History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c72.102

v5.c72.102

The Śat. Br. XII. 5. 2. 14 first states that sacrificial implements made of stone or earthenware should be donated to a brāhmaṇa but people regard the latter as a corpse-bearer (and so) they should be thrown into water.⁴⁹¹ Taking out the omentum (*vapā*) of the Anustaraṇī she-animal he should cover therewith the head and the mouth (of the deceased) with the verse 'Agner varma' (Ṛg. X. 16. 7). Taking out the two kidneys (vṛkkau) of the animal he should deposit them into the hands (of the deceased) the right kidney in the right hand and left kidney in the left with the mantra 'ati drava' (Ṛg X. 14, 10, recited once only). He puts the heart (of the animal) on his heart and according to some also two lumps of flour (of rice or barley); according to others only if there are no kidneys.⁴⁹² Having deposited the whole animal limb by limb (on corresponding limbs of the dead body) and having covered it with its own hide he recites when the Praṇītā water is being carried forward, by way of invocation the mantra 'imam agne' (Ṛg. X. 16. 8). Bending his left knee he should offer into the Dakṣiṇa fire oblations of clarified butter with the formula 'to Agni svāhā! To Soma svāhā! To the world svāhā! To Anumati svāhā!' A fifth oblation (is to be offered) on the chest of the deceased with the formula 'from this one, indeed thou hast been born! May he now be born out of thee, N. N.! To the heavenly world, svāhā' (Vāj S. 35. 22). He gives the order 'Light the fire together.' Then the Āśv. gṛ. (IV. 4. 2-5) states what one has to understand if the Āhavanīya or Gārhapatya or Dakṣiṇa fire reaches the dead body first or if all the fires reach the body at the same moment; while the body is burning he recites over it the same texts (Ṛg. X. 14. 7 and others quoted above in n. 481 from Āśv. Śr. sūtra). Being cremated by a person who knows this he goes to the heavenly world together with the smoke (of the funeral pile)—thus it is known (in the Śruti). After he has recited the verse 'ime jīvāḥ' (Ṛg. X, 18. 3) they (all relatives) turn round from right to left and go away without looking back. When they have come to a place where there is standing water, having once plunged into it and raised their heads out of it they pour one handful of water, pronounce the gotra name and the proper name (of the deceased), come out (of the water), put on other garments, wring out (already worn garments) once, lay them away with their skirts to the north and sit down until the stars appear or they may enter their houses when a part of the Sun's disc is still visible, the younger ones entering first, the older ones last. When they have come to the houses they touch a stone, the fire, cow-dung, fried barley, sesame seeds and water. Compare Śat. Br. XIII. 8. 4. 5 for bath and offering of water by relatives and touching a bull on returning from cremation and reciting 'udvayam' (Vāj. S 35. 14 = Ṛg. I. 50. 10) and applying collyrium and unguent to their bodies⁴⁹³.