History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c72.199

v5.c72.199

Asthisañcayana or Sañcayana means that rite in which the (charred) bones (of the cremated person) are collected. This rite is dealt with in many sūtra and smṛti works, such as Śāṅ. Śr. IV. 15. 12-18, Sat Śr. 28. 3, Āśv. gr. IV. 5 1-18, Gaut P. S I. 5, Viṣṇu Dh. S. 19. 10-12, Baud P. S I. 14, Kausika-sūtra 82. 29-32, Vaik. Smārta Sūtra V. 7, Yama 87-88, Saṁvarta 38, Gobhila-smṛti III. 54-59 (q. by Hāralatā p. 183). There is great divergence of views about the day on which this was to be done. For example, Sat Śr. 28. 3. 1 provides: ⁵⁵² 'bones are collected on the next day (after cremation) or on the 3rd, 5th or 7th.' Saṁvarta (verse 38) and Garuḍapurāṇa (Pretakhaṇḍa 5 15) prescribe that collection of bones should be made on the 1st, 3rd, 7th or 9th and (particularly) on the 4th by twice-born persons. The Vāmanapurāṇa (14 97-98) allows it on the 1st, 4th or 7th day. Yama (87) requires the relatives to collect bones from the 1st to the 4th day after cremation and also provides (verse 88)