०९

NINE Wandering and Rain Residence 1. I will explain next the wandering and residence of ascetics. On this point, Gautama remarks: He should be celibate and keep a fixed residence during the rains. (GDh 3.11-12] 2. Medhātithi: He is seen in one place in the morning, at another place at noon, and at yet another at sunset; like the sun, he should remain without a home and free from attachment.

3. He should spend the night in one place, either in a temple or in a fire stall, except when he is afraid for his life or when there is a great danger.

4. He should spend the four months of the rainy season outside a village. The two reasons given above remain valid here also for entering a village.

5. From these passages we gather that an ascetic should reside in one place only during the rainy season and not at other times. Manu makes a small concession here: During the eight hot and cold months he should on the whole roam around. Out of compassion for all living beings, he should reside in one place during the rains.

6. Kratu spells out the concession hinted at here by the words “on the whole”: Residing in one place only during the rains, he should wander along the path pointed out by the sun, spending one day in a village, three days in a town, and five or seven days in a city.

7-8. Likhita: Having surrendered himself to the highest Brahman, he should travel to sacred bathing places and temples, as he, full of compassion, continues to perform rites according to his ability and to be totally devoted to the prac- 150 9. Wandering and Rain Residence tice of yoga and to silent prayer. To purify himself, moreover, he should perform Krechra penances, lunar fasts [see Ch.5.11 n.5), and similar austerities 9. Unless he is blind, sick, or lame, he should not spend six nights in any one place. If his mind is totally focused on his duties, however, and if he comes from a different region, he may optionally reside in one place all the time.

10. It is certain that all ascetics should maintain a fixed residence in one place during the four months beginning with Śrāvana [July-August].

11. Devala: He should not reside for long in one place outside of the rainy season. The rainy season is the four months beginning with Sravana [July-August]. He should not travel during that period.

12. Gālava: During the rains he should live in one place, either in an abandoned house or at the foot of a tree.

13. Viśvāmitra: He may, indeed, live in one place even outside of the rainy season.

14. Manu the Elder states: If a man is eminent in virtue, however, he may reside in one place until death. Otherwise, he should cultivate the habit of wandering. This is the opinion of the venerable teachers.

15. Yama comments on the place and the manner of such residence: He should spend a single night in a village and five nights in a city. During the four months of the rainy season, however, a sage should reside in one place.

16. On land and in water living creatures abound; the sky is garlanded with living creatures. So during the rains, when the world is packed with living beings, let him reside in one place.

17. His mind serene and controlled, let him roam the earth like a worm along the path pointed out by the sun, without making any provision for the next day.

18. During the night, and at dawn, noon, and dusk, he should not move to a different place except to void urine or excrement or when he fears for his life.

19. Totally unfettered, let him always wander alone, without a companion; for when a man wanders alone his path becomes smooth, but it thwarts him when he does not.

20. He should place his foot on the ground after determining its purity by inspection. He should drink water that has been purified with a cloth 151 152 Rules and Regulations of Brahmanical Asceticism strainer. He should speak truthful words, and he should work for the welfare of all creatures.

21. A mendicant should wear a single garment, eat once a day, use a single bowl, and go around alone to beg in a village–that is the ancient vow of the seers.

22. He should always sleep on the ground and never have a fixed residence. He should shave his head and always live in the wilderness. And he should turn his mind continuously to mediation.

23. A place rich in almsfood, the king, relatives, sons, friends and the like, his wife, and gossip about benefactors-let him not even think about these.

24. A sage, if he is serious about attaining liberation, should not pay respects to any of his friends or tell them “Come! Go! Stay! Welcome!” 25. Every day one should pay obeisance to those ascetics who are senior in their vows and who carry out their duties faithfully, as if they were the images of Visnu.

25. An ascetic should pay obeisance only to a renouncer who was ordained before him and who is his equal in virtue, and to no one else.

26. An ascetic should pay homage only to the gods and to aged ascetics who are faithful to their duties; he should never pay respects to a member of any other order of life, however eminent he may be.

27. Let him not fill himself up morning and evening, or become overly fond of food. Nor should he, out of lust, ever become attached to sense objects.

28. He may ask the way and ask for almsfood. He is allowed to speak only on those two occasions; every other type of speech is forbidden.

29. Atri: Keeping his virtues hidden and living a life of obscurity, let the wise man, although not a fool, behave like a fool without corrupting the path of virtue.

