The drink associated with various Kricchras
- Drinks under Prayashcittas and ordeals
Krcchra—This penance does not directly state a drink but requires the
sinner to subsist on sacrificial food which would include nivara, milk,
ghee etc. which are liquids taken as drinks. Moreover, Krcchra features as
an important penance for grave sins such as the drinking of spirituous
liquor (surapana) and hence deserves to be mentioned. This is the general
word for several penances.
The sama. Br. (1.2.1) adds that one should eat sacrificial food for
three days, only by day and eat at night only. Then for three more days one
should not beg or ask others for food and should then observe a complete
fast for three days. Krcchratikrcchra It is a penance requiring subsistence
on water which being a liquid lies within the scope of this study, this
penance is defined as a krcchra where only water frees a man from all sins.
391 Even in the later traditions, the Kurma-purana touches upon the
Kricchra-atikricchra penance thus: This is a krcchra where only water is
drunk on those days on which food is allowed in the Krcchra penance. The
Baudh.
392 Tulapurusa-krcchra The drinking of the foamy scum of boiled
rice, buttermilk and water as provided by this expiation, being liquids
would be included in this study. It is only under this expiation that the
scum of boiled rice is encountered as a drink, which is its unique feature,
for earlier drinks such as the products of the cow, or water occured
frequently as drinks for penances. As for the details of this penance
Jabali speaks of the duration of this penance as eight days; the San.s.
(XVIII.9.10) and the Vis Dh.S. (XLVI.22) prescribes for ten days, oil-cake,
the foamy scum of cooked rice, butter-milk, water and barley-meal. These
are to be eaten, each respectively on one day, followed by a fast on the
next day. The Yajnavalkya-smriti describes one of the fifteen days where
the above five ingredients are eaten for three days each. Yama on the other
hand speaks of Tulapurusa for twenty-one days, when the five things are
separately eaten for three days.
It may be noted here, that although all the sources provide for
the same items to be had under the penance, they differ in as much as the
days on which such food is to be consumed. Besides, the frothy scum of
rice, butter =m 11k and water being liquids along with barley-meal being of
a semi-solid thick consistency would fall under this study. The performance
of the penance is not mentioned here as it does not involve any drink.
Toya-kricchra This penance requires subsisting on ground barley mixed with
water. Barley on being ground would be reduced to a paste, to which on
water being added would result in a thick dropping consistency as also
would be the case of saktus being boiled in water before being consumed and
thus included as drinks. As for the understanding of the penance - This is
also called Varuna Krcchra by Yama.
393 which subsisting on nothing but ground barley mixed with
water for one month is prescribed. Toyakrcchra is also called Varunakrcchra
as Varuna was regarded as the lord of waters, since the times of the
Rigveda who detected the truth and falsehood among men. It was also called
Jalakrcchra as the sinner had to spend a whole day and night immersed in
water, reciting prescribed mantras to absolve sins. The San.S. (q. by
Madanaparijata, p.737) says that this penance is constituted either by
subsisting on lotusstalks grown in water or on saktus boiled in water. It
is to be noted, that this penance essentially has to do with water. All the
names relating to it reflect on water viz. Toya-kricchra, Udakakrcchra,
Jalakrcchra and Varunak cchra (Varuna Lord of waters). Not only this, but
even the items prescribed by this penance are either prepared with water
such as ground barley mixed with water or saktus boiled in water or to be
grown in water such as lotus-stalks which on being eaten contain juicy
contents. Dadhikrcchra Curds or dadhi on which the sinner is required to
subsist (and after which the penance is labelled) being a semi-solid falls
under drinks.
394 This penance is spoken of by the Pr.Pr. q. from the Visnud
harmottara P. in which the sinner subsists on curds alone for a month. 53
395 Deva-krcchra Besides milk and ghee which are liquids and curds which is
semi-liquid this penance also provides for partaking rice-gruel which being
a viscous semi-solid would occupy a place in this study on drinks. As the
performance of the penance along with subsistence on the prescribed food
cleanses the sin, the ritualistic aspect is involved in all the penances
mentioned herein. [54 Yama quoted by Par.M. describes this as follows: ...
