History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c73.58

v5.c73.58

A few samples of the panegyrics on śrāddha may be set out here. The Baud.⁷⁸⁷ Dh S. states that rites for the Fathers confer long life, heaven, fame and prosperity. The Harivaṃśa⁷⁸⁸ says 'the world derives support from śrāddha and Yoga (i. e. Mokṣa) springs from it.' Sumantu⁷⁸⁹ quoted in the Smṛticandrikā (śrāddha p. 333) states 'nothing else is declared to be more beneficial than śrāddha.' The Viṣṇupurāṇa (III. 14. 1-4) avers that if a man performs śrāddha with faith he thereby propitiates Brahmā, Indra, Rudra and the other gods, sages, birds, men, beasts, creeping animals, hosts of pitṛs and whatever else is styled a being and the whole world. Yāj. I. 270⁷⁹⁰ promising long life and several other benefits arising from gratifying *pitṛs* has already been quoted above (p. 337). Yama has a similar verse. It is said in a passage of the Viṣṇudharmottara⁷⁹¹ quoted by the Śrāddhasāra (p. 6) and Śrāddhaprakāśa (pp 11-12) that the *piṇḍa* offered to the great-grandfather is declared to be god Vāsudeva himself, the one to the grandfather is designated Sankarṣaṇa, that to the father is known as Pradyumna and the offerer of the piṇḍas is himself in the position of Aniruddha. In Śāntiparva 345. 21 it is stated that Viṣṇu should be looked upon as staying in the three piṇḍas. In the Kūrmapurāṇa it is stated 'on the day of *Amāvāsyā* the pitṛs assuming an aerial form come to the door of their former haunt and mark whether śrāddha is being performed by men of their family. This they do till sunset. When the sun sets, being oppressed by hunger and thirst, they become full of despair and feel sorrow, breathe heavily for a long time and go away condemning their descendants. The pitṛs of him who does not offer śrāddha on amāvāsyā, even with water or vegetables, go away after cursing him'.