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[Full title: (H) The distinctive expiatory features; (4) Mlecchita-shuddhi (purification of converted persons)].

822 VI. 1) MLECCHITA-SHUDDHI: PURIFICATION OF PERSONS CONVERTED : A NOVEL CONTRIBUTION : Devala deals with the problem of purification of persons, kidnapped & ill-treated by the mlecchas. This is an important & novel contribution of the author to the extant literature on 1 Dharmasastra. This is an attempt to solve, one of the most important & irritating social problems. The Mlecchas (i.e. Muslims, in the present context) invaded India in the 8th century through the province of Sindh & troubled the Hindus, living there in various ways. The Hindus were forcibly carried away and harassed by compelling them to eat or drink forbidden articles, People were required to talk, dine & live for several periods along with them. Ladies were also similarly oppressed by forcing them to perform the undesirable acts. The rape or seduction of Hindu ladies by Mlecchas was also rampant Hence the problem of purification of all such oppressed persons was one of pertinent problems of the society. Devala tries to solve this problem, by suggesting very simple & liberal rules of purification. There is no other smrtikara, that deals with this problem with so much detail as Dewala has done. The various expiations are prescribed for the persons, belonging to all the four varnas. The expiation also varies in accordance with duration of time, spent along with the Mleccha & the intensity or seriousness of the sin perpetrated. Similarly, the question of purification of ladies, the children & aged

823. people is also considered. The specific penances & alternative rules are mentioned for the same. Above all, it is noteworthy that all expiations are also very simple, practical & easy. It is most remarkable & categorical opinion of the author that all people can be purified, eventhough they might be associated with the Mlecchas, for about 20 years. TEXTUAL ARRANGEMENT OF THIS CHAPTER, IN ITS RECONSTRUCTED FORM: ny The printed text of Devalasmrti contains verses dealing with the problem of purification of the mlecchas & a few other verses, dealing with miscellaneous topics like asauca, krechra etc. In the Mlecchitashuddhi-prakarana of the present reconstructed text, the verses, dealing with the Mlecchitasuddhi topic only are incorporated, while the other verses, of the printed text are accomodated in those respective chapters of the present reconstructed text, at proper places, suiting the context. & relevancy. All these are really the verses of Devala & have been so handed down through the manuscripts of the Devala-smrti. Only a few of these verses of Devala are found quoted in some works on Dharma-sastra. The variant readings of some of these verses, found in those works are noted in the portion of sources and variants (part II). However, it is a curious fact that the printed Devalasmrti is a collection of unconnected verses, dealing with the important subject of purification of the persons, troubled by Mlecchas. But the entire topic is not dealt with in it, in a systematic & well-arranged manner. There seems to be no logical & sequential link among the various groups of verses in it. Hence an attempt is made in the present text, to put forth the text of the printed Devalasmrti, in the most orderly manner, by re-arranging the various groups of verses in it. The duration of time, association with the Mlecchas, is mentioned in the printed text. That is taken as the important thread to link together & rearrange the text. The verses, in the present text are arranged as representing the expiation for the period, starting from the smallest unit of n <t

821 of one day, upto the highest limit of 20 years, in a gradually increasing manner. In the printed text, there is no such plan in the order of verses. 3) CONTENTS : The sages approached Devala, the best among sages, sitting at ease on the bank of river Sindhu and asked him as to how the persons, belonging to the four castes, carried away by the Mlecchas can be purified & what kind of expiations are to be performed by them, (1813-1815), in order to bring them back to their original fold. Then Devala speaks out various expiations to be undergone by the four varnas, on their association with the Mlecchas for just one day right upto the period of 20 years. EXPIATION FOR ASSOCIATION OF VARYING DURATION: 1 To 20 DAYS : The pancagavya & gift are the expiations, for having association for five days, by way of conversation & taking food with him. (1) The cow's urine, (2) cow-dung, (3) cow's wine, cow-dung & milk, (4) cow's urine, cow-dung, milk & curd, (5) pancagavya with all ingrediants (including ghee) are the expiations for one to five days respectively. (1818-1820). Later on, the author also enjoins the padakrecha, the paraka & the atikrechra for staying along with the Mleccha, for 10,15 & 20 days respectively. (1820-1822). The brahmana kidnapped by the Mlecchas for 5 to 20 days can be purified by the pancagavya (1823).

ONE MONTH TO ONE YEAR : 825 The person may be forcibly carried away by a Mleccha & thus may be compelled to live with him for the period of one month to one year. For purification, a sudra should undergo the - candrayana for the residence of one year, the paraka for six months, the half of a paraka for three months & the padakrochra th for one month. The 3/4 of the above expiation is prescribed for ksatriya, the of it for the vaisya & of it for the brahmana 1/2 1/4 (1824-1827). PERFORMING THE PROHIBITED ACTS FOR ONE YEAR : The Mlecchas also compelled the Hindus to drink or eat that was prohibited, after kidnapping them. The Hindu person may even cohabit with the lady, not fit to be cohabitted. On performing such acts for one year, the brahmana is purified by undergoing the penance called candrayana with paraka, the ksatriya by 1 paraka and padakrechra the vaisya by half of a paraka and the " sudra by paraka for five days (1829-1831). ENSLAVEMENT BY MLECCHAS FOR ONE MONTH OR ONE YEAR : The Mlecchas, Candalas, thieves (dasyus) would enslave the people & compel them to perform such unauspicious or ghastly acts like (1) killing of animals like cows etc., (2) cleasing of the left out food & even eating of the same, (3) partaking the flesh of donkey, camel, village pig etc, (4) the contact with their ladies & taking food along with them.

