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48
M. SRIMANNARAYANA MURTI
SAMBODHI
clearly testifies that the vessels used by her during her menstrual period become polluted and unfit to be used by others. Similarly, she should not be touched by any one of the four castes. The period of temporary pollution is considered to be so inauspicious that even her touch pollutes not only the sacrificer but also the sudras. In other words, her temporary pollution makes her inferior even to the sudras. There are several prescriptions ordained for the sacrificer when his wife goes into periods during various stages of the sacrificial ritual. Let us note some of the prescriptions from the Srautasutras in connection with the periods of the wife:
1. Baudhāyana prescribes: "In the sacrificial rite of setting up of the sacred fire, if the wife is found in menses before the distribution of dakṣina, the sacrificer has to abandon the ritual and he should set up the sacred fires at another time again starting from the beginning all the rites in connection with it". This shows clearly that the pollution of the wife causes total interruption of the ritual. "If, however, the wife is found in menses after the distribution of dakṣinä, the sacrificer should exclude her from the remaining rites and carry them out".
2. Kätyäyana observes: "If the sacrificer's wife is in menses after the Somasacrifice, duly preceded by the setting up of the sacred fires, has been commenced, all the things relating to initiation, which she has assumed, should be purified and kept apart. She should stay on sandy ground. At dawn and in the evening she should stand up on that ground. On the fourth day, she should bathe herself with cow's urine and then (again) assume the things relating to initiation"
3. Baudhayana prescribes: "If the sacrificer's wife enters the period of menstruation, during the Agnihotra-offering, he should keep her away and finish up the offering"
4. Vaikhanasa observes: "If the sacrificer's wife touches the sacred fires while she is in her menses, the sacred fires perish. So he must renew the sacred fires. If he touches one of the sacred fires, one should churn out that fire only and deposit it into the relevant fire-place. He should offer a sacrifice to pavamana Agni, to pāvaka Agni and to suci Agni
Similarly the period of confinement caused by child-birth or miscarriage for a woman is considered as a pollution called sutaka. During this period she becomes again untouchable temporarily. Only after bath, the food cooked by her becomes fit for consumption by family members and for offering to gods. For
