History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c34.177

v2.c34.177

There were other views about the time from which one was to begin keeping one's gṛhya fire. Gaut. V. 6, Yāj. I. 97, Pār. gṛ. I. 2 and others refer to an optional course viz. setting up the gṛhya fire at the time when one separates from other members of the family. The Śāṅ. gṛ. I. 1. 2-5 refers to four alternatives in all (including the two already referred to); the other two are: When¹⁶²¹ a pupil is about to return from his teacher's home, he may keep as his gṛhya fire that fire on which he puts the last *samidh*; or a person may, if he is the eldest son, keep the fire of his father on the latter's death or of his eldest brother on the latter's death (if there is no division and the family continues joint). Baud. gṛ. II. 6. 17 says¹⁶²² that the gṛhya fire for a person is one by which his upanayana is performed, that from upanayana to samāvartana the homa is performed only by uttering the vyāhṛtis and with fuel sticks, from samāvartana to marriage with vyāhṛtis and clarified butter, and from marriage onwards with offerings of boiled rice or barley.