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[Nishīthasūtra 31. A monk who gives or approves of giving the recitation (sūtrārtha) of svādhyāya in despicable families.
32. A monk who takes or approves of taking the recitation of svādhyāya in despicable families. (He incurs the prāyaścitta of laghu-cāumāsī.)
Discussion-Pāca. Śru. 2 a. 1 u. 2 states that it is permissible to go for alms in the 12 families that are not to be despised and not to be avoided, and in other similar families.
These sūtras only mention the prāyaścitta for taking alms from despicable families. Brāhmaṇa, Kṣatriya, and Vaiśya are the three families that are not to be despised, and Śūdra is a despicable family. Mlecchas and other non-Aryan families are also considered to be forbidden for alms, etc.
Pāca. Śru. 2 a. 1 u. 2 states that it is permissible to go to the villages of cowherds, farmers, carpenters, weavers, artisans, barbers, and other such families.
Uttara. a. 12 and 13 mention that people from the 'Harijan' family take saṃyama and go to mokṣa by performing pūjā. Therefore, one should not understand that people from despicable families are forbidden from performing dharma-pūjā. If a monk happens to touch a Harijan, he does not incur any prāyaścitta. However, since the families from which monks take alms are mostly those who perform śauca-karma, he should not go to despicable families for alms, because he has to enter the houses of those who perform śauca-karma to avoid the faults of eṣaṇā. Monks who enter despicable families for alms may be refused entry into the houses of other śauca-karma-performing (those who perform śauca-karma as their main dharma) people. Therefore, one should understand that this prohibition and prāyaścitta mentioned in the sūtras is only due to social behavior.
Uttara. a. 25 states that Kṣatriya, Vaiśya, and Brāhmaṇa are born from karma, and Śūdra is also born from karma.
Āca. Śru. 1 a. 2 u. 3 states that this being is born sometimes in a high family and sometimes in a low family, therefore, there is no one who is low and no one who is high.
A monk always behaves with equality towards everyone, yet it is also necessary to follow the rules mentioned in the sūtras, such as not entering these families due to social norms.
In the Bhāṣya Cūrṇi, families who perform sūtaka and the rituals of the deceased are also considered to be despicable families for a short period of time.
Although there is only prāyaścitta for merely staying in a despicable family, if one has to stay there for some reason, one should not perform svādhyāya or recite it there. Prāyaścitta for placing a foot on the earth, a bed, and a sneeze
33. A monk who throws or approves of throwing food, drink, or a morsel on the earth.