History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c72.113.2

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).