The Community Ordinance Established by Bhartriyajna for the Nagara Clan

Verse 1 (skanda.6.200.1)

विश्वामित्र उवाच ततः प्रभाते संजाते प्रोद्गते रविमण्डले सा चापि दुहिता तस्य दीक्षितस्य महात्मनः

viśvāmitra uvāca tataḥ prabhāte saṁjāte prodgate ravimaṇḍale sā cāpi duhitā tasya dīkṣitasya mahātmanaḥ

Vishvamitra said: Then, when morning came and the sun's orb had risen, that daughter too of the great-souled, consecrated Subhadra —

Verse 2 (skanda.6.200.2)

रोरूयमाणाऽभ्यगमत्पितरं मातरं प्रति प्रोवाच गद्गदं वाक्यं बाष्पव्याकुललोचना

rorūyamāṇā'bhyagamatpitaraṁ mātaraṁ prati provāca gadgadaṁ vākyaṁ bāṣpavyākulalocanā

— weeping bitterly, approached her father and mother, and, her eyes distraught with tears, spoke this broken, choking word.

Verse 3 (skanda.6.200.3)

ताताम्ब किमिदं पापं युवाभ्यां समनुष्ठितम् अन्त्यजस्य प्रदत्ताऽहं यत्पापस्य दुरात्मनः

tātāmba kimidaṁ pāpaṁ yuvābhyāṁ samanuṣṭhitam antyajasya pradattā'haṁ yatpāpasya durātmanaḥ

'Father, mother, what sin is this that you two have committed, in that I have been given to an outcaste — a wicked, sinful man?'

Verse 4 (skanda.6.200.4)

स नष्टो रजनीवक्त्रे ममावेद्य निजं कुलम् तस्मादहं प्रवेक्ष्यामि प्रदीप्ते हव्यवाहने

sa naṣṭo rajanīvaktre mamāvedya nijaṁ kulam tasmādahaṁ pravekṣyāmi pradīpte havyavāhane

'He fled at the face of night, having revealed to me his own lineage. Therefore I shall now enter the blazing fire.'

Verse 5 (skanda.6.200.5)

तस्यास्तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा दीक्षितः स सुभद्रकः निश्चेष्टः पतितो भूमौ वातभग्न इव द्रुमः

tasyāstadvacanaṁ śrutvā dīkṣitaḥ sa subhadrakaḥ niśceṣṭaḥ patito bhūmau vātabhagna iva drumaḥ

Hearing her words, that consecrated Subhadraka fell senseless to the ground, like a tree broken by the wind.

Verse 6 (skanda.6.200.6)

ततः स शीततोयेन संसिक्तश्च पुनःपुनः लब्ध्वाशु चेतनां कृच्छ्रात्स्वजनैः परिवारितः प्रलापान्विविधांश्चक्रे ताडयन्स्वशिरो मुहुः

tataḥ sa śītatoyena saṁsiktaśca punaḥpunaḥ labdhvāśu cetanāṁ kṛcchrātsvajanaiḥ parivāritaḥ pralāpānvividhāṁścakre tāḍayansvaśiro muhuḥ

Then, sprinkled again and again with cold water, and having with difficulty swiftly regained his senses, surrounded by his kinsmen, he broke into all manner of lament, striking his own head again and again.

Verse 7 (skanda.6.200.7)

अथ ते ब्राह्मणाः सर्वे तस्य संपर्कदूषिताः भर्तृयज्ञं समासाद्य तेनैव सहितास्ततः

atha te brāhmaṇāḥ sarve tasya saṁparkadūṣitāḥ bhartṛyajñaṁ samāsādya tenaiva sahitāstataḥ

Then all those brahmins, defiled by their association with him, went together with him to Bhartriyajna,

Verse 8 (skanda.6.200.8)

प्रोचुर्विनयसंयुक्ताः प्रोच्चैस्तत्सुतया सह सुभद्रेण निजे हर्म्ये सुतां दत्त्वा निवेशितः

procurvinayasaṁyuktāḥ proccaistatsutayā saha subhadreṇa nije harmye sutāṁ dattvā niveśitaḥ

and, together with his daughter, said to him with humility, in a loud voice: 'Subhadra, having given his daughter, installed in his own house —

Verse 9 (skanda.6.200.9)

चण्डालो द्विजरूपोत्र चंद्रप्रभ इति स्मृतः

caṇḍālo dvijarūpotra caṁdraprabha iti smṛtaḥ

'— a chandala in the guise of a brahmin, remembered here as Chandraprabha.'

Verse 10 (skanda.6.200.10)

यावत्संवत्सरं सार्धं दैवे पित्र्ये च योजितः पापकर्मा न विज्ञातः सोऽधुना प्रकटोऽभवत्

yāvatsaṁvatsaraṁ sārdhaṁ daive pitrye ca yojitaḥ pāpakarmā na vijñātaḥ so'dhunā prakaṭo'bhavat

'For a full year he was engaged in rites for the gods and for the ancestors; that sinful man went unrecognized, but has now come to light.'