826 The twice-born person (i.e.brahmana, ksatriya & vaisya), who lives in the above circumstances, along with the mleccha, for one month, is sanctified by the penance of prajapatya & the ahitagni by a candrayana or a paraka. If the stay is for one year, the candrayana & paraka both these penances are enjoined. A sudra, living for one year in the above condition, should practise the Yavaka for 15 days & the Krechra pada (i.e.padakrechra) on his association for one month (1837-1841). ASSOCIATION & RESIDENCE - FOR ONE TO FOUR YEARS : : If a person partakes the food of the Mleccha, is in contact or association with him & resides with him for one year or more, he can be pure, after three days. For contact for period above one year, he has to take ablutions in the Ganga, evenafter undergoing the prescribed expiation. Here the author remarks that the expiation can be prescribed for a person, associated with the mleccha for about 4 years, & after the lapse of this time-limit of four years, there is no valid penance or expiation for his purification. The person becomes the Mleccha only by nature & there is no restoration of such a person to the original status (1842-1846). FROM FIVE TO TWENTY YEARS: But the above view of Devala is in conflict with the another set of verses (1849-1851), that prescribe expiation also for persons, forcibly seized by the Mlecchas & residing with them for the period of 5 to 20 years. 鉁�

827 The expiation, in the form of two prajapatya or candrayana penances is laid down for such persons. For mere residence with the mleccha (without any contamination), one expiation (krechra) only is to be undergone. But it is strictly proclaimed that there is no purification of person, having association with the mleccha, for the period, more than 20 years (1849-1851). ON KIDNAPING BY MLECCHAS, DURING JOURNEY THROUGH FOREST : The mlecchas also kidnapped the persons, on their journey through forest. Due to fear or hunger, they were compelled to eat, what was forbidden. In such cases, they can be purified by undergoing a penance, after returning to the country of their origin. The brahmana should undergo one penance (krechra). while the remaining three varnas should undergo respectively ,, & of the expiation, prescribed for the brahmana. (1854 & 1855). FOR TOUCHING & SITTING WITH MLECCHA IN ASSEMBLY For touching & sitting along with the Mleccha in an assembly, the expiation of bath with clothes on a fast for one day is prescribed (1856). PURIFICATION OF LADIES : ON PARTAKING FOOD : & opa The lady of brahmana caste, serving food to the Mleccha & eating forbidden food, can be pure by the penance of paraka, while the ladies of the other castes are purified by gift. The ladies, that are not raped & have not eaten the prohibited food,

are purified by three days, for having merely partaken the food of the mleccha (1861 & 1862). COHOBITATION WITH MLECCHA : 828 A lady forcibly raped by the mleccha can not be purified, if she becomes pregnant by him. But the lady, who is not impregnated by that act of cohabitation, attains purity after three days (of immediate menstruation). However, later on, the penance, called santapana is enjoined for purification of a lady, who is pregnant by the mleccha, through force or will & partakes food that is prohibited . The lady, raped by an asavarna is not pure, as long as she does not give up the taint (i.e.till she menstruates). But after her period of monthly flow, she becomes pure like the stainless gold. A woman, in her monthly course, touched by a Mleccha or other person can be pure, after three days by bath & drinking of pancagavya (1863-1869). 4) THE PITIABLE SOCIAL CONDITION : Thus the entire chapter reflects upon a very pitiable social condition. The Hindus had to suffer a lot, due to the ill-treatment by the mlecchas. (1) The kidnapping of ordinary people whether male or female, (2) looting them on their way of journey through forest, (3) forcible seduction of ladies, (4) compulsion to eat the forbidden food & flesh even of donkey, camel, village pig etc., (5) killing of cows etc. these are some of the dark pictures of society, hinted at by the present text. The religious and social life was entirely

829 at stake, during the above period. A state of anarchy or chaos seems to have been prevalent, due to the invasion & oppression by the mlecchas. 5) DEFINITE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND : The present chapter of the text has a definite historical background. It is not merely a fictious narration by the author. Events, narrated in the text had actually taken place, in History of ancient India. The line 'sindhu-tire sukhas inam...' throws 15 much light upon it. It was previously noted that the scholars like Mm.P.V.Kane, Mm.S.V.Ketakar, Dr.A.S.Altekar, found here a reference to the situation in Sindh, during 8th century A.D. 15 Mm.S.V.Ketakar supplies the historical information about vanquishing of Hindu king Dahira by Muhmmada Kassam, the Muslim king & the subsequent enslavement & forcible conversion of the Hindus. Ultimately in about 732 A.D., the Rajaputas were successful. in defeating and driving away the Muslims. 6) CONCLUDING REMARKS Thus Devala, the social reformer of Sindh tried to solve the pertinent, irritating social & religious problem, for the re-establishment & stability of society of Hindu fold. Even during the orthodox ancient period, Devala has exhibited a very pragmatic outlook, by his attempt of restoration of the polluted Hindu society. In short, this portion of the text has great historical, social & religious significance & is an ancient authority in the matter of paravartana or suddhi (re-admittance of persons, 1

830 converted to other religions). It sets forth an ideal example for the Modern social reformers, who advocate readmittance of persons, converted to Islam & other religions, through force or will and subsequently wish to return to the Hindu Religion. To conclude, the above discussion definitely extends a helping hand to those unfortunate ones, who are the victims of forcible conversion.