History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c72.113
History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c72.113
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v5.c72.113.1
In modern times the procedure of cremation is generally on the lines of that described in the Aśv. gr. cited above and the procedure described in the Garuḍapurāṇa II. 4. 41 ff. The following is a summary of the procedure set out in the Antyeṣṭi-paddhati of Nārāyaṇabhaṭṭa which is generally followed by Ṛgvedins in Western India. The dead body is washed with water, is decked with a *tilaka* on the forehead, is clothed in a garment, is covered with a paste of Jaṭāmāmsī and a garland of *naladas* is placed round its neck. Then the performer washes his own feet, sips water, performs prāṇāyāma without Vedic mantra, then makes a *Saṅkalpa* (as in note 500),⁵⁰⁰ he wears his sacred thread under the left shoulder (and on the right shoulder) and prays to the earth with the mantra 'upasarpa' (Ṛg. X. 18.10), he then thrice goes round the place dug up (for cremation) and sprinkles water with a śamī branch at the end of the mantra 'apeta' (Ṛg. X. 14. 9). This mantra is repeated thrice. Then. he draws three lines on the ground with an iron piece or kuśa roots saying 'I draw a line for Yama, the lord of cremation,' 'I draw a line for Kāla, lord of &c' 'I draw a line for Mṛtyu, lord of &c' Then he throws into the dug-up ground pieces of gold and sesame and water mixed with sesame in the middle of the dug up spot for Yama, to the north for Kāla and to the south for Mṛtyu (each being associated with pitṛs, the formula being 'Yamāya dahanapataye pitṛbhyaḥ svadhā namaḥ').
v5.c72.113.2
He puts sesame in the mouth of the corpse and prepares a funeral pile sufficient for burning the body by means of sacrificial wood brought by the castemen of the deceased. On that pile he spreads kuśa grass and over the latter black antelope skin with the hair outside Then the corpse is carried to the north of the fire and is placed on the funeral pile with the head to the south. To the north of the dead body, he makes the wife of the deceased sit down. Then the husband's brother, pupil or an old servant makes her get up with the mantra 'udīrṣva' (Ṛg. X. 18. 8). Then the performer puts pieces of gold in the seven holes of the body (vide above note 491) or drops of clarified butter. He then throws on the body of the departed sesame anointed with ghee, he performs parisaṁūhana (wiping with the wet hand) of the fire, then paristaraṇa (strewing darbha grass) round the fire together with the funeral pile) and paryukṣaṇa (sprinkling water) and brings to the south of the fire the vessels viz prokṣaṇī, sruva, camasa and the vessel containing clarified butter. Then he puts water in the camasa (cup), covers it with darbha grass and carries it forward and invokes the camasa with Ṛg. X. 16. 8 (imam-agne &c) He makes a saṅkalpa that he would wait upon (or worship) the dead, takes two fuel sticks and offers them into fire and performs the worship of Agni, Kāma, Loka and Anumati by offering clarified butter in fire with the appropriate formula (viz. agnaye svāhā, agnaya idam na mama).
v5.c72.113.3
Then he offers on the chest of the deceased clarified butter (or pṛṣadājya) (according to some) with the mantra 'asmādvai &c. (vide above note 498). Then he prepares apūpas (balls) with barley flour and mixes them with pṛṣadājya and places portions of the balls on the five parts viz. forehead, mouth, the two arms and chest with the following mantras viz Ṛg X. 16. 7 (for the ball on forehead and mouth), Ṛg X. 14. 10 (for the two arms) and Ṛg. X 14. 11 (for the chest). Then he makes the fire flame up with the mantra Ṛg. X. 16 9 (kravyādam-agnim) towards the head of a male (and the feet of a woman). Then he should repeat certain mantras while the body is being burnt viz. Ṛg. X. 14. 7-8, Ṛg. X. 14. 10-11, Ṛg. X. 16. 1-6, X. 17. 3-6. X. 18. 10-13, X. 154. 1-5, X. 14. 12 While muttering these mantras he should throw sesame on the body that is being burnt. Then the performer should take a jar (full of water) on his left shoulder, should make a hole in it on the back of the jar with a broken but smooth stone. He should go round thrice with the left towards the burning body from the spot where the feet of the corpse lie and mutter certain mantras The jar is struck thrice All the *sagotra* relatives go round the burning corpse. Then the jar is completely broken near that part of the funeral pyre where the head rests The relatives without looking back turn to the left and come out of the cemetery with the youngest members first The performer recites Ṛg X. 18 3 (ime jīvā &c ).
v5.c72.113.4
The relatives repair to a spot where water is flowing, wearing only one garment and with faces to the south and hair dishevelled, plunge into the water once, sip water, place on the bank that stone (*aśman*) with which holes were made in the jar, offer water mixed with sesame on that stone with folded hands with the words 'O departed, of such a gotra and of such a name! May this water mixed with sesame reach you'. The performer offers water with the *uttarīya* for allaying the thirst (of the departed) due to the burning.