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XI, 78.
the Vedas, his whole property, as much wealth as suffices for the maintenance (of the recipient), or a house together with the furniture;
LAWS OF MANU.
78. Or, subsisting on sacrificial food, he may walk against the stream along (the whole course of the river) Sarasvati; or, restricting his food (very much), he may mutter thrice the Samhitâ of a Veda.
79. Having shaved off (all his hair), he may dwell at the extremity of the village, or in a cow-pen, or in a hermitage, or at the root of a tree, taking pleasure in doing good to cows and Brahmanas.
dhanam vâ (Nâr., Nand., Râgh., editions), 'or as much wealth as.' Kull.'s explanation, too, points to the former reading, the meaning of which is that 'the whole property' must be sufficient to maintain the recipient. According to the Bhavishyapurâna, quoted by Kull. and Râgh., the penance is prescribed for the case that a rich, unlearned Brahmana who keeps no sacred fire, unintentionally slew an utterly worthless Brahmana.
78. According to the Bhavishyapurâna, quoted by Kull, and Râgh., the first penance is to be performed by an unlearned Brahmana who intentionally killed an utterly worthless castefellow, the second by an exceedingly distinguished Srotriya who unintentionally caused the death of a man merely a Brahmana in name. Medh. and Gov. attach their views regarding the particular cases to their explanations of this Sûtra. Gov. does not go beyond generalities. But Medh. says that the penance mentioned in verse 73 and the first described in verse 74 may be optionally performed for intentionally slaying an ordinary Brahmana. If a Srotriya or one who is performing a Srauta sacrifice has been killed, the offender is to burn himself. The sacrifices will atone for the guilt of a homicide committed unintentionally, by a most distinguished member of the Aryan castes, provided that the person slain was a Brahmana in name only.
79. Medh., Kull., and Gov. think that the rule allows an option with respect to the residence during the penance of twelve years (verse 73). Nâr. says that the verse contains a general rule for all penances.
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