One should partake of rice-gruel only, barley, vegetables, milk, curds,
ghee each for a period of three days, this is called Devakrta (performed by
the gods) penance and destroys all sins. This penance lasts for twenty-one
days. Taptakrcchra g Water, milk and ghee being liquids prescribed to be
partaken hot (tapta) would necessarily be covered by this study on drinks.
There is a divergence of views about this penance. In the
opinion of Manu, Vas. Baudh., the penance is of twelve days duration
comprising four periods of three days each. In this the performer drinks
hot water (kusodaka); hot milk and hot ghee for three days each and then
for three days there is a complete fast when he inhales hot vapour or
atmosphere. Yajnavalkya-smriti (III.317) and Devala speaks of this
penance as of four days duration, where the sinner takes hot milk, hot ghee
and hot water for one day each and fasts on the fourth day. According to
Mitakshara on Yajnavalkya-smriti this penance is called Mahataptakrcchra
and also mentions a Taptakrcchra of two days in which the performer on the
first day takes all the three viz. hot water, hot milk and hot ghee and has
a fast 56 on the second day. Puspakrcchra As the decoction of flowers
boiled in water is the only liquid drink prescribed by this penance, it
would be covered by this study directly.
As for the penance According to the Agni-purana (171.12) and
Mitakshara on the Yajnavalkya-smriti (111.316) quoting the
Markandeya-purana this penance is constituted in drinking for a month the
decoction of flowers boiled in water.
397 Phala-kricchra Unlike the Puspa-krcchra where the sinner
directly subsisted on the drink prepared from the decoction of flowers
boiled in water, in this case, the fruits of the Bilva, Amalaka and
lotus-seeds were to be eaten for bare subsistence. On chewing Amalaka
lotus-seeds which are liquid their juice is extracted which is drunk or
swallowed. So in this sense indirectly the juice of the fruits being liquid
is covered under this study. In this penance one subsists on fruits alone
for a month. The fruits of Bilva and Amalaka and lotus-seeds were the only
fruits to be employed and they were to be eaten only for bare
subsistence. Brahma-kricchra
Pancagavya being one of the most significant drinks comprising of the five
products of the cow, mentioned earlier would naturally fall under this
study.
398 As for the penance which lasts for twelve days, on each of
which one has to drink in the noon pancagavya in a temple or a cow-pen
after offering it with mantras in fire; one has to contemplate on Visnu
till the evening and sleep near an idol and give up tambula and unguents.
What is to be noted here is the time and place of the drink. Pancagavya is
to be drunk in the noon in a temple or cow-pen. Moreover before drinking,
it is offered in fire with mantras which makes the drink imbibe the
ritualistic character directly. Maheshvara-kricchra Again the drinking of
the pancagavya on the next day after having complied with the earlier
prescribed formalities, enables it to be included in this study on drinks.
As to the emergence of the penance and formalities, it is stated In Hemadri
(on prayascitta, p.961) it is given in a passage from Devala, that Brahma
prescribed it for Mahesvara on the burning of Madana. In this penance one
should carry a broken jar (kapala) in the afternoon and beg at three houses
of learned brahmins for vegetables, offer them to God and eat them and
sleep in the evening near an idol. After getting up on the next day he
should donate a cow and drink pancagavya.
399 It may be noted that the drinking of the pancagavya only
comes in as the last step after having complied with all the prescribed
formalities of the penance. Maitrakrcchra It would come under this study as
it prescribes for partaking milk (which is one of the best drinks) of the
Kapila cow, whereas on the first day all the six products (cow's urine
etc.) are to be had. These are essentially liquids which are drunk
directly. 57' Its Turning to details, it is mentioned in Pr.Pr. peculiarity
is that in the Santapana on the third day the milk of the Kapila (tawny)
cow is to be partaken of. The same work notes that the Kalpataru states
that this is santa in which on the first day all the six ingredients (cow's
urine etc.) are taken followed by two days of fasting. It is also known as
Vyasa-kricchra.
