History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c73.t1.472

v5.c73.t1.472

Manu (V. 89–90) prescribes that no water and other rites like sapiṇḍīkaraṇa are offered and performed for those who had left off their faith, who were born of condemned mixed marriages, who entered ascetic orders, who had committed suicide (by hanging, poison &c.), who had embraced heretical doctrines, for women that wilfully seek illicit connection with men, that did harm to their foetus or husband (were guilty of abortion and murder of husband) and that were addicted to drinking *surā*. Yāj. III. 6 contains similar provisions. It has to be noted that every kind of suicide is not condemned by the ancient smṛtis. Vide H. of Dh. vol. III, pp. 939, 958–9 for cases where suicide was not condemned. Except in those cases Yama (q. by the Mit. on Yāj. III. 6) provides that in the case of the persons mentioned in Manu and Yāj. there is to be no āśauca observed, no water offered, no tears shed, no cremation and no last rites. The Mit. (on Yāj. III. 6) quotes Vṛddha Yājñavalkya and Chāgaleya that in the case of those who are guilty of condemned suicide the procedure of Nārāyanabali should be resorted to after a year and then *śrāddha* may be offered to them. Then the Mit. describes at length the procedure of Nārāyaṇabali. Vide note 838 b p. 370 above for the Skandapurāṇa, Nāgarakhaṇḍa 219. 19–21 on the view that śrāddha may be performed on the 14th of the dark half for persons who committed suicide or who met a violent death.