13 - The usages of Shishtas. Good Conduct. 

Vyāsa said:

1-3. An excellent Brāhmaṇa should perform the Achamana1 rite (sipping water) in these circumstances (even though he had done so previously): after taking food, after drinking any beverage, after sleeping, after bath, after walking in a street, on touching the lips without the hair, after wearing garments, after the discharge of semen, urine or faeces, on uttering an improper word, after spitting, at the beginning of Vedic study, at the time of hiccough or sigh, on coming from a quadrangle or a cremation ground and at the time of the two Sandhyas i.e. dawn and dusk. In the last case, he shall perform the Achamana twice. 

1. Since ancient times Achamana or sipping of water before, in and after certain acts, occasions etc. was regarded essential from the purificatory point of view. Elaborate rules for Achamana rite are prescribed in Dharma Sūtras e.g., Apastamba I.5.15.2-11; 16.1-16) and Smrutis like Manu II. 58-62, Yāj. I. 18-21. The occasions for Achamana detailed here, were already prescribed in Apastamba Dh. S. 1.5.16.15-16, Manu V. 138 & 145 & Yajnavalkya 1.196. 

4-10. The Achamana rite is to be performed in the following circumstances also: - After talking to a Chandala or a Mleccha; after conversing with women, Shudra and a person defiled by Ucchishta (stale leaving), after touching a person who is defiled by Ucchishta as well as food-stuff of that sort. When one sheds tears or spills blood, after taking food, performance of the sandhya prayer at dawn and dusk, after taking a bath, after discharging urine and faeces and shall perform Achamana twice; after sleeping, he should perform the rite only once; after touching fire, or cows. After touching women or after binding the knot of the waist-cloth, he should perform Achamana. He should touch the grass, water or the earth, when he touches his hair or touches a cloth that is not washed; for the purpose of Achamana the water should not be hot nor shall it contain foam. It should be pure. He should be silent at that time. A person seeking purity shall sit facing the east or the north at the time of Achamana, If one performs Achamana covering his head or neck with dhoti (waist-cloth) worn loosely without knot or tucking and the knot of the tuft of the hair united and without washing feet, one remains impure despite Achamana. A wise person should not perform Achamana with shoes on, standing in water, wearing a turban. 

11-15a. No sensible man should perform Achamana when the hand is defiled by Ucchishta (leavings of food) nor should he perform the Achamana with the water by means of the shower, nor should he perform Achamana with water supplied by a single hand. It should not be without the sacred thread. He should not be seated with shoes on (?) or on the knees. The hand shall not reach outside the knees. The water shall not be poured out by Vaishya Shudra etc. by means of their hands. Nor should they be defiled by Ucchishta. Achamana should not be performed by touching water with fingers. One should not produce sounds (at the time of Achamana). His mind should not be dwelling on other topics. The water should not be defective in colour or taste. The water should not be in short supply. The water should not be agitated with the hands. It should not be performed outside the room (?). A Brahmana is sanctified when the water (of the Achamana rite) reaches his heart. A Kshatriya is sanctified when the water reaches the throat. A Vaishya is purified as soon as the water is drunk. A woman and a Shudra are purified by merely touching the water. 

15b-18. The Tirtha1 (holy place) on the line at the root of the thumb is called Brahmyam (Brahma Tirtha) (i.e., Brahma Tirtha is presumed to exist there). The root of the index finger is the excellent Pitrutirtha. The space after (beyond) the root of small finger is called Prajapatya (Tīrtha). At the tip of the fingers is remembered Daiva Tirtha. It is glorified for the sake of the Deva (?). Or it is enjoined at the root (of the fingers) that pertaining to Agni is remembered in the middle finger. The same itself is the Saumika (pertaining to Soma) Tirtha. Realising thus one is not deluded. A Brāhmaṇa should always perform the Achamana rite through the Brāhma Tirtha. 

1. The right hand (palm) used for holding water for Achamana is regarded as a congregation of holy Tirthas as given in VV. 15-18 here. The idea that holy Tirthas are located at the roots and or tips of fingers is as old as Dharma Sūtras (e.g., Vishnu 62.1-4, Baudhayana 5.14-18), though they differ regarding the location of certain Tirthas. 

19. He shall be pure if he performs the Achamana rite by means of the body belonging to the divinity (i.e., Daiva Tirtha) Pure at the outset, a Bramhana should perform Achamana three times. 

20. He should touch the mouth with the root of the thumb well-covered. * (?) He should then touch the eyes by means of the thumb and the ring finger. 

*The Venk. Text reads Samvruta but Sammrujya 'having wiped out) will be a better reading. 

