History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c73.t1.120

v5.c73.t1.120

Several rules are laid down about the fruits, roots and vegetables recommended or condemned for use in śrāddha. For example, the Brahma-purāṇa (220.156-158) enumerates several kinds of fruits such as mangoes, *bilva*, pomegranate, cocoanut, dates, grapes, as fit to be given in śrāddha. Vide Śaṅkha 14 22-23 also. Vāyu (78 11-15) states936a that garlic, leeks and onions, other things that are of bad odour or taste and all exudation from trees not permitted by the Veda and salt gathered from saltish earth, should be avoided in śrāddha. The Viṣṇudharmasūtra⁹³⁷ (79.17) contains a long list of fruits, bulbs and vegetables that were not to be employed in śrāddha. The Rāmāyana states⁹³⁸ that Rāma when an exile in the Daṇḍaka forest gratified his pitṛs by offering the fruits of *iṅguda, badara,* and *bilva* trees and generalises that deities are offered that food which is partaken of by a person (who is a devotee of that deity). From considerations of space detailed references to the smṛtis and purāṇas are passed over. The Smṛtyarthasāra pp. 52-53, Śrāddhaviveka (pp. 43-47) of Rudradhara and other digests collect in one place the foods, vegetables, fruits and roots that are allowed to be offered in śrāddha and that are condemned in śrāddha. Manufactured salt was forbidden, but natural salt from a lake (called saindhava) was allowed. Salt was not to be served directly (as Viṣṇudharmasūtra 79. 12 says) but when put in while cooking vegetables it was not prohibited. There was a difference of opinion about the employment of asafoetida (vide Hemādri on Śrāddha p. 565). The Viṣṇudharmasūtra (79. 5-6) provides that flowers having a strong (or nasty) odour or no odour at all, the blossoms of thorny plants and red flowers should not be given, but one may give white and sweet-smelling flowers even though they are taken from thorny plants and flowers though red in colour may be taken from aquatic plants. Śaṅkha (14. 15-16) is to the same effect (q. by Hemādri p 684). Vāyu (75. 33-35) is to the same effect and adds that the flowers called Japā, Bhaṇḍī, Rūpikā (of arka plant), Kuraṇṭaka should be avoided in śrāddha. The Brahmapurāṇa (220. 162-165) specifies the several kinds of flowers that may be offered in śrāddha such as jātī, campaka, mallikā, mango blossom, tulasī, tagara, ketakī and various kinds of lotuses (white, blue and red &c.). The Smṛtyarthasāra includes *tulasī* among things to be avoided in śrāddha. The Sm. C. notes this and remarks that it is not clear on what this dictum prohibiting *tulasī* is based.