According to Wikipedia: 'The Dharmasutras are Sanskrit texts dealing with custom, rituals and law. They include the four surviving written works of the ancient Indian tradition on the subject of dharma, or the rules of behavior recognized by a community. Unlike the later Dharmashastra, the dharmasutras are composed in prose. The oldest Dharmasutra is generally believed to have been that of Apastamba, followed by the dharmasutras of Gautama, Baudhayana, and an early version of Vasishtha. It is difficult to determine exact dates for these texts, but the dates between 500-300 BCE have been suggested for the oldest Dharmasutras.'
1. He shall not drink water standing or bent forwards. 2. Sitting he shall sip water (for purification) thrice, the water penetrating to his heart. [16. 1. Haradatta takes âkam here to mean 'to drink water,' and thinks that it is forbidden to do this standing or in a bent position. Others refer the prohibition to 'sipping water for the sake of purification,' and translate, 'He shall not sip water standing or in a bent position (except in case of necessity),' i.e. if the bank of the river is so high that he cannot reach the water sitting down, and in this case he shall enter it up to his thighs or up to his navel. 2. Manu II, 60 and 62; V, 139; and Yâgñ. I, 20 and 27; Weber. Ind. Stud. X, 165. Haradatta observes, that the further particulars regarding purification by sipping water must be supplied frorn other Smritis. The rule quoted by him is as follows: 'The perforiner should be sitting in a pure place, not on a seat, except when sipping water after dinner, and should sip thrice from his hand water which is free from bubbles and foam, and which he has attentively regarded, in such a quantity as would cover a Mâsha-bean. The water sipped by a Brahman should reach his heart, that sipped by a Kshatriya the throat, and that sipped by a Vaisya the palate. A Sûdra sips once as much as to wet his tongue.'] 3. He shall wipe his lips three times. 4. Some (declare, that he shall do so) twice. 5. He shall then touch (his lips) once (with the three middle fingers). 6. Some (declare, that he shall do so) twice. 7. Having sprinkled water on his left hand with his right, he shall touch both his feet, and his head and (the following three) organs, the eyes, the nose, and the ears. 8. Then he shall wash (his hands). 9. But if he is going to eat he shall, though pure, twice sip water, twice wipe (his mouth), and once touch (his lips). 10. He shall rub the gums and the inner part of his lips (with his finger or with a piece of wood) and then sip water. 11. He does not become impure by the hair (of his moustaches) getting into his mouth, as long as he does not touch them with his hand. 12. If (in talking), drops (of saliva) are perceived to fall from his mouth, then he shall sip water. 13. Some declare, that if (the saliva falls) on the ground, he need not sip water. [7. The eyes are to be touched with the thumb and the fourth finger, either at once, or one after the other, the nostrils with the thumb and the second finger, the ears with the thumb and the small finger. 9. Manu V, 138. 11. Haradatta observes that this Sûtra shows, that every other foreign substance brought with the food into the mouth, makes the food 'leavings' and the eater im
