History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c26.205

v2.c26.205

The word piṇḍa occurs¹¹¹⁷ in the Ṛgveda (I. 162. 19) and the Tai. S. IV. 6. 9. 3 where it seems to mean 'a part of the body of the sacrificial animal thrown into fire as an offering'. Here it is clear that the word piṇḍa is not used in the sense of 'ball of rice'. But in the Tai. S. II. 3. 8. 2 and in the Śat. Br. II. 4. 2. 24 the word piṇḍa means 'ball of rice' offered to the Manes. The Nirukta III. 4 and 5 twice employs the words 'piṇḍadānāya' (for offering balls of rice). But the word sapiṇḍa hardly ever occurs in the Vedic literature and we have no means of judging in what sense it was used in the Vedic literature. In the dharmasūtras the word sapiṇḍa occurs frequently and the dharmasūtras show a close connection between offering piṇḍa and the taking of inheritance (vide Gaut. 14. 13, 28. 21, Āp. Dh. S. II. 6. 14. 2, Vasiṣṭha IV. 16-18, Viṣṇu Dh. S. 15. 40).