எனது தாய் பதிவ்ரதாதர்மப்படி பதியின் தர்மவ்ரதங்களைப் பூர்ணமாக அனுஷ்டிக்காமலிருந்தாலும் என்னை உண்டு பண்ணின பிதாவே இந்த ஹவிஸ்ஸைப் பெறட்டும். விதிதவறி இருந்தால் ஹவிஸ்ஸைப் பெறவரும் பிற அஸுரர்கள்/ப்ரஹ்மரட்சிதர்கள் (ப்ரஹமரக்ஷஸ்?) இதை அடையவேண்டாம். வாட்டர் (ஜலம்?) இந்த ஹவிஸ்ஸை என் பிதாவைத் தவிர மற்றவர்கள் கொண்டுபோகாதபடி தடுக்கட்டும். பிரபிதாமஹி தன் பதியுடன் அனுவ்ரதம் செய்யாதிருந்தாலும் பிரபிதாமஹரே இதை ஏர்க்கட்டும். ரிது, அஹோராத்ரம், ஸந்த்யாகாலம், மாதம், பக்ஷம், மலைகள், அஷ்டதிக்குகள், பூமி, ஆகியோரின் அதிஷ்டானதேவதைகள் பிற அஸுராதி ப்ரஹ்மராக்ஷதர்களைத் தடுக்கட்டும்.
ரேத: பிதா என்பதால் அதில்லாத another பிதா இந்த ஹவிஸ்ஸைப் பெற வருவதாகவும் அவர்களைத்தடுப்பது இந்த மந்திரம் எனச் சிலர் கூறுகிறார்கள். இது மாதாவை (mother-ஐ) அசுத்தப்படுத்துவதால் இந்த மந்திரமே கூடாது எனச் சிலர் கூற்று.
தாய் பதியுடன் ஒருமித்து கர்மாவில் ஈடுபடாவிட்டால் அஸுரர்களும், ப்ரஹ்மரட்சதர்களும் இதை அபகரிப்பதாக சாஸ்திரம் கூறுகிறது.
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When we look at the mantra without prejudice, it is like this:
यन्मॆ माता प्रलुलॊभा भवन्त्यननुव्रता ।
तन्मे रेतः पिता वृङ्क्ताम् मा आभुर् अन्यो अवपद्यताँ स्वधा नमः ।
...गॊत्रॆ ...शर्मणे पित्रॆ स्वाहा । पित्र इदम् न मम ।
yanme mātā pralulobhā bhavantyananuvratā |tanme retaḥ pitā vṛṅktām mā ābhur anyo avapadyatām̐ svadhā namaḥ |
...gotre ...śarmaṇe pitre svāhā | pitra idam na mama |
The word meanings are -
pralulobhā - being specially fascinated
ananuvratā - not devoted, disobedient
retaḥ pitā - biological father
me - my
vṛṅktām - after selecting, after finding out
ābhu: - empty, without effect or result
avapadyatām - fall down
Based on the above meanings, the mantra will mean -
"If my mother, out of special fascination, had not been devoted (obedient) then may this oblation (offering into fire) be given to my biological father, after (selecting him) finding him out; let this not fall down or become empty (without effect or result); prostrations to svadhā."
After this the offering is given with the mantra, " I welcome (svāhā = su + āhā = good calling, this means welcome in an apprximate sense, I feel.)xxx śarma of ...gotra, pitṛ."
Here, the word pitṛ should mean "father" because the samkalpa for the śrāddha ceremony clearly says that it is for the father of the karttā. Further, the same mantra is repeated replacing 'mātā' and 'pitā' with ’pitāmahī’ and’pitāmah’,’prapitāmahī’” and ’prapitāmah’, subsequently.
Srivatsa Somadeva Sarma seems to have added an additional dimension saying that if the wife errs in following the codes for a pativrata, the oblations will be taken away by asurās and brahmarakṣases. Again he does not clearly say about the biological grandfather and the biological great grandfather, which the mantras clearly mean.
These mantras were introduced into the āpastamba gṛhyasūtra only, since Shri Srivatsa Somadeva Sarma says so.
The reasons can only be conjectured at this distance of time. Let me hasten to state as clearly as possible, that I do not at all contribute to the view about women which this mantra represents, or hold that it is the reality, or that, therefore, all -or, at least those who follow āpastambasūtra - should (do) have their paternity and entire lineages in doubt. I am writing this caveat specially to prevent such an impression being gained by anyone, and I am viewed as hypocritical if I happen to express my own views on subsequent occasions.
I feel some guesses about why such a mantra was incorporated can be made.
One possible reason might have been the overimportance given to the "gotra" or bloodline concept by āpastamba. If the biological father belonged to a gotra different from the socially accepted one, perhaps, it was believed that the oblation becomes "empty" (like an "addressee not found" letter which is sent to the DLO). This could be envisaged because the criteria of gotra, śarma and the depiction as 'father', 'grandfather',etc., will not tally in the other world when agni or his consort svadhā carries the essence of the oblation to the world of pitṝs and hence it goes to satisfy the hunger of asurās and brahmarakṣases. (actually the word used is "rakṣases" and not brahmarakṣases which are supposed to be the souls of brahmanas suffering for certain types of sins or as a result of curse - 'apahatā asurā rakṣām̐si vediṣadaḥ’ , the last word means 'sitting in or on the altar' - I am following what Shri Gopalan has said) The use of the words "ābhu: - empty, without effect or result" and "avapadyatām - fall down" seems relevant in this regard.
However it is important to note that immediately following this request to svadhā, the known father designated by his gotra and śarman details is addressed with the svāhā mantra.
2. There could have been a time when womenfolk had much independence, and the society, therefore, was more open to sexual freedom, than we have known about our past from various sources so far. Probably to remind the menfolk in the most poignant manner against such freedom for women in society, āpastamba could have inserted this mantra. Again this is just a conjecture and I do not hold the view that our ancestors lived in a society with lot of promiscuity, sexual abandon, etc.
