History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c73.t1.326

v5.c73.t1.326

On the question as to what is the principal item in the śrāddha there are three views. Some, like Govindarāja,¹⁰⁸¹ hold that feeding of brāhmaṇas is the principal thing and they rely on Manu III. 129 which says 'One may feed even a single learned brāhmaṇa in a rite for gods and manes and not many who do not know vedic mantras; by doing so he reaps abundant reward'. Here the reward or fruit is associated with feeding a learned brāhmaṇa. There is a maxim¹⁰⁸² of the Pūrvamīmāṁsā that 'whatever is mentioned in proximity with an action that has a reward or fruit but has no special reward of its own, is subsidiary (*aṅga*) to what is declared to have a reward.' Besides, there is no piṇḍadāna in certain śrāddhas such as āmaśrāddha, śrāddha on the Yugādi days.¹⁰⁸³