History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c73.t1.279

v5.c73.t1.279

Hemādri (śrāddha, p. 1512)¹⁰⁴¹ therefore provides that if the performer has another house the leavings may not be removed till sunset, but if he has only one house, they may be removed after the brāhmaṇas have gone away (vide Yāj I. 257, Matsya 17.56). It is further provided by Bṛhaspati¹⁰⁴² that the plates should not be removed before the brāhmaṇas pronounce the word 'svasti', and Jātūkarṇya¹⁰⁴³ and the Skandapurāṇa say that the plates and the leavings should be removed by the performer himself or by his pupil or son, but not by women nor by a child nor by one who is not of the same caste Manu III. 258 provides that, after the brāhmaṇas have left, the performer should look at the south and pray to the pitṛs for certain blessings contained in Manu III. 259 which are the same as Yāj I 246 translated above (vide p. 447), Viṣṇu Dh. S 73. 28, Matsya 16. 49-50. The Āp. gṛ. 209 (q. in note 981), Āp Dh. S II 7. 17. 16, Manu III. 264, Yāj. I. 249 provide that the performer should partake of the remainder of the food cooked for the śrāddha along with his wife, paternal and maternal relatives after reciting (according to Haradatta) the Yājusa mantra (Āp. M. P. II. 20.26) which means 'entering the life breath I offer nectar; my soul is centred in Brahman for the sake of immortality.' The Āp. gṛ and Āp. Dh. S. provide¹⁰⁴⁴ that the performer must eat at least a morsel of the food left after serving to the brāhmaṇas. Vyāsa and Devala prescribe that on the day of śrāddha the performer must not observe a fast (even if he usually does so as on Ekādaśī or Śivarātra). A way out was provided by the Brahmavaivarta-purāṇa by recommending that the performer should merely smell the remnants of the śrāddha food. Vide Hemādri (śrāddha, pp. 1519-1521) for the discussion. Hemādri (p. 1485) refers to the practice (observed even now) that after the performer receives the blessings referred to above, his son, grandson and the like should offer adoration to the devatās in the form of piṇḍas. The brāhmaṇas should praise the good characteristics of the food served at the end of the śrāddha ceremony.¹⁰⁴⁵ The brāhmaṇas should not get up from the dinner, carelessly leaving remnants of food in their plates, but they may leave in the plates a little food except milk, curds, honey or barley flour.¹⁰⁴⁶