bhautika (-brahmacaarin)

[Arlo Griffiths]

Dear fellow nai.s.thikabrahmacaarins,

Having recently gone through, and learnt much from

Mieko Kajihara, "The brahmacaar;in in the Veda: The Evolution of the ``Vedic
Student'' and the Dynamics of Texts, Rituals, and Society in Ancient India"
[PhD thesis, Harvard University, May 2002 -- unpublished]

for part of whose (Atharvavedic) source materials I must/may claim
responsibility, I feel I can make a small contribution to the discussion.

Gruenedahl wrote:

> various Saiva texts, according to which a bhautika
> - is a brahmacaarin for a limited (saavadhika) period of time
> - appreciates bhuuti (bhuutikaama). It seems that bhuuti "welfare /
> material wealth", and appreciation of it, are to not be taken as
> characteristic of the temporary brahmacarya, but rather of the
> subsequent stage [as a householder].

We should not look only at ;Saiva, but also at Vaidika sources.

An obvious point that has not been mentioned yet in the INDOLOGY discussion
(I don't know what was sent privately to Gruenendahl) is the paridaana
'entrusting' episode of the Gr.hyasuutras' Upanyana. PaarGS 2.2.21, e.g.,
states "athaina.m bhuutebhya.h paridadaati", quoting directly from ;SB
11.5.4.3. Cf. AagnivGS 1.1.3:9.13, HirGS 1.6.5, Kau;sS 56.13, etc.
    On the two types of brahmacaarin, for life and for a limited period, cf.
Devapaala's comm. on the LaugGS [Kashmir Series of Texts and Studies XLIX
and LV], vol. I, p. 79, 4ff. and vol. II, p. 92, 8ff. (translated and
annotated by Kajihara, p. 364f.): Devapaala uses the terms
nai.s.thikabrahmacaarin and upakurvaa.na.

Although I personally feel the term bhautika probably refers to the
bhuutaparidaana (or is this anachronistic?), I can add that the connection
between the brahmacaarin and bhuuti is also already of Vedic origin: having
a great number of brahmacaarins was a boon to the Vedic teacher, was part of
his (a householder's) wealth. I may be permitted to quote from my own
preliminary edition (prepared in collaboration with Werner Knobl) of the
hymn AV (Paippalaada) 19.53, found only in the Orissa mss. (in the Kashmir
ms., extended omissions and garbling of the text has occurred in after
19.52):

i.siraa caasy ajiraa caasi |
prajaapate.h samid asi sa.msitir? naama loma;saa |
prajaapati.s .tvayaa prati.s.thaakaamo +rurutsan? praty ati.s.that |
sa yathaa tvayaa prajaapati.h prati.s.thaakaama.h pratyati.s.thad
evaaha.m tvayaa prati.s.thaakaama.h prati +ti.s.theyam |
aa maa varo gamed aa maa brahmacaari.no gameyu.h svaahaa || 1 ||
    c: mss. .r.rtasa, .r.rjasa.
    e: mss. pratiti.s.the.sa.m - read prati .s.the.sam (prec.)?

+bhuuti;s +caasi prati.s.thaa ca || 2 ||
    mss.: bhuuti.s.thaasi

asvapnaa caasy anilayaa ca || 3 ||
ruci;s caasi yak.sa.m ca || 4 ||
kiirti;s caasi ya;sa;s ca || 5 ||
ambha;s caasi maha;s ca || 6 ||
anna.m caasy annaadya.m ca | [HENCE: NUMBERING UNCERTAIN]
?{{asi sa.msitir? naama loma;saa ||}}?

+prayachantii caasi +pradadatii caasi ||
    mss.: prayUchantii, praVadatii

asy upolapaa naama ||
anukaamaa caasi kaamadughaa caasi ||
aaharantii caasi samaaharantii caasi ||
di;santii caasi pradi;santii caasi ||
anumati;s caasy anumanyamaanaa ca ||
jiti;s caasi vijiti;s caasi ||
sa.mjiti;s caasi sa.mdhanaajita.m caasi |
prajaapate.h samid asy upolapaa naama |
prajaapati.s .tvayaa prati.s.thaakaamo +rurutsan? praty ati.s.that |
sa yathaa tvayaa prajaapati.h prati.s.thaakaama.h pratyati.s.thad
evaaha.m tvayaa prati.s.thaakaama.h prati +ti.s.theyam |
aa maa varo gamed aa maa brahmacaari.no gameyu.h svaahaa ||
    c: mss. .r.rtasa, .r.rjasa
    e: mss. pratiti.s.the.sa.m - read prati .s.the.sam (prec.)?

agni.h p.rthivyaa adhipati.h
somas tvaavatu vidma tvaa viddhi maa |
adhipatir asy adhipati.m maa k.r.nu gavaam a;svaanaa.m puru.saa.naa.m
brahmacaari.naa.m bhuutyaa annaadyasya ||
vaayur antarik.sasyaadhipati.h [somas ... annaadyasya] ||
suuryo divo adhipati.h
somas tvaavatu vidma tvaa viddhi maa |
adhipatir asi adhipati.m maa k.r.nu gavaam a;svaanaa.m puru.saanaa.m
brahmacaari.naa.m bhuutyaa annaadyasya ||
vindadvasavo vindantu me g.rhaan prajaa.m pa;suun vitti.m bhuuti.m
prati.s.thaam ||
    read: vidadvasavo? Cf. TS 3.2.10.2 etc. In addition cf., also for the
next two mantras, ;SS 13.4.54: (corrupt) id;advasu-.

aayadvasava aa yantu me g.rhaa.h prajaa pa;savo vittir bhuuti.h prati.s.thaa
||
sa.myadvasavo sa.m yantu me g.rhaa.h prajaa pa;savo vittir bhuuti.h
prati.s.thaa ||
jitir asi jiiyaasa.m +paarthivii.h p.rtanaa jiiyaasam ||
vijitir asi vije.saaya? maanu.sii.h p.rtanaa jiiyaasam ||
    read: vijiiyaasa.m? But cf. vije.sa- at PS 4.12.5, 5.32.1

sa.mjitir asi sa.m jiiyaasa.m sarvaa.h p.rtanaa jiiyaasam ||

Similar material connecting brahmacaarins with bhuuti also in AVP(O)
19.54.6-8 [PSK 19.54.6-8]:

ga.navardhana ga.na.m me vardhaya gavaam a;svaanaa.m puru.saa.naa.m
brahmacaari.naa.m bhuutyaa annaadyasya || 7 ||
ga.naabhivardhana ga.nam me 'bhi vardhaya [gavaam ... annaadyasya] || 8 ||
ga.napravardhana ga.nam me pra vardhaya gavaam a;svaanaa.m puru.saa.naa.m
brahmacaari.naam bhuutyaa annaadyasya || 9 ||


Hope this helps to widen the scope.


-- Arlo Griffiths

CNWS / Instituut Kern
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