Page 127 - Lokmanya Tilak Samagra (khand 2)

112 SAMAOaA ~- 2 • THE OIUON
business of life. Nivtta has been defined by all later writers to mean
the position of the sacred thread passing around the neck, over
both the shoulders and dropping down in front. A reference to
Kumlrila Bha~~a·s Tantra V&rtika (iii. 4. 2) will, however, show
that nivita also meant " tying round the waist ", and Kumirila
observes that " tying round the waist is the most conveni.e1;1t
position for all · kinds of work, "• Anandagiri and Govindlnanda
in their Commentaries on Shankara·~ BhAtbya on the Brabma-
sdtras ( iii. 4. 19. ), give the same explanation, from which it
appears that the BrAhmans, like the Parsis once wore the thread
around the waist, thus literally girding up their loins when they
had to do any work. The. sacred thread of the Parsis and the
Bnlbmaps thus seems to be a symbolical representation of Praja-
pati's girdle or Orion's belt in every respect. The various stages,
by which the original piece of cloth round the waist 4windled
into a thread, arc interesting and instructive from a ceremonial
point of view, but not being relevant to the present inquiry,
I do not mention them here .
•
• 4s the pasaage is important as a record of now Obiolete practice
I give il here in the original- .
f.rcte~ ~~~ ~ I ~~: crft-1~1{ I
~ fl'l~ s~~ oi snmRt 1 q~
fl~(tlifi(fCIINift ~I
The word~ in this passage indicates that the writer had a
·~~text in his mind. Mldhava in his commentary on the Parlshara
.Smritl (Cal. Ed., p. 450) quotes KAtylyana and Deva\a as follows:-
ilinlQ~ :-.tm) "t ~ "t ~~ fWt ~I
· tr~')~ \illtlffbfiti if ~~ II
~:-~ill{"'~~ if\~:~ "'i~ ~ I
I think these verses clearly indicate that the thread must be worn
:below the breast and above the "navel, and going round the whole
wa~st. As the practice has long since been obsolete, the verses have
beelt tnuch misu~derstood by later writers. The author of the ~R:
does, however~· clearly state that there are two ways of wearing the
thread, first O\"er t.he shoulder as described in the Taitt. Arn. ii. z; and
( ~tr in the ori1inal) second as given in the above texta of Kltylyana
and Devala. This view has also been adt>pted by the author of the
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