30. Kapila: Let him somehow keep a fixed residence, just like the old and the sick. 32. Brhaspati: Except in a time of emergency, an ascetic should never accept provisions for a journey. In an emergency he may accept cooked food so long as it is eaten that very day.

31. The meaning is that junior ascetics should pay their respects to ascetics who are more senior. “Vows” here probably refers to their ascetic ordination. Seniority within the ascetic community is measured according to not the age but the time when each member was ritually admitted into the ascetic order.

32. Wandering and Rain Residence 153 33. Jamadagni: A man is not defiled by having something in his hands when he voids urine or excrement in the wilderness, in a deserted region, or on a road infested with robbers or tigers.

33. Placing that item on the ground, he should purify himself according to the rules, and then, taking it in his lap, he becomes pure by sipping water. 35. Gālava: If he travels beyond nine miles, he should control his breath twelve times.

Rain Residence 36. Next, I will discuss the four-month period of the rainy season. One begins this period on the full-moon day of Aṣadha [June-July] and concludes it on the full moon of Kārttika [October-November]; or one begins it on the full moon of Śrāvana [July-August] and concludes it on the full moon of Margaśīrṣa [November-December]. Others, however, maintain that the vow concludes after two months, because the statement “He should keep a fixed residence during the rains” [Ch. 9.1] prescribes one season.2 37. Jābāli: During the eight hot and cold months he should on the whole roam around. Out of compassion for all living beings, he should reside in one place during the rains.

38. With faith and devotion, he should reside in a village during the four months of the rains, for if he does not transgress this rule of residence, he will attain the eternal state.

39. When it rains even out of season, he should not travel beyond a couple of miles from the village limits as long as the ground remains wet.

40. Medhātithi: He should collect dry and pleasant earth of high quality on the twelfth day of the bright half during lunar month of May-June or June-August, without causing harm to any creature.3 2. The argument here is that the expressions “rains” generally refers to a particular season of the calendar year. A season, however, consists of only two months. Therefore, the vow of keeping a fixed residence should apply only to the two months of the rainy season.

41. Even though the terms “suci” and “sukra” have somewhat indeterminate meanings, within the context of the four-month rain residence they probably indicate the months of Jyestha and Aṣadha. The earth collected is used much like soap for bathing and cleaning oneself after toilet. During the dry months such earth could be collected at any time, but during the rains there is a danger of killing worms and insects. Therefore, all the earth an ascetic would require for the four months had to be 154 Rules and Regulations of Brahmanical Asceticism 41. When it rains even out of season, a mendicant who is faithful to his duties should refrain from traveling as long as the ground remains wet. He should keep a fixed residence during the four months from Aṣādha [June- July] until the beginning of Kārttika [October-November].

42. Atri: I will declare the rules regarding the four-month residence of self-controlled ascetics, by following which a man is always sure to attain liberation.

43-44. On any auspicious day from the beginning of Jyestha [May-June] until the full moon of Aṣadha [June-July], or on the day that he makes the ritual declaration of intent, an ascetic should proceed to a public field that is dry, pleasant, sandy, and without gravel, stones, creepers, plants, clods, and the like.

45. Let him call to mind Visnu in the form of a boar as he supported the earth and the purifying earth as she was born by Vasudeva abiding in the heart of every being.

46. “The Self-existent One abides within you, O goddess, through the holy syllable OM, for you have been created by the God of gods as the means of purification.

47. “The holy syllable OM, O goddess, likewise abides within you, the earth.” Having thus made the divinities abide in the earth with the mantras containing the syllable OM, he should then recite: 48. “I bear the earth on my head, O goddess, you who have been traversed by the horse, the chariot, and Visṇu. Protect me at every step. You are the earth, the cow, the sustainer, the support of the world, you who were raised up by the black boar with a hundred hands. Destroy my sins, O earth, destroy whatever evil I have done. When you have destroyed my sins, I will live a hundred years. Make me prosperous, O earth, for you are the foundation of all things. She rules over all creatures, she is marked by smell, she is difficult to assail, she is eternally prosperous, she abounds in cow dung-I invoke that goddess of prosperity.S collected prior to the rains. This collection became highly ritualized within Brahmanical and other forms of Indian asceticism, as did the four months of enforced residence.

48. Before performing any ritual a person is required to declare formally and publicly his intention to perform that ritual. This declaration is technically called sam kalpa. The declaration is generally done the day prior to the rite-in the present case, the day before the full moon of June-July.

