History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c72.262

v5.c72.262

It is somewhat curious that Baudhāyana, the Liṅgapurāṇa (quoted in Śrāddhaprakāśa pp. 361-371), the Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa, the Pitṛdayitā (p 82) and several other works allow man himself while living to perform his own rites after death (antyeṣṭi).⁵⁸⁹ This will be dealt with briefly later on under śrāddha. Further, if a man became *patita* and refused to undergo *prāyaścitta*, he was driven out of the Hindu fold by the procedure of ghaṭasphoṭa (vide H. of Dh. vol. II pp. 387-388), and Gaut. Dh. S. 20 2 and Manu XI. 182-183 provide that such a man was to be held to be dead and his relatives were to perform all rites for him such as offering water and śrāddha and were also to observe āśauca for him.⁵⁹⁰