The Method of Certifying a Nagara's Purity

Verse 1 (skanda.6.203.1)

आनर्त उवाच एवं शुद्ध्यर्थमायातो नागराणां पुरः स्थितः नागरः शुद्धिमाप्रोति यथा तन्मे वद द्विजः

ānarta uvāca evaṁ śuddhyarthamāyāto nāgarāṇāṁ puraḥ sthitaḥ nāgaraḥ śuddhimāproti yathā tanme vada dvijaḥ

Anarta said: When a Nagara, having thus come for the sake of purification, stands before the assembly of Nagaras, tell me, O brahmin, in what manner he attains that certification of purity.

Verse 2 (skanda.6.203.2)

विश्वामित्र उवाच एवं मध्यस्थवचनात्समुदाये स्थिरे सति स प्रष्टव्यः पितुर्माता कतमा ते वदस्व नः

viśvāmitra uvāca evaṁ madhyasthavacanātsamudāye sthire sati sa praṣṭavyaḥ piturmātā katamā te vadasva naḥ

Vishvamitra said: When, at the presiding elder's word, the assembly has thus settled, he should be asked: 'Who was your father's mother? Tell us.'

Verse 3 (skanda.6.203.3)

किं गोत्रः कतमस्तस्याः पिता किंप्रवरः स्मृतः एवं तस्यान्वयं ज्ञात्वा गोत्रप्रवरसंयुतम्

kiṁ gotraḥ katamastasyāḥ pitā kiṁpravaraḥ smṛtaḥ evaṁ tasyānvayaṁ jñātvā gotrapravarasaṁyutam

'What was her gotra? Who was her father, and what pravara is remembered for him?' Having thus ascertained his lineage, together with its gotra and pravara,

Verse 4 (skanda.6.203.4)

प्रष्टव्या च ततो माता तस्याश्चापि च या भवेत् जननी चापि प्रष्टव्या तस्याश्चापि च या भवेत्

praṣṭavyā ca tato mātā tasyāścāpi ca yā bhavet jananī cāpi praṣṭavyā tasyāścāpi ca yā bhavet

— then his mother should be asked about, and whoever was her own mother in turn; and her mother too should be asked about, and whoever was her mother again.

Verse 5 (skanda.6.203.5)

ज्ञातव्या सापि यत्नेन ब्राह्मणैः शुद्धिकर्मणि

jñātavyā sāpi yatnena brāhmaṇaiḥ śuddhikarmaṇi

She too should be diligently ascertained by the brahmins engaged in this rite of purification.

Verse 6 (skanda.6.203.6)

पिता पितामहश्चैव तथैव प्रपितामहः शोधनीयाः प्रयत्नेन त्रयश्चैतेऽपि तस्य च

pitā pitāmahaścaiva tathaiva prapitāmahaḥ śodhanīyāḥ prayatnena trayaścaite'pi tasya ca

His father, his grandfather, and likewise his great-grandfather — these three, on his side, should also be verified with due diligence.

Verse 7 (skanda.6.203.7)

तथा पितामहीपक्षे त्रय एते द्विजोत्तमाः मातामहस्ततस्तस्य पिता तस्यापि यः पिता

tathā pitāmahīpakṣe traya ete dvijottamāḥ mātāmahastatastasya pitā tasyāpi yaḥ pitā

O best of brahmins, likewise these three on the paternal grandmother's side; then his maternal grandfather, and the father of that man as well —

Verse 8 (skanda.6.203.8)

माता मातामही चैव तथैवान्या प्रपूर्विका पितामह्याश्च या माता सापि शोध्या सभर्तृका

mātā mātāmahī caiva tathaivānyā prapūrvikā pitāmahyāśca yā mātā sāpi śodhyā sabhartṛkā

— his mother, his maternal grandmother, and likewise her mother before her again; and whoever was the mother of the paternal grandmother, she too, together with her husband, should be verified.

Verse 9 (skanda.6.203.9)

एवं शाखाऽगमं ज्ञात्वा तस्य सर्वं यथाक्रमम् मूलवंशादधिष्ठानं न्यग्रोधस्येव सर्वतः

evaṁ śākhā'gamaṁ jñātvā tasya sarvaṁ yathākramam mūlavaṁśādadhiṣṭhānaṁ nyagrodhasyeva sarvataḥ

Having thus ascertained, in due order, the entire spread of his branches, resting upon the root lineage on every side, like a banyan tree —

Verse 10 (skanda.6.203.10)

ततः शुद्धिः प्रदातव्या सिन्दूरति लकेन तु चातुश्चरणमंत्रैश्च दत्त्वाशीर्वचनं क्रमात्

tataḥ śuddhiḥ pradātavyā sindūrati lakena tu cātuścaraṇamaṁtraiśca dattvāśīrvacanaṁ kramāt

— then certification of purity should be granted, marking him with a tilaka of vermilion, and, with the mantras of all four Vedic branches, giving him a blessing in due order.

