History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c72.387

v5.c72.387

On this topic there is a good deal of divergence between the views of the followers of the Mitākṣarā, of the Gauḍas and Maithilas (vide Śuddhiprakāśa pp 74-82, Nirṇayasindhu 536-540). Following the Nirṇayasindhu it may be said that twelve alternatives are possible, when another āśauca supervenes on an already existing one. They are set out here. (1 & 2) If both āśaucas are due to birth and the second is of the same duration as the first or of lesser duration, then at the end of the first āśauca there is purification from both (Viṣṇu 22.35, Śaṅkha 15 70); (3) If both āśaucas are due to birth and the second one is of longer duration than the first then purification results at the end of the second (Śaṅkha 15.10, Ṣaḍaśīti 19); (4 and 5) If both āśaucas arise on death and the second is of the same duration as the first or of lesser duration, then at the end of the period of the first āśauca there is purification from both; (6) If both āśaucas arise on death and the second that intervenes is of longer duration than the first then purification results at the end of the second (Ṣaḍaśīti 21); (7, 8 and 9) When the firt āśauca is one arising from birth and an āśauca due to deaths intervenes, the āśauca on death must run its full course (i. e. there is no purification by the lapse of the first āśauca due to birth), whether the āśauca for death is of lesser duration than the āśauca on birth, or whether it is of the same or of longer