History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c72.92.1

v5.c72.92.1

The Āśv. gr. ⁴⁸² (IV. 1 and 2) prescribes in general the ceremonies on the death of an *āhitāgni*, while the Āśv. Śr. S. quoted above deals with what should be done in case the *āhitāgni* dies while engaged in a Soma or other sacrifice. The Āśv. gṛ. remarks 'when an *āhitāgni* dies, one (a son or other relative) should arrange to have a piece of land dug up to the south-east or south-west at a place sloping towards the south or south-east, or according to some towards the south-west. The piece of land dug up should be of the length of a man with upraised arms, of the breadth of one *vyāma*⁴⁸³ and one *vitasti* (twelve finger breadths) in depth. The cemetery (*śmaśāna*) should⁴⁸⁴ be free (open) on all sides. It should abound in herbs, but plants with thorns and with milky juice (should be dug out) as stated before (in Āśv. gṛ. II. 7.5 about vāstu-parīkṣā). From which the waters flow on all sides (that is the spot should be a little higher than the surrounding ground); this should be a characteristic required for that (kind of) cemetery where (the body) is to be burnt. They should cut off the hair on the head, the lips and the body and pare the nails (of the deceased); this has been declared already (in Āśv. Śr. VI. 10.2). They should make provision for plenty of sacrificial grass and clarified butter. In this (funeral rite) they pour clarified butter into curds. This is the *pṛṣadājya* used (in the rites) for *pitṛs*.