History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c72.106.3

v5.c72.106.3

37 and 39) that the sapiṇḍas of the deceased headed by the women, the youngest being the first, fan the corpse placed on the pyre with the fringes of their garments, that the performer of the funeral rites takes a jar filled with water, places a darbhendva (?) on his head and goes round the corpse thrice and the priest gives a light stroke on the jar thrice separately with a stone (*aśman*) or an axe and recites a mantra 'imā āpo &c.' when a stream of water rushes out of the broken jar, (changing the words about 'asmin loke' to 'antarikṣe' and 'svarge' at the 2nd and 3rd perambulations). The performer while standing should drop behind him the jar of water. Then after repeating the mantra 'tasmāt tvam adhijāto'si...asau svargāya lokāya svāhā,' he should set fire to the pyre to burn the body.⁴⁹⁸ The Sat Śr 28 1 38 provides that the family members beat their right thighs, fan the corpse with the fringes of their garments and go thrice round the corpse with the left side towards the corpse and recite the mantra 'apa naḥ śośucad-agham' (Rg. I. 97 1. Tai. Ā. VI. 10. 1). It further provides (28. 1 37–46) that the corpse is carried in a cart or by (four) men and while being carried four stops are made, at each of which clods of earth are dug up and boiled rice is offered thereon with mantras like 'pūṣā tvetaḥ' (Rg. X. 17 3., Tai Ā VI. 10 1), 'āyur viśvāyur' (Rg. X. 17. 4, Tai. Ā VI. 10. 2).