Verse 11 (skanda.6.200.11)

सुभद्रस्यानुषंगेण स्थानं सर्वं प्रदूषितम् अन्त्यजेन महाभाग तत्कुरुष्व विनिग्रहम्

subhadrasyānuṣaṁgeṇa sthānaṁ sarvaṁ pradūṣitam antyajena mahābhāga tatkuruṣva vinigraham

'Through Subhadra's connection with him, this entire place has been defiled by that outcaste. O most fortunate one, impose upon it the fitting penalty.'

Verse 12 (skanda.6.200.12)

कैश्चित्तस्य गृहे भुक्तं जलं पीतं तथा परैः अन्यैश्च गृहमानीय प्रदत्तं भोजनं तथा

kaiścittasya gṛhe bhuktaṁ jalaṁ pītaṁ tathā paraiḥ anyaiśca gṛhamānīya pradattaṁ bhojanaṁ tathā

'Some have eaten in his house, others have drunk water there, and still others have brought food from there to their own homes and served it.'

Verse 13 (skanda.6.200.13)

किं वा ते बहुनोक्तेन न स कोऽस्ति द्विजोत्तम संकरो यस्य नो जातस्तस्य पापस्य संभवः

kiṁ vā te bahunoktena na sa ko'sti dvijottama saṁkaro yasya no jātastasya pāpasya saṁbhavaḥ

'What use is it to say more, O best of brahmins? There is no one here who has not been touched by the taint arising from this pollution.'

Verse 14 (skanda.6.200.14)

त्वया स्थानमिदं पुण्यं कृतं पूर्वं महामते सर्वेषां च गुरुस्त्वं हि तस्माच्छुद्धिं वदस्व नः

tvayā sthānamidaṁ puṇyaṁ kṛtaṁ pūrvaṁ mahāmate sarveṣāṁ ca gurustvaṁ hi tasmācchuddhiṁ vadasva naḥ

'O wise one, this place was made sacred by you, of old; you are the teacher of us all — therefore declare to us the means of purification.'

Verse 15 (skanda.6.200.15)

ततः संचिन्त्य सुचिरं स्मृतिशास्त्राण्यनेकशः प्रायश्चित्तं ददौ तेषां सर्वेषां स द्विजन्मनाम्

tataḥ saṁcintya suciraṁ smṛtiśāstrāṇyanekaśaḥ prāyaścittaṁ dadau teṣāṁ sarveṣāṁ sa dvijanmanām

Then, after long reflection upon the many law-books, he gave the penance for all those brahmins.

Verse 16 (skanda.6.200.16)

चांद्रायणशतं प्रादात्सुभद्रायाहिताग्नये सर्वभंडपरित्यागं पुनराधानमेव च

cāṁdrāyaṇaśataṁ prādātsubhadrāyāhitāgnaye sarvabhaṁḍaparityāgaṁ punarādhānameva ca

To Subhadra, the keeper of the sacred fires, he prescribed a hundred Chandrayana fasts, the abandonment of every vessel in his house, and the rekindling of the sacred fire anew.

Verse 17 (skanda.6.200.17)

लक्षहोमविधानं च गृहमध्यविशुद्धये वह्निप्रवेशनं तस्यास्तत्सुतायाः प्रकीर्तितम्

lakṣahomavidhānaṁ ca gṛhamadhyaviśuddhaye vahnipraveśanaṁ tasyāstatsutāyāḥ prakīrtitam

He prescribed the rite of a hundred thousand oblations for the purification of the interior of the house; and for his daughter, entry into fire was declared.

Verse 18 (skanda.6.200.18)

येन यावंति भोज्यानि तस्य भुक्तानि मंदिरे तस्य तावंति कृच्छ्राणि तेनोक्तानि महात्मना

yena yāvaṁti bhojyāni tasya bhuktāni maṁdire tasya tāvaṁti kṛcchrāṇi tenoktāni mahātmanā

For whoever had eaten however many meals in that house, that great soul prescribed an equal number of Krichchhra penances.

Verse 19 (skanda.6.200.19)

यैर्जलानि प्रपीतानि यावन्मात्राणि तद्गृहे प्राजापत्यानि दत्तानि तेभ्यस्तावंति पार्थिव

yairjalāni prapītāni yāvanmātrāṇi tadgṛhe prājāpatyāni dattāni tebhyastāvaṁti pārthiva

O king, for whoever had drunk however much water in that house, an equal number of Prajapatya penances were given to them.

