60).—‘The vessels for the Renunciate are those made of clay, bamboo, wood and gourd; the cleansing of these is by means of water and scrubbing with cow’s hair.’

Hārīta (Aparārka, p. 964).—‘He shall have for his vessels either his hand only, or those made of clay or wood or bamboo-chips or gourd or torn leaves; holding these he shall enter the village for alms.’

Śaṅkha-Likhita (Do., p. 965)—‘The begging-bowl shall he one only, made of either wood or gourd or bamboo-chips or clay. The cleansing of this is to he done each time by scrubbing it with a rope made of cow’s hair and water.’

Nṛsiṃhapurāṇa (Do.).—‘He shall eat in a leaf-bowl or in a leaf-vessel; but never in the leaves of Vaṭa or Aśvattha, or

Kumbhī or Tinduka... Renunciates eating out of a vessel made of bell-metal are declared to be unclean.’

Yama (Parāśaramādhava, p. 567).—‘Vessels made of gold or iron are not for Renun dates; the Renunciate should avoid these.’

Baudhāyana (Do.).—‘He shall eat in leaves picked and split by himself; never in the leaves of the Vaṭa or Aśvattha or Karañja or Kumbhī or Tinduka or Kobidāra or Arka; never, even in distress, in a vessel made of bell-metal, or gold or silver or copper or tin or zinc.’