History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c40.49

v3.c40.49

There were certain rules about abstaining from food in the case of eclipses of the sun and the moon. They are set out in the Sm. C. I. pp. 228-229, the Śmṛtyarthasāra (p. 69), Matsyapurāṇa chap. 67, Aparārka pp. 151, 427-430. During the period of eclipse one was not to eat anything. Not only so but for 4 *praharas* (i. e. 12 hours) and 3 *praharas* (i. e. 9 hours) before the actual eclipse of the sun and the moon respectively all are to avoid taking food, except children, very old men and persons who are ill. This rule was observed up till very recent times by most people. When the eclipse begins one was to bathe and give gifts, perform tarpaṇa or śrāddha. Then one was to bathe after¹⁸⁴³ the eclipse was over and take food. If the sun sets while still eclipsed, one should bathe the next day on seeing the sun and then take food. If the moon rose eclipsed, one was not to eat anything during the day next to that on which the moon rises eclipsed. That these rules are ancient follows from the fact that some of them occur even in the Viṣṇu Dh. S. An eclipse of the sun is described even in the Ṛg. V. 40. 5-9 and it was supposed to be brought about by an *asura*. The Asura Svarbhānu is said to have pierced the sun with darkness in the Kāṭhaka S. XI. 5 and the Tai. S. II. 1. 2. 2; the Śāṅ. Br. 24. 3 and Tāṇḍya Br. (IV. 5. 2, IV. 6. 13) speak of an eclipse. In the Atharvaveda 19. 9. 10 the Sun and Rāhu are brought together. The Chāndogya Up. VIII. 13. 1 states that the knowing self shakes off his body when going to the world of Brahma like a horse shedding his hair or like the moon released from the mouth of Rāhu.