Verse 20 (skanda.6.200.20)

ब्राह्मणानां तथान्येषां तत्र स्थाने निवासिनाम् तत्स्पर्शदूषितानां च प्राजापत्यं पृथक्पृथक्

brāhmaṇānāṁ tathānyeṣāṁ tatra sthāne nivāsinām tatsparśadūṣitānāṁ ca prājāpatyaṁ pṛthakpṛthak

For the other brahmins, and for the other residents of that place, who had been defiled by his touch, a separate Prajapatya penance was prescribed for each.

Verse 21 (skanda.6.200.21)

स्त्रीशूद्राणां तदर्धं च तदर्ध बालवृद्धयोः मृन्मयानां च भांडानां परित्यागो निवेदितः

strīśūdrāṇāṁ tadardhaṁ ca tadardha bālavṛddhayoḥ mṛnmayānāṁ ca bhāṁḍānāṁ parityāgo niveditaḥ

For women and shudras, half of that; and half again for children and the elderly. The abandonment of all earthen vessels was also declared.

Verse 22 (skanda.6.200.22)

सर्वेषामेव लोकानां रसत्यागस्तथैव च कोटिहोमस्तु निर्दिष्टो ब्रह्मस्थाने यथोदितः सर्वस्थानविशुद्ध्यर्थं स्थानवित्तेन केवलम्

sarveṣāmeva lokānāṁ rasatyāgastathaiva ca koṭihomastu nirdiṣṭo brahmasthāne yathoditaḥ sarvasthānaviśuddhyarthaṁ sthānavittena kevalam

Likewise, the giving up of certain foods was prescribed for all the people; and a rite of a crore oblations, as declared, was ordained at the place of Brahman, solely at the expense of the community's own funds, for the purification of the entire place.

Verse 23 (skanda.6.200.23)

अथोवाच पुनर्विप्रान्स कृत्वा चोच्छ्रितं भुजम् तारनादेन महता सर्वांस्तान्नागरोद्भवान्

athovāca punarviprānsa kṛtvā cocchritaṁ bhujam tāranādena mahatā sarvāṁstānnāgarodbhavān

Then, raising his arm aloft, he addressed all those born of the Nagara community once more, in a great, ringing voice.

Verse 24 (skanda.6.200.24)

सुभद्रेण च सर्वस्वं देयं विप्रेभ्य एव च चतुर्थांशश्च यैर्भुक्तं तद्गृहे स्वधनस्य च

subhadreṇa ca sarvasvaṁ deyaṁ viprebhya eva ca caturthāṁśaśca yairbhuktaṁ tadgṛhe svadhanasya ca

'Subhadra must give his entire wealth to the brahmins; and whoever ate in that house must give a fourth part of his own wealth.'

Verse 25 (skanda.6.200.25)

अष्टांशं यैर्जलं पीतं गोदानं स्पर्शसंभवम् शेषाणामपि लोकानां यथाशक्त्या तु दक्षिणा

aṣṭāṁśaṁ yairjalaṁ pītaṁ godānaṁ sparśasaṁbhavam śeṣāṇāmapi lokānāṁ yathāśaktyā tu dakṣiṇā

'Whoever drank water there must give an eighth part; and for the taint arising from mere touch, a cow is to be given. For the rest of the people, a fee according to their means.'

Verse 26 (skanda.6.200.26)

दीक्षितेन जपः कार्यो लक्षगायत्रिसंभवः शेषैर्विप्रैर्यथा वित्तं तथा कार्यो जपोऽखिलः

dīkṣitena japaḥ kāryo lakṣagāyatrisaṁbhavaḥ śeṣairviprairyathā vittaṁ tathā kāryo japo'khilaḥ

'The consecrated one himself must perform a recitation consisting of a hundred thousand Gayatri japas. Let the remaining brahmins each perform the full recitation, according to their means.'

Verse 27 (skanda.6.200.27)

अहं चैव करिष्यामि प्राणायामशतत्रयम् नित्यमेव द्विजश्रेष्ठाः षष्ठकालकृताशनः

ahaṁ caiva kariṣyāmi prāṇāyāmaśatatrayam nityameva dvijaśreṣṭhāḥ ṣaṣṭhakālakṛtāśanaḥ

'And I myself, O best of brahmins, shall daily perform three hundred rounds of pranayama, taking my meal only at the sixth hour,'

Verse 28 (skanda.6.200.28)

यावत्संवत्सरस्यांतं ततः शुद्धिर्भविष्यति जनसंपर्कसंजाता सैवं तस्य दुरात्मनः

yāvatsaṁvatsarasyāṁtaṁ tataḥ śuddhirbhaviṣyati janasaṁparkasaṁjātā saivaṁ tasya durātmanaḥ

'— until the end of the year, so that this taint, born of contact with that wicked man, might thus be purified.'

