Āpastamba Dharmasūtra | 7

Category:

BOOK TWO

1.

THE HOUSEHOLDER

1. After marriage, the special observances of the couple living the household life come into force.

1. Eating

2. The man should eat at the 2 appointed times, 3. but not so much that he is overly sated.
4. On new- and full- moon days, moreover, both should fast.

5. Eating at every other mealtime is a genuine fast, 6. and then they may eat until they are quite sated.

2. Wedding Anniversary

7. On the anniversary day let the couple eat whatever they like, 8. sleep on the floor, 9. and abstain from sexual intercourse.

10. On the following day the man should offer an oblation of cooked food. 11. The procedure for this offering is explained in the section on the new- and full-moon offerings.

12. In the world people require the couple to perform the above rites on every anniversary day.

3. Rites

13. On whatever occasion he is required to place the sacred fire on the altar,

he should draw 3 lines from west to east and 3 lines from south to north, sprinkle water on them, and kindle the fire. 14. He should pour out the water used for that towards the north or the east and draw fresh water.

15. Their water vessels should never be empty –
- this is an observance incumbent on a couple living the household life.

4. Rules of Sexual Intercourse

16. He shall not engage in sex during the daytime. 17. When his wife is in season, he must have sexual intercourse with her as required by his vow.

18-19. And if his wife wants it, he may have sex with her between the seasons as well, in accordance with the Brāhmaṇa passage. 20. He should only engage in sexual intercourse wearing the garment reserved for approaching his wife.

21. Let him, moreover, lie with his wife only for the duration of sexual intercourse;
22. after that they should lie separately 23. and afterwards take a bath.

2.

1. Or else, they may cleanse the stains, sip some water, and sprinkle their bodies with water.

5. Rebirth as Reward and Punishment

2. People of all classes enjoy supreme and boundless happiness when they follow the Laws specific to them.

3. Then, upon a man’s return to earth, by virtue of the residue of his merits he obtains a high birth, a beautiful body, a fine complexion, strength, intelligence, wisdom, wealth, and an inclination to follow the Law.

So, going around like a wheel, he remains happy in both worlds.

4. This is similar to the way the seeds of plants and trees, when they are sown on a well-ploughed field, increase their fruit.

5. This example explains also the way the fruits of sins increase:

6. When a thief or a heinous sinner, whether he is a Brahmin, a Kṣatriya, or a Vaiśya, completes his sojourn in the next world living in an interminable hell, he is born here again - 

- a Brahmin as a Chāṇḍāla, a Kṣatriya as a Paulkasa, and a Vaiśya as a Vaiṇa.

7. In like manner, others, when they fall from their castes as a result of their sinful acts, are born as outcastes in wombs that are the aftermath of their sins.

6. Penances for Contact with Outcastes

8. As it is a sin to touch a Chāṇḍāla, so is it to speak to or to look at one.

These are the expiations for such offences:

9. - for touching, submerging completely in water;
- for speaking, speaking to a Brahmin;
- for looking, looking at the heavenly lights.

3.

Food

7. Preparation of Food

1. Ārya men who are pure should cook the food intended for the offering to All-gods.

2. The cook should refrain from speaking, coughing, or sneezing while facing the food. 3. Should he touch his hair, body, or garment, he should wash himself with water.

4. Alternatively, Śūdra men under the supervision of an Ārya may do the cooking:

5. They are to follow the identical procedure of sipping,

6. with the additional requirement that every day they should shave the hair of their heads, bodies, and beards; clip their nails; 7. and bathe with their clothes on.

8. Alternatively, they may shave only on the eighth day of each fortnight or on new- and full-moon days.

9. If the food has been prepared by them out of his sight, the householder should place it over the fire and sprinkle it with water. Such food, they say, is pure enough even for gods.

10. When the food has been prepared,

the cook should stand and announce it to his master saying, ‘It is done.’
11. The latter responds: ‘It is well done, this splendid food! May it never fail!

8. Food Offerings

12. The burnt oblations and Bali offerings made with the food of the couple living a household life lead to heaven and prosperity.

13. While the householder is learning the ritual formulas to be used in them, he should sleep on the floor, abstain from sex, and avoid spices and salt for 12 days.

14. While he is learning the ritual formula to be used in the final offering, he should fast for one day.

15. The ground where each Bali offering is made should be consecrated. He should sweep the area with his hand, sprinkling water on it, put down the offering, and then sprinkle water all around.

16. Using the first 6 ritual formulas, he should offer at each formula an oblation with his hand into the domestic or the cooking fire, 17. and as before sprinkle water all around at the beginning and the end.

18. In like manner, when Bali offerings are made together in a particular place, the sprinkling is done only once at the very end. 19. If there is a sauce, the offerings should be mixed with it.

20. With the 7th and 8th formulas the offerings should be made behind the fire – the one to the north of the other;

21. with the 9th formula, near the water-pot;

22. with the 10th and 11th formulas, in the middle of the house - the one to the east of the other;

23. and with the last four formulas, in the north-eastern part of the house.

4.

1. With the ritual formula addressed to Love he makes a Bali offering near the bed;
2. with the formula addressed to mid-space, at the threshold;
3. with the next formula, at the door;
4. and with the formulas that follow, at the seat of Brahman.

5. With the formula addressed to ancestors he should make an offering towards the south with his upper garment slung over his right shoulder and under his left arm and his hand turned towards the right.

6. The offering to Rudra is to be made towards the north in the same manner as to the gods.

7. In the case of the last two, the sprinkling around with water is done separately because they follow different rules (dharma). 8. The offering thrown in the air is made reciting the last formula, and it is done only at night.

9. If a man makes these offerings steadfastly in the prescribed manner,
he obtains heaven forever, as well as prosperity.

9. Distribution of Food and Reception of Guests

10. Let him also give a portion of the food as alms. 11. He should always feed his guests first, 12. and then the children, the aged, the sick, and pregnant women. 13. The master and mistress should never rebuff anyone who comes asking for food at the proper time.

14. If there is no food, then a place on the floor,
some water and straw, and a pleasant welcome –
- these are never wanting in the house of a good man.

15. A couple who acts this way wins a world without end.

16. Let him give water and a seat to a Brahmin who has not studied the Veda but not rise up to greet him. 17. If the man deserves to be greeted, he may rise up to greet him.

18. Neither should he rise to greet a Kṣatriya or a Vaiśya.

19. When a Śūdra comes as a guest, he should get him to do some work and then give him food. 20. Or else, his servants should bring provisions from the royal store and honour the Śūdra as a guest.

10. Rules of Eating

21. He should always wear an upper garment 22. or, in place of that garment, wear just a cord slung over his left shoulder and under his right arm.

23. He should sweep the place where the meal is taken, remove what has fallen down, sprinkle the place with water, scrape the remnants from the cooking pots, mix those remnants with water, and put them down in a clean spot towards the north as an offering for Rudra.

In this way the house becomes auspicious.