49. The critical edition contains only the initial words of these mantras. They are found in the MNU 89-111. The statement that the earth is marked by smell probably refers to the cosmological view that assigns a particular quality to each of the five elements, earth being assigned the quality of smell. Earth abounding in cow dung is considered doubly pure and purifying.

50. Wandering and Rain Residence 49. “Viṣṇu, assuming a fierce form, once raised you up, O goddess. May that Kesava, who gives support to you, the supporter of all, join you in protecting me.

51. “You, O goddess earth, are known as the support, the governess, the purifier, and the mother of all creatures, and you grant safety to all.

52. “May the earth along with Visnu protect me from all creatures.” With his self composed, let him thus pray to the earth, the supporter of the world, and then continue: 52. “O earth, you have been given by Brahma at the request of Kasyapa. Remove, O earth, whatever evil I may have done.” 53. He should take that auspicious earth, reciting the two mantras beginning with “Visnu traversed this…” [RV 1.22.17-18]. Then, seated facing the east on Darbha grass and carrying blades of Darbha in his hands, he should undertake the vow of the four-month rain residence: 54. “Madhava, the Lord of the universe, together with his wife Laksmi, spends these four months sleeping on the coils of the serpent Seṣa for the welfare of all creatures.

53. “Until the eternal Lord awakens from his sleep, I too will reside in one place for the welfare of all creatures.” 56-57. Then he should recite silently the verse “The sky is firm, the earth is firm…” [RV 10.173.4] and touch the earth. A mendicant should follow the very same procedure when he performs the vow either on the twelfth day of the bright half or on the full-moon day of Aṣāḍha [June-July] or, if that full moon is cut short, on the day of the Uttara Aṣadha constellation.6 58. Fetching some earth while reciting “Visnu traversed this…” [RV 1.22.17-18], he should bring it back. Then he should worship the holy bathing places with the same mantra.

54. After he has paid obeisance to the older ascetics in the order of their seniority and in the prescribed manner, an ascetic who is junior should offer some earth to an ascetic who is senior to him.

60-61. He should worship one or two balls of earth with the following mantra: “Accept this ball of earth, O mendicant, which is auspicious and removes all sins. May this goddess along with Visnu protect both you 155 6. Earlier (Ch. 9.43-44) the author stated that the vow should be performed in May-June, prior to the start of Aṣāḍha. Here he gives alternative days within the month of Aṣāḍha. The expression “khanda paurnima” (“full moon cut short”) in all likelihood is the same as “khanda tithi,” that is, a lunar day that is current at sunrise but ends before midday. On such a day one does not start or conclude a vow (Nyayakośa, p. 255). If the full moon of Aṣadha ends before noon, then one commences the rain retreat not on that day but on the lunar day that falls on the constellation called Uttara Aṣādha, which falls approximately between the twenty-first and twenty-fifth days of the lunar month.

156 Rules and Regulations of Brahmanical Asceticism and me.” Having thus taken that earth, he should use it in performing rites. such as bathing.

62. He should use the earth that he has collected at this time to perform purificatory rites that require the use of earth during the four rainy months. 63. From the following day, which is the first day of Śrāvaṇa [July- August), he should neither travel nor get himself shaved for four months.? 64. He should get himself shaved on the opening and concluding days of the rain residence. Even at these times he should never shave below the neck, or the topknot, eyelashes, or eyebrows.

63. If he is unable to begin his rain residence on the twelfth day or on the full moon because of some difficulty or because he cannot find a place to stay, he may travel on until the fifth day of the dark fortnight.

64. If an ascetic travels after that time, he ought to perform a penance. A mendicant should perform one Krcchra penance if he travels in disguise. 67. If he travels beyond a couple of miles from the village limits, he should control his breath thirty times and silently recite the triple prayer three hundred times.

65. The above penance applies to a person who returns the same day. In this connection, Jabali the Elder gives the penance for a person who stays away overnight: One should not travel beyond a couple of miles from the village limits. If someone carelessly travels more than a couple of miles, he becomes purified only after he has performed a Prajapatya penance and controlled his breath sixteen times.

66. Vāyu: A Brahmin who has been initiated into yoga should not disrupt his rain residence. If he does so, he is cleansed and regains his purity by performing a hot Krechra penance [see Ch. 10.44 n. 9].