400 The peculiarity of this penance is that it does not provide
for the milk of any and every cow but restricts it to that of the tawny
cow. Yajnakrcchra Cow's milk is prescribed as the best drink by this
penance; in the absence of which the next best alternative was curds made
from cow's milk or butter-milk, in the case of non-availability of which
barley-gruel mixed with cow's urine was to be substituted. Milk and
butter-milk being liquids along with curds which is a semi-liquid are
drinks. Moreover barley-gruel having cow's urine as its base would also be
a semi-solid covered by this study. Turning to the penance. It is said by
Angiras (quotation by Pr.S., p.183, Smr.M. 939) that this penance is for a
day, wherein the sinner being self-controlled and silent should bathe
thrice and then recite Gayatri... in the virasana posture. He should drink
cow's milk, only once either sitting down or standing or curds of cow's
milk (if he cannot secure cow's milk) or butter-milk or barley-gruel mixed
with cow's urine (in the absence of milk, curds or butter-milk). This one
day penance called Yajnakrcchra removes all sins.
401 It is to be noted here, that the drink of milk or
buttermilk or curds or barley-*gruel mixed in cow's urine are* partaken
either in a sitting or standing posture. Moreover, the stress is on the
cow's products milk and gruel mixed with its urine. Sitakrcchra 3 It provides
for drinking water, milk and ghee which being liquids would naturally be
covered by this study on drinks. The point to be noted is that they are to
be consumed when cold as is denoted by the word sita or cold. As regards
this penance - It is the opposite of Taptakrcchra.
According to the Vi.Dh.S. (quotation by Pr.S., p.185) and Mad. Par
(p. 736) this penance lasts for ten days wherein water, milli and -ghee
(when cold) are to be drunk af or three days, each, after which a total
fast is to be observed for a day. Here, again besides suggesting water
which is the nectar of life, milk and ghee which are wholesome products of
the cow are prescribed as drinks. Saumyakrcchra This penance provides for
subsisting on the foamy scum of boiled rice or butter-milk or water and
saktus preceding a complete fast on the last day. The foamy scum of boiled
The rice, butter-milk and water are liquid drinks which are
directly partaken. There is an express provision for each item to be
consumed all by itself or successively. provision for subsisting on
barley-gruel cooked in cow's urine would indicate a semi-solid viscous
drink falling in this study.
402 As to the variations of this penance According to the
Yajnavalkya-smriti this penance lasts for six days, in the first five of
which, one subsists in succession upon oil-cakes alone, the foamy scum of
boiled rice alone, butter-milk alone, water alone and saktus (barley) alone
and on the last day, a total fast is observed. Mitakshara, Madanaparijata
(p.171), Pr.S. (p.178) and other digests state that one has to partake of
the five ingredients in quantities just sufficient to keep body and soul
together, For Jabala (quoted by Mit;B Par.M. II pt.2, p.183) this penance
lasts for four days; in the first three of which one partakes successively
of oil-cakes, saktus- and butter-milk and observes a fast on fourth day.
The Pr.Pr. (quoting the Br.P.) speaks of another variation of six days
duration, on the first of which there is a complete fast and on the last of
which the sinner is to subsist on saktus alone and in the intervening days
he is to subsist on thick gruel of barley cooked in cow's urine.
Gomutra-kricchra As the name of this penance makes it evident that gomutra
or cow's urine which being a liquid to be consumed would fall under this
study on drinks. In this penance, the wheat and barley-grains fed to the
cow are to be collected from her dung with which a gruel drink is to be
prepared along with the cow's urine. This expiation is performed in the
following manner: One should feed a cow to satiety with grains of wheat
mixed with barley. Then the yava grains that are found in her dung are
collected. *Of these grains a gruel is prepared, cooked in cow's urine and
drunk. *
*K RAJARAM IRS 28125*
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