History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c73.t1.542

v5.c73.t1.542

He kindles the fire according to the general¹²²² procedure laid down for *homa*, spreads round it *darbhas*, cooks food on the fire and offers from the cooked food four oblations of food into the fire; the first is made after first reciting the Puronuvākyā1222a (invitatory prayer) 'catvāri śrṅgā' ('Agni has four horns,' Ṛg. IV. 58. 3, Tai. Ā X. 10. 2) and offers the oblation with the Yājyā (offering prayer) 'tridhā hitam' (placed in three plates, Ṛg. IV. 58. 4) The Puronuvākyā and Yājyā of the 2nd oblation of rice are 'tatsavitur vareṇyam' (Ṛg. III. 62. 10, Tai. S. I. 5 6 4) and 'yojayitrī sūnṛtānām'. Of the third oblation the Puronuvākyā and Yājyā are respectively 'ye catvāraḥ' (Tai. S V. 7. 2. 3) and 'Dve srutī' (Ṛg. X. 88. 15, Tai Br. I. 4. 2. 3); the Puronuvākyā and Yājyā of the 4th oblation are respectively 'agne naya' (Ṛg I. 189 1, Tai. S. I. 114. 3) and 'yā tiraścī' (Br. Up. VI. 3 1).¹²²³ Then he offers oblations of clarified butter with the Puruṣasūkta of 18 verses (Vāj. S. 31. 1-18, Tai. Ā. III. 12) and 1008, 108 or 28 oblations of clarified butter with the *Gāyatrī* verse. Then he goes to a spot where four roads meet, makes a gift of the needle, goad, ragged garment, the rope to a short-statured brāhmaṇa who has a dark skin and having made him repeat the words 'May the servants of Yama be gratified' he places the jars on grains of rice. