History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c72.166

v5.c72.166

Special rules were laid down about the cremation of women dying in or immediately after child-birth and women dying while still in their monthly illness. A smṛti quoted by the Mit and the Smṛti-candrikā (I p. 121) provides that in the case of a *sūtikā*, one should take water and pañcagavya in a jar, should repeat holy texts (such as ‘āpo hi sthā’ Ṛg. X. 9. 1-9, verses addressed to Varuṇa) over them, should then bathe the *sūtikā* with water and pañcagavya and then cremate the body. A woman in her monthly illness was to be similarly bathed and she was to be covered with another garment and then cremated. Vide Garuḍapurāṇa II. 4. 171 ff and Nirṇayasindhu p. 621. Similarly, elaborate rules are prescribed about the rites of cremation in relation to the death of a pregnant woman (vide Baud P. S. III. 9, Nirṇayasindhu p. 622) which are passed over here.