Markandeya Purana (Study)
by Chandamita Bhattacharya | 2021 | 67,501 words
This page relates 鈥楧ress and Clothing鈥� of the study on the Markandeya Purana, one of the oldest of the eigtheen Mahapuranas preserving the history, civilisation, culture and traditions of ancient India. The Markandeyapurana commences with the questions raised by Rishi Jaimini (a pupil of Vyasa), who approaches the sage Markandeya with doubts related to the Mahabharata. This study examines various social topics such as the status of women, modes of worship, yoga, etc.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Dress and Clothing
In the early times, people used leaves and barks of trees to cover their bodies. The body covering process was developed day by day and at last the clothes and garments came into existence. According to the 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺, the garment enhances the beauty of human beings.[1] According to 痴补测奴辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 迟谤别迟腻 age of luxuriant vegetation and the trees offered man his requirements of clothes and ornaments.[2] In the 艢谤补诲诲丑补, the clothes are the primary necessity of men. In the ancient times, the clothes were used as gifts to Brahmins on various occasions and ritual acts.[3]
The tradition of gifting clothes to the Brahmanas has been referred to in the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉 which is found in the 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 also.[4] It is noticed that at the time of performing a sacrifice king 狈补谤颈峁补苍迟补 bestowed upon the Brahmanas cloths, ornaments etc.[5] At the time of birth of grandson Marutta, king Karandhama gifted clothes and various other things to Brahmins.[6] It is also believed that those people who bestow clothes in gifts easily cross the road to the abode of Yama.[7] In another example, king Dama was bestowed clothes and other things as a gift by his father-in-law after his marriage.[8] In this context it is also mentioned that, stealing of cloths are sinful act leading to the birth of a hare.[9]
Some limitations of dress are also prescribed in this 笔耻谤腻峁嘺. For example, single garment is prohibited for a man[10] at the time of worshiping of Gods and eating.[11] A person could not wear red, black and mix colourful clothes.[12] Transparent and damaged clothes were also to be avoided.[13]
Use of Skin and Bark Garments:
From the ancient times, the people used the skin and the garments of bark as daily wear. The Maruts wear deer skins and a muni is clad in skins or soiled garments.[14] In the 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, certain Brahmin sages are referred to as clad in hides of black antelopes.[15] The forest hermits (惫腻苍补辫谤补蝉迟丑补蝉) wear valkalas i.e. bark garments.[16] When king Heriscandra [贬补谤颈艣肠补苍诲谤补?] gifted his territory to sage 痴颈蝉惫腻尘颈迟谤补, 痴颈蝉惫腻尘颈迟谤补 told Hariscandra to put off all the ornaments, clothes etc. and wear barks of trees.[17] The deer skin is prohibited to a house-holder having a son.[18]
Various Types of Clothes and Garments
The 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, describes various kind of clothes and garments which were used at that time. These clothes and garments are described below.
碍补耻艣别测补鈥�
碍补耻艣别测补 is a kind of silk garment. This is made out of fibres, produced by silkworms.[19] The 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 mentions the use of this garment in detail.[20] The 搁腻尘腻测补峁嘺 also mentions 办补耻艣别测补.[21] Kalidasa refers to this garment in his drama 础产丑颈箩帽腻苍补蝉补办耻苍迟补濒补尘.[22] In the 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 one who steals 办补耻艣别测补 is reborn as a 颁补办谤补惫腻办补 bird.[23]
顿耻办奴濒补鈥�
This is a kind of fine cloth. According to 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, stealing of 顿耻办奴濒补 clothes is considered as a sinful act for which the stealer of this is born as a peacock i.e. s膩r峁単aka.[24] 础尘补谤补办辞艣补 described the word 诲耻办奴濒补 is a synonym of 办峁耻尘补.[25]
础峁兣泆办补鈥�
础峁兣泆办补 is a white cloth, a kind of upper garment. In the 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 it is said that one who steals a 峁兣泆办补 reborn as a parrot (艣耻办补).[26]
碍峁耻尘补鈥�
碍峁耻尘补 is a kind of linen cloth which is made of flax. The 搁腻尘腻测补峁嘺[27] , the 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补[28] and the 叠丑补驳补惫补迟补辫耻谤腻峁嘺[29] also mention this garment. In the 础产丑颈箩帽腻艣补办耻苍迟补濒补尘 of Kalidasa, it is mentioned that 艢补办耻苍迟补濒腻 was gifted auspicious moon white 办峁耻尘补 vastra by the forest deity at the time of sending her to her husband鈥檚 house.[30] The 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 mentions 办峁耻尘补 in the context of the result of stealing something. It is quoted here that one who steals 办峁耻尘补 garments is reborn as a boar.[31] In the 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, child wearing the 办峁耻尘补 vastra, serves as a charm against the evil influence of a male violent spirit which is called 顿补苍迟腻办峁涐梗峁璱.[32]
