History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c73.43

v5.c73.43

Though the gods and pitṛs are placed in separate classes, still the *pitṛs* partake of some characteristics of the divine. As Ṛg. X. 15. 8 shows, the pitṛs drank Soma. In Ṛg. X. 68. 11 it is said that the *pitṛs* adorned the sky with nakṣatras (nakṣatrebhiḥ pitaro dyām-apiṁśan) and placed darkness in the night and light in the day. The pitṛs are said to have found out the light that was secreted and to have produced the Dawn (Ṛg. VII. 76. 4). Here the *pitṛs* are credited with powers possessed by the highest gods. The pitṛs are invoked with affection and regard for conferring various boons and their favour is sought in various ways. In Ṛg. X. 14. 6 the good will (*sumati*) and favour (*saumanasa*) of the pitṛs are sought. In Ṛg. X. 15. 1 and 5 the protection of pitṛs is sought. They are requested to grant happiness unmixed with trouble (Ṛg. X. 15. 4.), to bestow wealth on the sacrificer (Ṛg. X. 15. 7 and 11) and on his son. Ṛg. X. 15. 11 and A. V. 18. 3. 14⁷⁷⁸ seek the bestowal of wealth and heroic sons. A. V. 14. 2. 73 says 'May the *pitṛs* who throng round the bride to see her grant her happiness endowed with progeny.'⁷⁷⁹ In the Vāj. S. II. 33 occurs the the well-known mantra 'Oh pitṛs! deposit (in this wife) an embryo, a child that (will wear later) a garland of lotuses so that he may become a grown-up male' repeated when the wife of the performer of the śrāddha eats the middle one out of the three piṇḍas. It should not be, however, supposed that the element of fear of the pitṛs is altogether wanting.780a For example, Ṛg. X. 15. 6 prays 'whatever fault we may commit in reference to you through our being (erring) men do not injure us for that.' In Ṛg. III. 55. 2 we read 'May the gods and the ancient *pitṛs* who know the place (of the cows or the path) not harm us here.' In Ṛg. X. 66. 14 it is said 'the Vasiṣṭhas praising the gods fashioned speech (hymns) like *pitṛs* and like sages.' Here pitṛs and ṛṣis are separate groups and Vasiṣṭhas are compared to both.780b