[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Polity, law and society](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity) › [History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India)](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.kane-1930) › v5.c73.139 # History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c73.139 History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c73.139 - **Language:** English ### [v5.c73.139.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.kane-1930.v5.c73.139.1) Śrāddhas are divided into three classes, \*nitya\*, \*naimittika\* and \*kāmya\*. An observance is called \*nitya\* when it is laid down that it must be performed on a certain or fixed occasion (such as every day, on an amāvāsyā, or on Aṣṭakā day). What is laid down for being done on an occasion which is uncertain is called \*naimittika\* (such as the birth of a son). What is ordained to be done in case one desires a certain reward or fruit is called \*kāmya\* (e. g. the performance of a śrāddha on Kṛttikā or Rohiṇī by one who desires heaven or progeny). The five daily \*yajñas\* including pitṛ-yajña are \*nitya\* i. e. they must be performed without any eye to any reward therefrom and the non-performance thereof will lead to sinfulness. Passages mentioning the rewards that follow from the performance of obligatory (\*nitya\*) rites are only laudatory, they only convey that such performances make a man pure, but it is not meant that they are not obligatory and may be performed only if a person desires the rewards or results promised (i. e. such performances are not \*kāmya\*). Āp. Dh. S. (II. 7. 16. 4-7) provides certain times for the performance of śrāddha viz. that it must be performed in the latter half of every month, that the afternoon is preferable for it, that the last days of the latter half of each month are preferable to the first days of the latter half. Gaut. 15. 3 and Vas. XI. 16 say that śrāddha may be performed on any day of the dark half of a month after the 4th day and Gaut. 15. ### [v5.c73.139.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.kane-1930.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. ### [v5.c73.139.3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.kane-1930.v5.c73.139.3) solstices), possession of sufficient materials (such as rice and pulse or meat), the arrival of a worthy brāhmaṇa, the equinoctial points (viṣuvat, i. e. the sun's apparent entrance into Aries and Balance), the days on which the sun passes into one \*rāśi\* from another, the astrological conjunctions called Vyatīpāta 838c, Gajacchāyā, eclipses of the sun and the moon, when the performer has an intense desire to perform śrāddha-these are times for performing śrāddha. The Mārkaṇ- deya838d (chap. 28. 22-23), adds that śrāddha should be performed when a man dreams an evil dream and when evil planets affect the nakṣatra of his birth. In an eclipse the appropriate time for śrāddha is what is called \*Sparśa Kāla\*⁸³⁹ (i e. when the eclipse begins), as stated in a verse of Vṛddha-Vasiṣṭha. The Brahmapurāṇa (220. 51-54) contains all the times specified by Yāj. and a few more. Vide also Skandapurāṇa VII. 1. 30-32, Viṣṇupurāṇa III. 14. 4-6, Padma (sṛṣṭi 9. 128-129). Acc. to Viṣṇu Dh. S. 76. 1-2, Amāvāsyā, the three Aṣṭakās and the three Anvaṣṭakās, the 13th day of the dark half of Bhādrapada on which the moon is in \*Maghā\*, \*Śarad\* and \*Vasanta\* are obligatory (\*nitya\*) times for śrāddha and that if a person does not perform śrāddha on these days he goes to Hell. Viṣṇu Dh. S. (77. ### [v5.c73.139.4](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.kane-1930.v5.c73.139.4) 1-7) states that the day of the sun's passage from one sign of the zodiac to another, the two equinoctial days, particularly the solstitial days, Vyatīpāta, the constellation on which the performer is born, a time of rejoicing (son's birth or the like)—these are \*kāmya\* times and a śrāddha performed on these occasions gives infinite pleasure (to the Manes). The Kūrmapurāṇa (Uttarārdha 16. 6-8) says that śrāddhas called \*kāmya\* are commended on eclipses, solstice days, equinoctial days and on Vyatīpāta and they give infinite pleasure (to the Manes) and śrāddha performed on Saṅkrānti (sun's passage from one sign of the zodiac to another) is inexhaustible and so also on days of birth and on the several nakṣatras śrāddhas should be performed. Āp. Dh. S. II. 7. 16. 8-22, Anuśāsana 87, Vāyu 89. 10-19, Yāj I 262-263, Brahmapurāṇa 220. 15-21, Viṣṇu Dh. S. 78. 36-50, Kūrmapurāṇa (II. 20. 17-22), Brahmāṇḍa III. 17. 10-22 state what rewards a man gets if he performs śrāddhas on each of the days from the first to the 15th of the dark half These lists do not completely agree with each other. That of Āp. being probably the most ancient, is set out here:—Śrāddha performed on each of the 15 days of the dark half respectively yields the following results in order, viz. ### [v5.c73.139.5](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.kane-1930.v5.c73.139.5) progeny chiefly consisting of females (on 1st tithi of dark half), sons that will be thieves, sons that will be possessed of Vedic learning and the performance of Veda-vratas, son that will own small domestic animals, many sons that will be distinguished (by their learning) and the performer will not die childless, a great traveller and gambler (on the 6th), success in agriculture (on 7th), prosperity (on 8th), one-hoofed animals (on 9th), success in trade (10th day), black iron and tin and lead (on 11th), son possessed of cattle (on 12th), many sons and many friends and handsome children which will die young (13th tithi), success in arms (14th), prosperity (on 15th i. e. Amāvāsyā). Gārgya (q by Par. M. I. 2 p. 324) provides that one should not perform śrāddha on Nandā, on Friday, on 13th of the dark half and on the nakṣatra of birth and the preceding and the following nakṣatras for fear of losing one's sons and wealth. The Nandā tithis are 1st, 6th and 11th. The Anuśāsana-parva (87. 16) provides that he who performs śrāddha on the 13th tithi attains pre-eminence among his agnates, but then the young men in his house die as a consequence. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.kane-1930.v5.c73.139](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.kane-1930.v5.c73.139) · Pramāṇa