Stitched vs. Unstitched: What Vedic Texts Really Say About Clothing by
YASODHA JEEVAN DAASA AN ARTICLE
Introduction The question of stitched and unstitched garments in the
ancient Indian tradition is not merely one of material culture, but one
that intersects linguistics, ritual theory, social norms, and religious
jurisprudence. Sanskrit literature preserves a remarkably detailed
vocabulary relating to sewing implements, textiles, and modes of dress,
revealing a highly developed awareness of clothing as both a physical
necessity and a ritual signifier. Central to this discourse are the terms
sūcī (needle) and syūta (stitched cloth), whose semantic, etymological, and
doctrinal dimensions illuminate the broader śāstric attitude toward bodily
covering and ceremonial propriety. The following study presents a
comprehensive and critically formatted account of these sources, preserving
their doctrinal significance and linguistic precision. The Term Sūcī
(Needle) in Vedic Literature
The Sanskrit word for “needle” is sūcī, and references to sūcī are found in
various Vedic texts, including Ṛgveda II.32.4, Atharvaveda XI.10.3,
Vājasaneyi Saṁhitā XXIII.33, Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa III.9.6.4, Aitareya
Brāhmaṇa III.18.6, Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa XIII.2.10.2, and Jaiminīya Upaniṣad
Brāhmaṇa I.10.3. The word sūcī is derived from the verbal root sūca
(paiśunye), which literally means “to point,” and according to Vācaspatyam,
it denotes an implement used for sewing (sīvana-sādhana). However, many
modern scholars, based on archaeological interpretations, propose that
needleuse originated in the Harappan civilisation (c. 2900–1900 BCE).
Furthermore, authoritative Sanskrit dictionaries provide other distinct
names related to the needle, such as kūrcikā, jāmbavam, vajra-sūcī,
viśikhā, veśī, śalākā, sīvanī, and sūcaka. The Term Syūta and the
Concept of Stitched Cloth
The common term for the object which is stitched is syūta. It is derived
from the verbal root √sivu (tantu-santāne), which literally means “to sew
with thread.” This word is also used in Ṛgveda 1.31.15, Mahābhārata
3.153.42, Agni Purāṇa 336.27, and many other Vedic texts. According to
Vācaspatyam, the word syūta means sūcyādinā grathite vastrādau —“ at the
beginning of cloth which is tied together or sewed (grathita) by needles
and similar implements.” In ancient times, both stitched and unstitched
garments were in use. Stitched garments were primarily used for protective
coverings such as kavaca, commonly referred to as kañcuka. Descriptions of
kañcuka also appear in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.5.8.) and other Vedic
texts. Other stitched clothes also existed, as can be seen from historical
descriptions.
Stitched garments were also in use during the early medieval periods, as
evidenced by the detailed observations of the Persian scholar Al-Bīrūnī
(973–1050 CE), a Khwarazmian Iranian scholar and polymath of the Islamic
Golden Age, records in his work Taḥqīq mā li-l-Hind. His account provides
valuable ethnographic insight into the clothing practices of the Indian
subcontinent. He writes: “They use turbans for trousers. Those who want
little dress are content to dress in a rag of two fingers' breadth, which
they bind over their loins with two cords; but those who like much dress
wear trousers lined with so much cotton as would suffice to make a number
of counterpanes and saddle-rugs. These trousers have no (visible) openings,
and they are so huge that the feet are not visible. The string by which the
trousers are fastened is at the back. Their sidār (a piece of dress
covering the head and the upper part of the breast and neck) is similar to
the trousers, being also fastened at the back by buttons. The lappets of
the kurtakas (short shirts from the shoulders to the middle of the body
with sleeves, a female dress) have slashes both on the right and left
sides. They keep the shoes tight till they begin to put them on. They are
turned down from the calf before walking (?). In washing, they begin with
the feet and then wash the face. They wash themselves before cohabiting
with their wives. … On festive days they besmear their bodies with dung
instead of perfumes. The men wear articles of female dress; they use
cosmetics, wear earrings, arm-rings, golden sealrings on the ring-finger as
well as on the toes of the feet.” (Chapter XVI) Unstitched Garments and the
Concept of Nagna
