History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c72.193
History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c72.193
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The Śāṅ. Śr. IV. 15.10, the Āśv. gṛ. IV. 4.17-27, Baud. P. S. I. 12.10. Kauśikasūtra 82.33-35 and 42-47, Pār. gṛ. III 10. Āp. Dh. S. I 3.10.4-10, Gaut Dh. 14.35-36 Manu V. 73, Vas. 4.14-15, Yāj III. 16-17, Viṣṇu Dh S 19.14-17, Saṁvarta 39-43. Śaṅkha 15.25, Garuḍapurāṇa (Pretakhaṇḍa chap. 5 1-5) and others lay down several rules for those (both men and women) who have lost a near *sapiṇḍa* by death to be observed immediately after they return from the cremation and for three more days ⁵⁴⁷ The Śāṅ. Śr. provides that they should sleep on the bare ground (not on a cot), they should subsist on sacrificial food, they should give up the performance of their usual religious duties (except in relation to the vedic fires) for one night, three nights or nine nights or till the day of the collection of the bones. The Āśv. gṛ. (IV. 4.17-24) provides these observations viz. 'Let them not cook food during that night, let them subsist on bought food or on food received from others, let them eat no mineral salt or ordinary ⁵⁴⁸ salt for three nights, let them optionally avoid for twelve nights the distribution of gifts and the study of vedic texts if one of the principal gurus (father, mother or the teacher who performed upanayana and taught the whole Veda) dies. Pār. gr. III. 10 adds that they should remain chaste, eat food only once in the day and that they should not repeat Veda study, and should give up the daily obligatory duties except those connected with Vedic fires. Manu (V.
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73) adds that they should not eat flesh for three days. Vas. (4. 14-15) lays down that the relatives who returned from the cemetery should sit down for three days on mats and fast, that if they are unable (to fast for three days) they should subsist on food bought in the market or obtained unasked. Yāj. III 17 and Pār. III. 10 ⁵⁴⁹ provide that for the night they should put milk and water in an earthen vessel in the open space (on a *śikya*) with the words 'O departed one! bathe here (in the water) and drink this milk'. Yāj III. 17, Paithīnasi, Manu V. 84, Pār. gr. III 10, and others state that the relatives of the departed should perform their own daily rites to be performed in the *śrauta* fires (such as Agnihotra and Darśapūrnamāsa) and in the *smārta* fire (such as morning and evening *homa*) on account of the peremptory dictates of the Veda (such as 'one should perform Agnihotra as long as one lives'). The commentators have added several limitations and restrictions. The Mit. ⁵⁵⁰ on Yāj. III. 17 states that, as Manu V. 84 only prohibits the stopping of the rites in (Vedic and Smārta) fires, such religious duties as the five daily Mahāyajñas are excluded, that Vaiśvadeva, though performed in fire, is excluded because there is an express text of Samvarta a brāhmaṇa should be without Vaiśvadeva for ten days (after the death of a sapinda), that the Śrauta and Smārta rites should be got performed by another, as Pāraskara (III 10 'anya etāni kuryuḥ) expressly lays down.
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Only *nitya* and *naimittika* acts to be performed in Vedic and Smārta fires are allowed and so *kāmya* rites cannot be performed. Even at present Agnihotrins perform their śrauta *nitya homa* during days of impurity themselves, though some get it performed by another (Vide Yāj. III. 17, Manu V 84). Although there is a text of Gobhilasmṛti (III 60) prohibiting the performance of *sandhyā*, yet relying on a sūtra of Paithīnasi the Mit says that a man can offer water to the Sun in worship; others like the Smṛtimuktāphala (p. 478) say that sandhyā mantras may be revolved in the mind, except the prāṇāyāma mantras. This is followed in modern times in many parts of India. Viṣṇu Dh. S. 22 6 prescribes that in impurity due to birth or death *homa* (Vaiśvadeva), giving and accepting gifts and the study of Veda cease. The Vaik Sm. S. VI.4 states that the performance of *sandhyā* adoration, all rites for the gods and manes, gift and acceptance and Veda study should be given up during impurity on death. Gautama 14.44 appears to hold that a brāhmaṇa is not affected by impurity on birth and death for the purposes of Veda study. On the other hand Saṁvarta⁵⁵¹ (43) affirms that on the days of impurity on birth and death there is no performance of the five Mahāyajñas nor of Veda study. The Nityācāra-paddhati p 544 states that even in aśauca the thousand names of Viṣṇu may be recited.