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78
LAWS OF MANU.
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III, 14.
14. A Sudra woman is not mentioned even in any (ancient) story as the (first) wife of a Brâhmana or of a Kshatriya, though they lived in the (greatest) distress.
15. Twice-born men who, in their folly, wed wives of the low (Sadra) caste, soon degrade their families and their children to the state of Sadras.
16. According to Atri and to (Gautama) the son of Utathya, he who weds a Sudra woman becomes an outcast, according to Saunaka on the birth of a son, and according to Bhrigu he who has (male) offspring from a (Sudra female, alone).
17. A Brâhmana who takes a Sudra wife to his bed, will (after death) sink into hell; if he begets a child by her, he will lose the rank of a Brâhmana.
18. The manes and the gods will not eat the (offerings) of that man who performs the rites in
14. Vas. I, 2; Gaut. XV, 18; Ấp. I 18, 33. 15. Vi. XXV, 6.
16. Baudh. II, 2-7. The above translation follows Medh., Gov., Nand., and Râgh. But Kull.takes the last clause differently, 'according to Bhrigu on the birth of a son's son.' This version is supported, as a quotation given by Nâr. shows, by the Bhavishya-purâna, which, as usual, paraphrases Manu's text, putrasya putram ásadya Saunakah südratâm gatah i bhrigvådayo 'py evam eva patitatvam avâpnuyuh #1 There was, moreover, as this passage shows, an ancient explanation of our verse, according to which the various names of Rishis do not refer to authors of law-books, but to founders of Gotras. This view is adopted by Nár., and, according to him, the translation should run as follows: '(A man of the family) of Atri who weds a Sadra female, becomes an outcast, (one of the race) of Utathya's son, on the birth of a son, and (one of) Saunaka's or Bhrigu's (Gotras) by having no other but Südra offspring. It ought to be noted that, according to Kull. alone, the three clauses refer to Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, and Vaisyas respectively. Râgh. particularly objects to this opinion, which, according to him, some' hold.
18. Vas. XIV, 11; Vi. XXV, 7.
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