History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c72.211
History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c72.211
- Language
- English
v5.c72.211.1
The Āśv. gr. IV.6, the Sat Śr. 28 4, Śāṅ Śr 4 6 (called *paridhikarma*) and some others prescribe a Śānti rite after collection of the charred bones of a deceased person. The Baud. P. S. (II. 3 3) and Viṣṇu Dh. S. 19.19 appear to prescribe the Śānti rite after the ten days of impurity have expired ('daśarātre śaucam kṛtvā śāntiḥ'). *It is described by Āśv. gr as follows:* They who have lost a *guru* (father or mother) by death should perform on the new moon day an expiatory ceremony. Before sunrise they should carry fire together with its ashes and with its receptacle to the south with the half verse 'I send away the flesh-devouring Agni' (Ṛg X 16 9) Having cast that fire down at a place where four roads meet or somewhere else, they walk round it thrice, with their left side turned to it and beating their left thighs with the left hand. They should then return home without looking back, bathe in water, have their hair, beards and hair on the body and nails cut, furnish themselves with new jars, pots, vessels for rinsing the mouth, with garlands of śamī flowers, with fuel of śamī wood, with two pieces of śamī wood for kindling fire⁵⁵⁶ and with branches for encircling the fire, with bull's dung and hide, fresh butter, a stone and as many bunches of kuśa grass as there are young women (in the house). At the time of the Agnihotra (in the afternoon) he should kindle fire (by means of the araṇis) with the half verse 'Here may this other Jātavedas' (Ṛg X. 16.9 latter half)'.
v5.c72.211.2
Keeping the fire burning they sit till night silence falls, repeating tales of old men (of the family) and stories of auspicious contents, *Itihāsas* and *Purāṇas* When all sounds have ceased or when the others (members of the deceased's family) have gone to their houses or resting place, (the performer) should pour out a continuous stream of water beginning at the south side of the door with the verse (Ṛg. X. 53.6) 'spreading the thread follow the light of the world' and go round the house ending at the north side of the door. Then having placed the fire and spread to the west of it a bull's hide with neck to the east, with the hair outside, he should cause the people of the house (including women) to step on that hide with the verse 'Arise to long life'⁵⁵⁷ (Ṛg. X. 18.6). He should place twigs round the fire with 'Here do I deposit an encircling thing' (Ṛg. X. 18.4). Having placed a stone to the north of the fire with the words 'May they place a mountain between themselves and death' (Ṛg. X. 18.4 last pāda) and having sacrificed with four verses 'Go hence, O Death' (Ṛg. X. 18.1–4), he should look at his people with the verse 'as days follow each other' (Ṛg. X. 18.5). The young women (belonging to the house) should with each hand separately with the thumb and 4th finger salve (at one and the same time) their eyes with fresh butter by means of young darbha blades and cast away the blades turning their faces away.
v5.c72.211.3
The performer should look at them while they are salving their eyes, with the verse 'these women, being no widows and having good husbands' (Rg. X. 18.7). The former should first touch the stone with 'the stream containing stones flows' (Rg. X 538). After that, stationing himself to the north-east, while others go round with the fire, bull-dung and a continuous stream of water he should, after repeating the three verses (āpo hi sthā, Rg X. 9.1-3), murmur the verse 'these have led round the cows' (Rg. X. 155 5). A tawny-coloured bull should be led round. They then sit down at a place where they like to stop, having put on fresh unwashed garments and they sit there till sunrise avoiding sleep. After sunrise, having murmured the hymns sacred to the sun and auspicious hymns, having prepared food and made oblations with the hymn beginning 'May he burn away evil from us' (Rg. I. 97.1-8), verse by verse, having given to the brāhmanas to eat, he should cause them to pronounce auspicious words. A cow, a cup of metal and a fresh unworn garment are the sacrificial fee for each of the brāhmanas.