67. When he perceives a bodily danger during an emergency, when a famine strikes, or when there is an upheaval in the kingdom, he should leave that place even during the rains.

68. Even during the rains he should quickly abandon a region that is infested with robbers, afflicted with a famine, or plagued by disease, or that has been overrun by another king.

69. Atri: If someone abandons his residence during the rainy season when there is no crisis, he should silently recite the triple prayer one thousand times and control his breath one hundred times.

70. This verse assumes that the vow of rain residence is performed on the full moon of Śravana (July-August), which is given as an alternate date (Ch. 9.10, 36) 9. Wandering and Rain Residence 73. If someone enters a different place during the rainy season when there is no crisis, he should silently recite the triple prayer one thousand times and control his breath one hundred times.

71. If during the rains someone bypasses many villages that are suitable to reside in, he should perform one Krechra penance for each village he bypasses to free himself from that sin.

75-76. He should consecrate the water with the four mantras beginning with “The waters, the eldest of whom is the ocean…” [RV 7.49.1-4] and the Śiras mantra. The head is shaved on all four sides after moistening it with water. He should consecrate the razor with the mantra “Sharpen us…” [RV 8.4.16]. It is appropriate for an ascetic who is sick or in some danger to perform rites such as shaving at any time until the fifth day of the dark fortnight.

77. On the twelfth day or the full moon in the month of Karttika [October- November] he should get himself shaved and throw the remaining earth into water as he recites the mantra “Go along the wide atmosphere…” [TS 1.1.2.21.8 78. On the next day, that is, on the thirteenth day of the bright fortnight or the first day of the dark fortnight,” he should get up and go to any region. he wants while reciting the verse “Three steps Visṇu made…” [RV 1.22.18]. 79. The three verses beginning with “Mighty and invincible is the celestial help of the three gods…” [RV 10.185.1-3], as well as the verse “The ancient paths of yours…” [TS 7.5.24.1]-after he has silently recited these verses, he should go away, walking first toward the east or the north.

78. Gautama: Outside the season he should not spend a second night in a village. [GDh 3.21] 157 81. Maskarin (on GDh 3.21] explains: “When the season is over, he should not spend a second night in a village. The meaning is that he should not spend two days in a single village.” 82. Viśvarupa explains:10 “Even though the statement Outside the season… does not specify the season, nevertheless we should take it as referring to the rainy season, according to Sankha’s statement: ‘A single place of residence is 8. Here the author switches to the conclusion of the rain residence. During the concluding rite the ascetic throws away the earth that he has not used during the rainy season and begins a new chapter in his liturgical calendar.

79. If he concludes his rain residence on the twelfth day, then the following day would be the thirteenth of the bright fortnight, whereas if he concludes it on the full moon, then the following day would be the first of the dark fortnight.

80. Viśvarupa wrote a commentary on the Yajnavalkyasmṛti (YDh), in which I have not been able to trace this citation. There is no mention anywhere else that he wrote a commentary on the GDh.

158 Rules and Regulations of Brahmanical Asceticism not prescribed outside the two months of the rainy season.’ The two months of Śrāvana [July-August] and Bhadrapada [August-September] apply to those who are weak. Devala [see Ch. 9.11] prescribes four months: ‘He should not stay long in one place outside the rainy season. The four months beginning with Sravana [July-August] constitute the rainy season.”” 83. Satyakāma and Jābāla: When a mendicant arrives in a village, a town, or a city during the rainy season, he should remain there permanently. But when the rains are over he should not remain there even a moment longer. If he remains there inadvertently, he should perform a Prajapatya penance.

84. Atri once again states: … after he has silently recited these verses[see Ch. 9.79], he should go away, walking first toward the east or the north. He should spend only a single night in a village, but on some occasions he may reside there longer as if he were blind, stupid, deaf, mad, and dumb [see Ch. 7.130–36].

85. Should he divulge his name, lineage, and the like; the branch of the Veda he belongs to; the region he comes from; his ancestry, family, learning, and age; and the mode of life, the vows, and the virtues he observes, he will never attain success. Divulging such things, no doubt, causes harm to a pious ascetic.

86. Keeping his virtues hidden and living a life of obscurity, let the wise man, although not a fool, behave like a fool without corrupting the path of virtue.

87. That ends the ninth chapter, entitled “Description of Wandering and Residence,” of the Collection of Ascetic Laws.