By contrast, sannyāsīs and many other groups traditionally wore unstitched
cloth. Even highly respected women wore unstitched garments. Based on
śāstra-pramāṇa, such garments fall under the category of nagna. This is
confirmed by Parāśara-Mādhava (Chapter 1,Vastra-dhāraṇa-prakaraṇa) of
Mādhavācārya, who cites the verdict of Bhṛgu: nagnaḥ malinavastraḥ syāt
nagnaś ca ārdra-padaḥ smṛtaḥ | nagnas tu dagdha-vastraḥ syāt nagnaḥ
syūta-paṭas tathā || “One who wears dirty clothes, wet clothes, burnt
clothes, or stitched clothes (syūta-paṭaḥ) is considered naked.” Another
type of nakedness is mentioned in Arcana-candrikā as quoted in
Śabda-kalpadruma as follows: dvikacchaḥ kacchaśeṣaś ca muktakacchaḥ
tathaiva ca | ekavāsa avāsaś ca nagnaḥ pañcavidhaḥ smṛtaḥ ||
“The naked man is of five kinds: one with two kacchas, one with leftover
kaccha, one with loose kaccha, one with one garment, and one without any
garment; these five are defined as naked.” Ritual Prohibitions Concerning
Stitched Cloth This doctrinal perspective is further elaborated by
Śrāddha-kriyā-Kaumudī of Govindācārya (1540 A.D.), quoting the Kālikā
Purāṇa:
nirdiśaṁ malinaṁ jīrṇaṁ tathā gātrāvalambitam | parakīyaṁ agni-dagdhaṁ
sūcī-viddhaṁ tathāsitam || uptakeśam adhautaṁ ca śleṣma-raktādi-dūṣitam |
nīlī-rakta-mākhu-jagdhaṁ daive paitre ca varjjayet ||
“Cloth which is older than ten days, dirty, worn-out, hanging upon the
body, belonging to another, burnt by fire, pierced by a needle (stitched),
non-white, worn by one who has his hair shorn, unwashed, or defiled by
phlegm, blood, and other impurities, as well as cloth that is blue, red, or
eaten by mice, is prohibited for rituals performed for devatās and pitṛs.”
The Kālikā Purāṇa (69.4–6) provides further details:
uttarīyottarāsaṅgair nicolo modacelakaḥ paridhānaṁ ca pañcaitāny asyūtāni
prayojayet || śāṇa-vastraṁ niśāraṁ ca tathaivātapa-vāraṇaṁ caṇḍātakaṁ tathā
dṛśyaṁ pañcasyūtāny aduṣṭaye || patākā-dhvaja-kuṇḍādau syūtaṁ vastraṁ
prayojayet |
“The upper garments such as uttarīya (cloth used by the worshipper for the
upper body) and uttara-saṅga, nicolā (by which cloth other clothes are
covered like veil), modacelaka (fragranced cloth), and paridhāna (covering
garment) — these five varieties of garments are to be offered unsewn.
Śāṇa-vastra (hempen cloth), niśāra (without variegation), ātapavāraṇa
(umbrella), caṇḍātaka (short petticoat), and dṛśya (pleasing or urbane) —
these five varieties of cloths, if presented sewn, do not invite blemish.
Sewn cloth may be used for flags (patākā), banners (dhvaja), and ritual
enclosures (kuṇḍa), etc.” Obligatory Garments and Smṛti Injunctions
According to Smṛti as quoted in Śabda-kalpadruma, the use of uttarīya is
mandatory for Brāhmaṇas:
na syāt karmaṇi kañcukīti | uttarīyadhāraṇañ copavītavat | yathā
yajñopavītañ ca dhāryate ca dvijottamaiḥ | tathā sandhāryate yatnād
uttarācchādanaṁ śubham ||
“There should be no use of kañcuka in rituals. The use of uttarīya, or
upper garment, is like the upavīta. Just as the sacred thread is worn by
the twice-born, similarly the auspicious upper cloth (uttarīya) must be
carefully worn.”
All should wear two garments as mentioned by Bhṛgu and others; however, if
only one cloth is available, covering the upper portion of the body with
the same cloth is also prescribed by Pāraskara gṛhya sūtra (2.6.22):— ekañ
ced pūrvasyottara-vargeṇa pracchādayīta — “If there is only one garment,
then one should cover oneself with its upper half.” Prohibition of Stitched
Cloth in Ritual Contexts Vācaspatyam and Śabda-kalpadruma — both
authoritative Sanskrit dictionaries — also quote the following verse,
attributing it to the Mahābhārata. This verse prohibits the use of stitched
garments:
na syūtena na dagdhena pārakyeṇa viśeṣataḥ | mūṣikotkīrṇa-jīrṇena karma
kuryāt vicakṣaṇaḥ ||
“A discerning person should not perform rituals wearing stitched cloth,
burnt cloth, another’s used cloth, or cloth gnawed or torn by mice.”
Conclusion The foregoing survey demonstrates that the use of stitched and
unstitched garments in ancient India was not merely a matter of custom or
practicality but was deeply embedded within a complex framework of śāstric
regulation and ritual purity. Across Vedic, Brāhmaṇical, Purāṇic, and Smṛti
literature, stitched garments are consistently subjected to ritual
scrutiny, often being regarded as unsuitable for sacred acts, whereas
unstitched cloth assumes a normative role in religious observance.
KR IRS 271125
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