Verse 11 (skanda.6.203.11)

ततो वाच्यं नृपश्रेष्ठ मध्यस्थेन तदग्रतः दत्त्वा तालत्रयं राजञ्छुद्धोऽयं नागरो द्विजः सामान्यपदयोग्यश्च संजातः सांप्रतं द्विजः

tato vācyaṁ nṛpaśreṣṭha madhyasthena tadagrataḥ dattvā tālatrayaṁ rājañchuddho'yaṁ nāgaro dvijaḥ sāmānyapadayogyaśca saṁjātaḥ sāṁprataṁ dvijaḥ

Then, O best of kings, the presiding elder, standing before him, giving the three claps, should declare: 'O king, this Nagara brahmin is now pure; he has now become fit for the ordinary standing.'

Verse 12 (skanda.6.203.12)

ततोऽग्निशरणं गत्वा संतर्प्य च हुताशनम् पञ्चवक्त्रेण मंत्रेण दत्त्वा पूर्णाहुतिं ततः विप्रेभ्यो दक्षिणां दद्यात्स्वशक्त्या भोजनान्विताम्

tato'gniśaraṇaṁ gatvā saṁtarpya ca hutāśanam pañcavaktreṇa maṁtreṇa dattvā pūrṇāhutiṁ tataḥ viprebhyo dakṣiṇāṁ dadyātsvaśaktyā bhojanānvitām

Then, going to the fire-sanctuary, and having satisfied the sacred fire, and having offered the full oblation with the five-faced mantra, he should give a fee to the brahmins, according to his means, together with a meal.

Verse 13 (skanda.6.203.13)

सिन्दूरतिलके जाते ब्रह्माग्रे द्विजवाक्यतः पितॄणां जायते तुष्टिर्वंशो नोऽद्य प्रतिष्ठि तः

sindūratilake jāte brahmāgre dvijavākyataḥ pitṝṇāṁ jāyate tuṣṭirvaṁśo no'dya pratiṣṭhi taḥ

When the vermilion tilaka has been applied, before the assembly of Brahman, by the word of the brahmins, the ancestors rejoice: 'Our lineage stands established this day!'

Verse 14 (skanda.6.203.14)

यस्य नो जायते शुद्धिः शाखाभिर्मूलवंशगा निग्रहस्तस्य कर्तव्यो द्विजार्हो द्विजसत्तमैः

yasya no jāyate śuddhiḥ śākhābhirmūlavaṁśagā nigrahastasya kartavyo dvijārho dvijasattamaiḥ

Whoever fails to attain purity, traced through his branches back to the root lineage, upon him a restraint fitting for a brahmin should be imposed by the best of brahmins —

Verse 15 (skanda.6.203.15)

यथा नान्यो हि जायेत शुद्धि स्तस्य प्रकल्पिता एवं संशोधितो विप्रः श्राद्धार्हो जायते ततः

yathā nānyo hi jāyeta śuddhi stasya prakalpitā evaṁ saṁśodhito vipraḥ śrāddhārho jāyate tataḥ

— so that no other might likewise falsely arrange for him such certification of purity. A brahmin, thus properly purified, then becomes fit for the shraddha.

Verse 16 (skanda.6.203.16)

अपि चाष्टकुलोत्पन्नः सामान्यः किं पुनर्हि यः अशुद्धेन तु विप्रेण यः श्राद्धा द्यं करोति हि तस्य भस्महुतं यद्वत्सर्वं तज्जायते वृथा

api cāṣṭakulotpannaḥ sāmānyaḥ kiṁ punarhi yaḥ aśuddhena tu vipreṇa yaḥ śrāddhā dyaṁ karoti hi tasya bhasmahutaṁ yadvatsarvaṁ tajjāyate vṛthā

This applies even to the ordinary Nagara born of the eight lineages — how much more, then, to any other! Whoever performs the shraddha and similar rites with an unpurified brahmin, all of it becomes as fruitless for him as an oblation poured into ashes.

Verse 17 (skanda.6.203.17)

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन शोध्योऽयं नागरो द्विजः स्वस्थानस्य विशुद्ध्यर्थं तथैव स्वकु लस्य च

tasmātsarvaprayatnena śodhyo'yaṁ nāgaro dvijaḥ svasthānasya viśuddhyarthaṁ tathaiva svaku lasya ca

Therefore, with every effort, this Nagara brahmin must be purified, for the purification of his own community, and likewise of his own family.