Verse 29 (skanda.6.200.29)

एवमुक्त्वा ततो भूयः स प्रोवाच द्विजोत्तमान् अथाऽऽद्यान्मध्यगास्येन ब्रह्मस्थानसमाश्रयान्

evamuktvā tato bhūyaḥ sa provāca dvijottamān athā''dyānmadhyagāsyena brahmasthānasamāśrayān

Having said this, he then spoke once more to those excellent brahmins, the foremost ones assembled at the seat of Brahman, through the mouth of the presiding elder.

Verse 30 (skanda.6.200.30)

अद्यप्रभृति यः कन्यामविदित्वा तु नागरम् नागरो दास्यति क्वापि पतितः स भविष्यति

adyaprabhṛti yaḥ kanyāmaviditvā tu nāgaram nāgaro dāsyati kvāpi patitaḥ sa bhaviṣyati

'From this day forward, whatever Nagara gives his daughter to anyone anywhere without ascertaining that he is indeed a Nagara, shall become fallen.'

Verse 31 (skanda.6.200.31)

अश्राद्धेयो ह्यपांक्तेयो नागराणां विशेषतः

aśrāddheyo hyapāṁkteyo nāgarāṇāṁ viśeṣataḥ

'He shall become unfit to receive the shraddha-offering, excluded from the assembly, especially among the Nagaras.'

Verse 32 (skanda.6.200.32)

यः श्राद्धं नागरं मुक्त्वा ह्यन्यस्मै संप्रदास्यति विमुखास्तस्य यास्यंति पितरो विबुधैः सह

yaḥ śrāddhaṁ nāgaraṁ muktvā hyanyasmai saṁpradāsyati vimukhāstasya yāsyaṁti pitaro vibudhaiḥ saha

'Whoever, forsaking a Nagara, entrusts the shraddha-rite to any other, his ancestors, together with the gods, shall turn away from it in displeasure.'

Verse 33 (skanda.6.200.33)

नागरेण विना यस्तु सोमपानं करिष्यति स करिष्यत्यसंदिग्धं मद्यपानं तु नागरः तन्मतेन विना यस्तु श्राद्धकर्म करिष्यति

nāgareṇa vinā yastu somapānaṁ kariṣyati sa kariṣyatyasaṁdigdhaṁ madyapānaṁ tu nāgaraḥ tanmatena vinā yastu śrāddhakarma kariṣyati

'Whoever performs the Soma-drinking rite without a Nagara — that man shall undoubtedly, in truth, be committing an act equal to the drinking of wine. Whoever performs the shraddha-rite without the counsel of a Nagara —'

Verse 34 (skanda.6.200.34)

ततः सर्वं वृथा तस्य भविष्यति न संशयः विशुद्धिरहितं यस्तु नागरं भोजयिष्यति

tataḥ sarvaṁ vṛthā tasya bhaviṣyati na saṁśayaḥ viśuddhirahitaṁ yastu nāgaraṁ bhojayiṣyati

'— all of it shall become fruitless for him, without doubt. And whoever feeds a Nagara who lacks purity —'

Verse 35 (skanda.6.200.35)

श्राद्धे तस्यापि तत्सर्वं व्यर्थतां संप्रयास्यति सर्वेषां नागराणां च मर्यादेयं कृता मया

śrāddhe tasyāpi tatsarvaṁ vyarthatāṁ saṁprayāsyati sarveṣāṁ nāgarāṇāṁ ca maryādeyaṁ kṛtā mayā

'— for him too, that entire shraddha shall come to naught. This ordinance has been established by me for all the Nagaras.'

Verse 36 (skanda.6.200.36)

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन शुद्धिः कार्या द्विजोत्तमैः वर्षेवर्षे तु संप्राप्ते स्वस्थानस्य विशुद्धये

tasmātsarvaprayatnena śuddhiḥ kāryā dvijottamaiḥ varṣevarṣe tu saṁprāpte svasthānasya viśuddhaye

'Therefore, with every effort, purification is to be performed by the best of brahmins, year after year, for the purification of their own community.'

Verse 37 (skanda.6.200.37)

विश्वामित्र उवाच एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यत्पृष्टोऽस्मि नृपोत्तम श्राद्धार्हा नागरा येन नागराणां व्यवस्थिताः भर्तृयज्ञेन मर्यादा कृता तेषां यथा पुरा

viśvāmitra uvāca etatte sarvamākhyātaṁ yatpṛṣṭo'smi nṛpottama śrāddhārhā nāgarā yena nāgarāṇāṁ vyavasthitāḥ bhartṛyajñena maryādā kṛtā teṣāṁ yathā purā

Vishvamitra said: All this, O best of kings, has now been told to you, as you asked — how the Nagaras came to be established as the ones fit for the shraddha among the Nagaras, and how this ordinance concerning them was established by Bhartriyajna of old.