History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c73.t1.413.1

v5.c73.t1.413.1

The question about how śrāddha was to be performed if one or more of the three paternal ancestors were alive engaged the thoughts of writers from very ancient times. The Āśv.¹¹³⁹ Śr. S (II. 6. 16-23) first sets out the views of Gānagāri, Taulvali and Gautama and then refutes them. Gānagāri held that out of the three paternal ancestors piṇḍas should be offered to those that were dead and those that were alive should be honoured in person, since the śrāddha rite is meant for pleasing the ancestors; Taulvali opined that piṇḍas should be offered to all the three ancestors, whether living or dead, since in the rite of śrāddha they are only a secondary matter (a detail). Gautama thought that piṇḍas should be offered to dead ancestors, upto three from the father if the latter was living, from the grandfather if he was alive and from the great-grandfather if all the three be living. Āśv. replies; one cannot offer piṇḍas to three ancestors¹¹⁴⁰ beyond the father, grand-father or great-grandfather, since one has no *adhikāra* to do so; one cannot offer piṇḍas to an ancestor after whom there is an ancestor (within three degrees) living. One may offer *homa* into fire to those that are alive. (If all three ancestors are alive) all the three piṇḍas must be cast into fire or he may not begin the rite at all. The Kātyāyana śr.¹¹⁴¹ sūtra provides that piṇḍas are offered only to deceased ancestors;