History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c73.t1.492

v5.c73.t1.492

The *Pratisāmvatsarika* or *Pratyābdika* śrāddha has already been described above at great length. It is to be performed every year on the day of death (Gobhilasmṛti III. 66). It is laid down that in the case of one's parents this śrāddha partakes of the character of *pārvaṇa*. The Bhaviṣya-purāṇa and Skanda state that the Sāṁvatsarika śrāddha is the most eminent among śrāddhas and that if a son does not perform the yearly śrāddha of his parents on the day of death he goes to the horrible Hell called Tāmisra and then is born as a pig in a town.¹¹⁸⁷ In connection with this, if the tithi or month of death or both are not known then Bṛhaspati, the Skandapurāṇa, Padma and Bhaviṣyapurāṇa lay down certain rules, viz¹¹⁸⁸ (1) if the *tithi* is known but the month is not known, then the śrāddha should be performed on that tithi in the month of Mārgaśīrṣa or Māgha; (2) if the month is known but the tithi is not known, then the śrāddha should be performed on the amāvāsyā of the month; (3) if both the tithi and the month are not known, then one should take the tithi and the month when the deceased started from home; (4) if even the day and month of starting be not known, then the tithi and month in which a person hears of the death of a relative should be taken. It is to be noted that the month in pitrya rites is lunar and the words '*dina*, *ahah*, *vāsara*' in connection with pitrya rites mean '*tithi*' (Aparārka p. 545). There is no *pratyābdika* śrāddha in an intercalary month (Skanda VII. 1. 206. 59).