History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c72.449

v5.c72.449

and honour brāhmaṇas. Many medieval digests provide for a more elaborate procedure. For example, the Śuddhikaumudī (pp. 155-164) sets out the procedure of the 11th day separately for the followers of the three Vedas. A few salient points may be mentioned. After a bath for the whole body, the sapiṇḍas should touch a cow, gold, fire, *dūrvā*, clarified butter and repeat the name of Govinda, then engage brāhmaṇas to sprinkle śānti water over them and say ‘svasti’. If a brāhmaṇa cannot be had one should himself perform śānti. The Hāralatā and others say that without śāntī water āśauca is not completely removed. The followers of Sāmaveda should sing the Vāmadevagāna for śānti or should repeat the four Vāmadevya verses viz. ‘kayā naścitra,’ ‘kastvā satyo,’ ‘abhi sū naḥ’ (No. 682-684 of the Sāmaveda) together with the last verse of the Sāmaveda (‘svasti na Indro’) preceded and followed by the sacred Gāyatrī; these form the śānti mantras for Sāmavedins. For followers of Yajurveda seventeen mantras beginning with ‘ṛcam vācam prapadye’ and ending with ‘dyauḥ śāntiḥ’, preceded and followed by the Gāyatrī form the śānti mantras; the Ṛgvedins should employ for śānti Ṛg. X. 9. 4, VII. 35. 1, V. 47. 7 &c. preceded and followed by the Gāyatrī. Then some gold with silver as dakṣiṇā should be donated to a brāhmaṇa, then the Vaitaraṇī cow should be donated, if one was not given at the approach of death, then a gift of the bedstead &c. should be made.