History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c63.t2.894

v4.c63.t2.894

28. 'Touching the bodies of those (who are impure on the death of a relative) after the collection of the bones' (I. 22). The day on which the bones were to be collected after the body was cremated differed greatly according to various writers. The Mit. on Yāj. III. 17 notes that according to Saṁvarta¹⁸⁴⁵ (verse 38) the bones may be collected on the first, third, seventh or 9th day, that the Viṣṇu Dh. S. (19. 10-11) prescribes the 4th day for it and recommends the casting of them into the Ganges, that some did it on the 2nd day and that therefore everyone should follow his own Gṛhyasūtra. The Mit. on Yāj. III. 18 quotes Devala to the effect that, after the lapse of one-third of the period of impurity prescribed for members of the four varṇas (as in Yāj. III. 22), persons who lost relatives become touchable, that members of the four varṇas become touchable in three, four, five and ten days respectively. Saṁvarta (verses 39-40) states that, after the collection of bones, touching those who are under pollution due to death is allowed on the 4th, 6th, 8th and 10th day respectively in the case of brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras. The present Kalivarjya text forbids this and becomes stricter as to the rules about impurity.