History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c72.206

v5.c72.206

In modern times, particularly in towns and cities, the collection of bones has to be done immediately after cremation. The Antyeṣṭi-paddhati closely follows the procedure prescribed in the Āśv. gṛ quoted above. It says. the performer goes to the place of cremation, sips water, mentions the time and place, makes a *saṅkalpa* (declaration) that he will perform the collection of the bones of the departed naming him and his gotra. He walks thrice round the place of cremation with his left towards it and sweeps it with a śamī branch and sprinkles it with milk mixed with water with the mantra 'śitike' (Ṛg X. 16. 14). Then old men odd in number with the performer collect the bones (as stated by Āśv. gṛ. above) and place them in a new jar and if they are of a woman in a jar with protuberances They also winnow the ashes with a śūrpa and place in the jar even small bones and throw the ashes into the Ganges. Then at some time other than the rainy season a pit should be dug in a pure spot whereon water would not flow and the performer deposits the jar in the pit with the mantra 'approach this mother, Earth' (Ṛg. X. 18. 10). With Ṛg X. 18. 11, he throws earth in the pit all round the jar and murmurs with folded hands the mantra (Ṛg X. 18. 12) and he closes the jar with a new earthen disk with the verse Ṛg. X. 18. 13 Then he should put earth on the jar in such a way that it may not be seen by anybody and without looking back should go elsewhere and bathe. The Nirṇayasindhu (p. 586) expressly states that the procedure for the collection of bones may be gathered from one's sūtra or from the work of Bhaṭṭa (i. e. Nārāyaṇa, Kamalākara's grandfather).