History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c73.144

v5.c73.144

The śrāddhas performed on the days mentioned in Viṣṇu Dh. S. 77. 1-6 are *naimittika* and those performed on certain *tithis* and days of the week for securing certain rewards would be *kāmya śrāddhas*. According to Par M. I. 1 p. 63 the performance of obligatory (*nitya*) actions is *saṁskāraka* (i e. effects a purifying change in the mind making it fit for higher things), while in some cases it may also produce the desire to know the Reality behind the appearances (i e. it is ‘vividiṣā-janaka’ as indicated by the Gītā 9. 27). Jaimini (VI. 3. 1-7) establishes the proposition that the *nitya* acts (such as Agnihotra, Darśa-pūrṇamāsa-yāga) must be performed even though the performer is unable to perform a subsidiary part of the rite; while Jai. VI. 3. 8-10 provide that every part of *kāmya* actions must be performed and if the performer thinks that he would be unable to perform all he should not undertake to perform a kāmya rite at all.839a