History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c73.139.2

v5.c73.139.2

5 adds that if particularly appropriate materials or particularly holy brāhmanas are available or the performer is near a very sacred place (such as Gayā) a śrāddha may be performed on any day. Kūrma (II. 20. 23) says the same thing. The Agnipurāṇa 115. 8 says that at Gayā a śrāddha may be performed on any day (na kālādi Gayātīrthe dadyāt piṇḍāṁśca nityaśaḥ). Manu (III. 276-278) provides that the days of the dark half of the month beginning with the 10th but excepting the 14th838b are recommended for śrāddha, that one performing a śrāddha on even lunar days (i. e. on the 10th, 12th) and on the even nakṣatras (i. e. on Bharaṇī, Rohiṇī &c.) gains the fulfilment of all his desires, that one who worships the Manes on uneven days (11th, 13th &c) and on uneven constellations (Kṛttikā, Mṛgaśiras &c) obtains prosperous offspring and that just as the latter half of a month is preferable to the first half so the afternoon is preferable to the forenoon for the performance of a śrāddha. Anuśāsanaparva 87. 18 is the same as Manu III. 276. Yāj. (I. 217-218), the Kūrma (II 20. 2-8), Mārkaṇḍeya (28. 20 ff) and Varāhapurāṇa 13. 33-35 sum up in one place the times for performing śrāddhas as follows: Amāvāsyā, the Aṣṭakā days, lucky days (such as the birth of a son), dark half of a month, the two *ayanas* (the *two* days on which the sun appears to start towards the south or north i e.