21. He should touch both the nostrils by joining together the tips of the index finger and the thumb. He should touch the ears by joining together the tips of the small finger and the thumb. 

22. He should touch the arms with all fingers and the heart with palm. He should touch the umbilical region and the head, with all fingers. Or he shall touch both of them by means of the thumb. 

23. He should drink water three times. Thereby the deities are well delighted. We have heard that Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesha are delighted thereby. 

24. By the wiping off (Parimārjana) of mouth the Ganga and the Yamunā are pleased. When the eyes are wiped the moon and the sun are delighted. 

25. When the two nostrils are touched, the Aśhvin gods (Năsatya and Dasra) are delighted. Similarly, when the two ears are touched the wind god and the fire god are delighted. 

26. When the heart is touched, the deities are pleased. By touching the head, Purusha becomes delighted. 

27. (While performing Achamana) when the sprays (of water) touch the limbs they do not defile by means of Ucchishta. One shall be impure by touching the space between the teeth, when teeth are touched as well by means of the tongue and the lips. 

28. If the drops of water touch on the feet when one performs the Achamana rite, they are not defiled. They should be known as Bhūmikas (v.l. Bhūmiga - existent in the earth). 

29. Manu says that there is no defect (of Ucchishta) when Madhuparka (mixture of honey) or Soma is taken or when one chews the betel leaves. Nor is one defiled like this, when one eats fruits, roots or sugarcane. 

30. If a Brahmana becomes defiled (while eating and drinking) food and water in plenty, * he should keep down on the ground the material (that he is carrying), perform Achamana (after eating) and (then purify that material) by sprinkling water over it. 

*v.l. Pracharan-while walking. 

31. While taking with him a bright metallic thing (such as a Pot), if Brāhmaṇa becomes defiled by Ucchishta, he should place that article on the ground, He should then perform Achamana and take up that again. 

32. If he takes anything without chanting the Mantras and then becomes defiled by Ucchishta, he should become pure on performing Achamana even without placing that article (on the ground). 

33-34a. It is optional in the case of wearing apparel etc. where it is not touched (?). ** At night, in the forest-path infested with thieves and tigers, if anyone discharges urine and faeces with some article in his hands, he is not defiled. 

**v.l. tat samsprushyachamed iha should perform Achamana after touching it (cloth, etc.) 

34b-35a. During the day time, one should face the north and during the night he should face the south and discharge urine and faeces, after placing the sacred thread on the right ear.1 

1. Rules regarding answering calls of nature should be a part of hygiene. But Dharma Sutras (e.g., Apastamba 1.11.30, 15-30, Vasishtha VI. 10-19) and Smrutis like Manu (IV. 45-52, 56), Yaj. (I. 16-17) and Puranas like Vayu (78.59-64) have dealt with this topic in details. KP. or rather Aušhanasa Smruti. has summarised them here concisely. 

35b-36a. He should cover the ground with wooden pieces, leaves, grass or lumps of clay before passing urine and faeces. He should cover the head at that time. 

36b-37. One should not evacuate the bowels or pass urine in shady place, near the wells or rivers, cowpens or monasteries, in the middle of the path, on ashes, in burning fire, within the house or in the cremation ground. He shall not do so in the path traversed by cows, in a ploughed field, in a place abounding in great trees, in a grassy meadow nor on the top of a mountain. 

38-39. While answering the calls of nature one should not remain standing nor shall he be in the nude nor on a mountain peak. He shall never pass urine etc. in a dilapidated temple or an ant hill. He shall not do so in pits and ditches where there are animals. He shall not do so while passing through the the Royal road. He shall not discharge odour on husks, charcoal or broken pots. 

40. One shall not do so in a holy centre nor in the sacred water nor in a quadrangle. He shall not discharge faeces in a garden or a nearby place; nor in a barren land nor in a very dirty place. 

41-42. One shall not discharge faeces etc. with shoes on. While going in an aerial chariot (v.l. while holding an umbrella) or standing face to face with a woman, elders or Brāhmaņas one shall not evacuate bowels. Neither in front of a shrine nor that of an idol shall one discharge urine or faeces. One shall not do so facing the luminaries or water nor in front of the sun, moon and the fire. 

43. The purificatory rite shall be performed with clay brought from the banks. The stickiness and the odour shall be removed. He shall perform carefully the purifacatory rite with water taken out from it (before hand?). 

44. A Brahmana should not bring clay from a dusty place, or a marshy place. He shall not bring it from the high way nor from barren land. Nor from the soil defiled by Ucchishta of someone else performing Shaucha (the purificatory rite.) 

45. He should not bring the clay from a temple nor from a well nor from the open village nor from the waterbed. In accordance with the injunction mentioned before, he should always perform the Achamana rite as well.