The Law Code of Devala 6: Śrāddham

6.1

anena vidhinā śrāddhaṃ kuryāt saṃvatsare sakṛt | dviś caturvā yathāśraddhaṃ māse māse dine dine

At a death or a birth, for female slaves, / and for wives taken in natural order of castes, / purification is equal to that of the master; when the master dies, it is by uterine kinship.

By this rule he should perform the śrāddha once a year, or twice or four times as his faith allows, or every month, or every day.

6.2

tathaivāmantrito dātā prātaḥ snātaḥ sahāmbaraḥ | ārabheta navaiḥ pātrair anvārambhaṃ sabāndhavaḥ

Likewise the giver, having invited (the Brahmins), bathed in the morning with his clothes on, should begin with new vessels, together with his kinsmen.

6.3

nirvṛtte pitṛmedhe tu dīpaṃ pracchādya pāṇinā | ācamya pāṇī prakṣālya jñātīñ cheṣeṇa bhojayet || tato jñātiṣu bhukteṣu svān bhṛtyān api bhojayet | paścāt svayaṃ ca patnī ca śrāddhaśeṣam udāharet

When the rite for the ancestors is over, covering the lamp with his hand, sipping water and washing his hands, he should feed his kinsmen with what remains; when they have eaten he should feed his own servants; afterwards he himself and his wife should eat the rest of the śrāddha.

6.4

śrāddhaṃ kṛtvā tu yo vipro na bhuṅkte ca kathaṃcana | devā havyaṃ na gṛhṇanti kavyāni pitaras tathā

If a Brahmin who has performed a śrāddha does not eat of it at all, the gods do not accept the offerings, nor the ancestors theirs.

6.5

aśru na pātayec chrāddhe na jalpen na hasen mithaḥ | na vibhramen na ca krudhyen nodvijec cātra kutracit

At a śrāddha he should not shed tears, nor chatter or laugh together, nor be distracted, angry or anxious about anything.

6.6

daivādyaṃ naiva kurvīta daivāntaṃ naiva kutracit | daivādyantaṃ hi kurvīta śrāddhaṃ maraṇahetunā

One should never make a śrāddha begin with the gods nor ever end with the gods; (but) a śrāddha occasioned by a death one should begin and end with the gods.

6.7

ekoddiṣṭe tu saṃprāpte yadi vighnaḥ prajāyate | māse 'nyasmiṃs tithau tasmiṃs tadā dadyāt prayatnataḥ

If an obstacle arises when the single-person śrāddha is due, he should give it carefully on the same lunar day in another month.

6.8

ekenāpi hi vipreṇa ṣaṭpiṇḍaṃ śrāddham ācaret | ṣaḍ arghyān dāpayet tatra ṣaḍbhyo dadyāt tathā haviḥ

Even with a single Brahmin one should perform the śrāddha of six rice-balls; he should have six guest-offerings given there, and likewise give the oblation to the six.

6.9

devāḥ pibanti śiraso mukhasya pitaras tathā | cakṣuṣo 'pi ca gandharvā adhastāt sarvajantavaḥ

The gods drink (the water wrung) from the head (of the bather's garment), the ancestors from the mouth, the gandharvas from the eyes, and all creatures from below.