碍腻谤辫腻蝉颈办补鈥�
This word means cotton garments. The use of 办腻谤辫腻蝉颈办补 is mentioned in 膧艣惫补濒腻测补苍补艣谤补耻迟补蝉奴迟谤补.[33] According to 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, a person who steals 办腻谤辫腻蝉颈办补 is reborn as a 办谤补耻帽肠补 bird.[34] Also it is stated that 办腻谤辫腻蝉颈办补 clothes cleaned with ashes and water.[35]
痴补谤峁嘺办补鈥�
痴补谤峁嘺办补 means coloured blanket. According to 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, one who steals the 痴补谤峁嘺办补 is reborn as a peacock.[36]
膧蝉迟补谤补峁嘺鈥�
The meaning of this word [腻蝉迟补谤补峁嘺] is covering. In the 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, beds of diverse kinds arranged with heavenly covering are referred to: 艣补测测腻艣肠补 惫颈惫颈诲丑腻 divair腻蝉迟补谤补峁嘺iryut膩岣�.[37] Coverings made from the hairs of the spotted deer (r膩峁卥av腻蝉迟补谤补峁嘺) are also referred to.[38]
碍补苍迟丑腻鈥�
This word [办补苍迟丑腻] means an old or patched or ragged garment. In the 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, king 贬补谤颈艣肠补苍诲谤补 referred to as being clothed in patched cloth made of old rages well fastened together in his guise of a 肠腻峁囜笉腻濒补.[39]
Adhovastra鈥�
Adhovastra is a kind of lower garment. In this 笔耻谤腻峁嘺, it is said that one who blows one鈥檚 head with a lower garment, dish leather (carma) and a winnowing basket, loses one鈥檚 good deeds.[40]
膧惫颈办补鈥�
膧惫颈办补 is a kind of woollen cloth which is made of sheep鈥檚 wool. In the 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, for that householder, who is having single son, k峁涐梗峁嚹灞咕卑觳� i.e. black woollen cloth is prohibited in a house.[41] The 叠峁沨补诲腻谤补峁噛补办补耻辫补苍颈峁诲 also mentions about this cloth.[42]
Kambala鈥�
It means a woollen blanket. The use of kambala has been stated in the 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 that at the time of meditation on supreme Brahma, a 测辞驳墨 should cover himself with a mental white blanket.[43]
驰辞驳补辫补峁弓补办补鈥�
These clothes [测辞驳补辫补峁弓补办补] are prohibited for those person who are having a son and having his father alive.[44]
Use of Colourful Garments
Different colours of the garments have been referred from the ancient time.[45] The 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 mentions many colours of garments viz. white, yellow, black, red, multi-coloured etc. in many places. It is also stated that stealing of red coloured clothes is a sinful act which leads to the birth of a 闯墨惫补帽箩墨惫补办补 bird.[46] Again, red coloured, black coloured and multi-coloured garments are prohibited for the 驳峁沨补蝉迟丑补鈥檚 use.[47] Only the white clothes are specially recommended for the 驳峁沨补蝉迟丑补鈥檚 use.[48] In the Yoga chapter, it is discussed that red and black cloths are connected with evil-forebodings in dreams.[49]
Garments Washing
Washing of various types of clothes are mentioned in the 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺. For example, clothes and leather are cleaned with water.[50] The antelope-hides and thick clothes are sprinkled with water, the bark garments[51] are washed with water and clay,[52] 腻惫颈办补 clothes with oily sediment of the white mustard or the sediment from sesame seed[53] , damaged clothes were washed with water and cotton clothes were washed with water and ashes.[54] Thus water is mainly used to wash the clothes. Sometimes water, in combination with clay or ashes etc. are used.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
rupa峁僾膩 etat puru峁峁a yad v膩sastasm膩d yameva ka帽ca suv膩sasam膩hu岣� ko鈥檔vayamiti r奴pasam峁沝dho hi bhavati. 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补产谤腻丑尘补苍补, 13.4.1.15
[3]:
Ibid., 80.4-6
[4]:
惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 8.82-83
[5]:
Ibid., 129.20
[6]:
Ibid., 125.10
[7]:
Ibid., 10.69
[8]:
Ibid., 130.63
[9]:
Ibid., 15.70
[10]:
Ibid., 31.16
[11]:
Ibid., 31.34
[12]:
Ibid., 31.45
[13]:
Ibid., 31.46
[14]:
Ibid., 10.136
[15]:
k峁泂峁嚹乯in膩mbar膩岣� / Ibid., 6.30
[16]:
Ibid., 25.26
[17]:
Ibid., 7.34
[18]:
Ibid., 32.53
[20]:
叠丑补驳补惫补迟补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 8.6.4; 10.39.46; 10.84.49; 11.30.29
[22]:
Abhij帽膩nasakuntal膩, act. 1.31
[24]:
Ibid., 15.27
[25]:
础尘补谤补办辞艣补, 2.6.113
[27]:
搁腻尘腻测补苍补, Ayodhyak膩峁囜笉a, 8.7
[28]:
惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补, Sauptikaparva, 8.13
[29]:
叠丑补驳补惫补迟补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 3.23.14; 10.9.3; 10.70.9; 10.75.22
[32]:
Ibid., 48.7
[33]:
膧艣惫补濒腻测补苍补, 2.3.4.17
[34]:
惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 15.28
[35]:
Ibid., 32.11 a
[36]:
Ibid., 15.29
[37]:
Ibid., 62.4
[38]:
Ibid., 8.30
[39]:
j墨r峁嘺karpa峁璦sugranthi k峁泃a办补苍迟丑腻 辫补谤颈驳谤补丑补岣� / Ibid., 8.127 a
[40]:
Ibid., 32.59
[41]:
Ibid., 32.53
[42]:
叠峁沨补诲腻谤补峁噛补办补耻辫补苍颈峁诲, 2.3.6
[44]:
Ibid., 32.53,57
[45]:
V.M. Apte, Social and Religious Life in the Grihya Sutras, p.56
[46]:
惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 15.29
[47]:
Ibid., 31.55
[48]:
Ibid., 31.89
[49]:
Ibid., 9.40; 16.33
[50]:
惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 32.4
[51]:
Ibid., 32.9
[52]:
Ibid., 32.10
[53]:
Ibid., 32.11
[54]:
Ibid., 32.12