१८ छद्मव्रतानि

Having committed a sin, he shall not perform penance un der the pretext of doing a righteous act,—deceiving women and Śūdras by thus covering his sin by a penance.—(198)

पापं क्र्त्वा व्रतं प्रायश्चित्तं न कुर्यात्, धर्मस्यापदेशेन धर्मम् अपदिश्य लोके ख्यापयति- “धर्मार्थम् अहं व्रतं करोमि, न मे प्रायश्चित्तनिमित्तम् अस्ति” इति परमार्थतस् तु प्रायश्चित्तार्थम् एव करोति । एवं न कर्तव्यम् । पापं प्रच्छाद्यापह्नुत्य तेन व्रतेन स्त्रीशूद्रदम्भनं न कुर्यात् । प्रकटं प्रायश्चित्तं कर्तव्यम् अन्यत्र रहस्यात् ॥ ४.१९८ ॥

‘Having committed a sin, he shall not perform a penance,’—in the shape of an expiatory rite;—‘under the pretext of doing a righteous act;’—pretending righteousness, he makes it known among people that he is doing the penance purely as a religious act., and that there has been no occasion for his doing it as an expiatory rite; though, in reality, he is doing it as an expiatory rite. This is what one should not do.

‘By covering sin,’—by concealing his sin—one shall not—by means of the said righteous act—seek to deceive ‘women and Śūdras.’

The meaning is that, when one has to perforin an expiatory rite, one shall openly perform it as such, except in the case of the Expiatory Rites distinctly laid down as ‘secret’—(198).

This verse is quoted in Aparārka, (p. 1229).

**(verses 4.195-199)
**

See Comparative notes for [Verse 4.195].

198 When he has committed a sin, let him not perform a penance under the pretence (that the act is intended to gain) spiritual merit, (thus) hiding his sin under (the pretext of) a vow and deceiving women and Sudras.

Such Brāhmaṇas are condemned after death, and also here (in this life) by the expounders of the Veda; and penance done under a false pretence goes to the evil spirits.—(199)

इह पदार्थस्वाभाव्येनान्योद्देशेनापि कृतं यत् फलं ततो भवत्य् एव । तथा हि गुरुनियोगे प्रवृत्तो धर्मोद्देशेन गुरुवचनं करोमीति न कामहेतोः । अर्थस्वाभाव्यात्¹ तु कामं प्रतिजनयति ।

• एवं कश्चिन् मन्यते- “व्रतानि पापापनोदार्थानि । तानि अन्योद्देशेनापि क्रियमाणानि न स्वभावं जहति । एवम् एतन् मम प्रायश्चित्तम् उभयार्थं भविष्यति । लोके तपस्वीति ख्यातो भविष्यामि । पापं चपनोत्स्यते” । तस्यैवं बुद्धिमतो निवृत्त्यर्थम् इदम् आरभ्यते ।

• तदैतद् व्रतं छद्मना चरितम् अनुष्ठितं रक्षांसि गच्छति निष्फलं भवति न पापम् अपनुदतीत्य् अर्थः । न केवलं कार्याकरणं भवति याद्वद् ईदृशा विप्रा व्रतचारिणो गर्ह्यन्ते निन्द्यन्ते ब्रह्मवादिभिः वेदप्रमाणज्ञैः शिष्टैः ॥ ४.१९९ ॥

The nature of things is such that, even though an act may be done with a view to a certain end, yet its other results also accrue to him. For instance, when one is intent upon obeying one’s Teacher, it is with a view to the fulfilment of a religious duty, and not for obtaining pleasure; and yet, from the very nature of the thing, the act of obedience brings pleasure.

Some people bold the following opinion:—“Penances serve the purpose of removing sins; and even though performed with a view to other ends, they do not renounce their own nature. So that, in the case in question, the Expiatory Rite would serve both purposes,—I shall become known by the people as righteous, and my sin also shall be removed.”

It is with a view to setting aside such a view that the Author adds the present verse.

‘The penance done under a false pretence goes to evil spirits;’—that is, it becomes useless, and it does not remove the sin.

It is not only that his purpose is not accomplished, in fact, such Brāhmaṇas—those performing penances under false pretences—‘are condemned’—reprehended—‘by the expounders of the Veda;’ i.e., by the cultured people, who know the authority of the Veda.—(199).

**(verses 4.195-199)
**

See Comparative notes for [Verse 4.195].

199 Such Brahmanas are reprehended after death and in this (life) by those who expound the Veda, and a vow, performed under a false pretence, goes to the Rakshasas.

One who, though not entitled to the wearing of a certain badge, gains one’s living by wearing that badge, takes off the sins of persons entitled to that badge, and is born in the womb of a lower animal.—(200)

प्रत्याश्रमं लिङ्गधरणम् । यथा ब्रह्मचारिणो मेखलादिधारणं गृहस्थस्य वैणवदण्डकुण्डलकमण्डल्वादि वानप्रस्थस्य चर्मचीरजटादि परिव्राजकस्य कषायवसनदण्डादि । एतेन वेषेणानाश्रमी यो भिक्षाहेतोर् लोके चरति वृत्तिम् उपजीवति स लिङ्गिनाम् एनः पापं हरति आनृण्यं तर्पयति । तिर्यग्योनौ तिरश्चां श्वशृगालादीनां योनौ जायते ।

• न चात्रैतद् आशङ्कनीयं लिङ्गिनां यत् पापं तत् तेभ्यो ऽपसृत्य तस्मिन् संचरतीत्य् असंभाव्यम् । अकर्तव्यता परलिङ्गधारणस्य² प्रतीयते । अश्रुते ऽपि प्रतिषेधे निन्दार्थवादाद् एव तदवगतिः ॥ ४.२०० ॥

There is a distinctive badge connected with each of the life-stages. For the Student there is the wearing of the girdle-zone, etc.; for the Householder, there is the wearing of the bamboo-stick, the ear-ring, the water-pot, and so forth; and for the Wandering Recluse, the wearing of the reddish-brown garment, the rod, and so forth.

How, if a Householder makes a living—by wearing one of of these badges, with a view to obtaining alms,—‘he takes of the sins of persons entitled to that badge;’—helps them to become free from their debts; and ‘is born in the womb of a lower animal,’ such as the jackal and the like.

In this connection, the difficulty should not be raised that it is not possible for the sins committed by the persons entitled to the badge to move away from them to go over to the pretender.

Because all that is meant by the text is that one should not wear the badge of other persons. Even though no direct prohibition is laid down, yet we deduce the said impropriety from the deprecatory statement contained in the verse.—(200)

Viṣṇu (93.13).—[Same as Manu, but reading ‘prajāyate’ for ‘ca jāyate.’]

200 He who, without being a student, gains his livelihood by (wearing) the dress of a student, takes upon himself the guilt of (all) students and is born again in the womb of an animal.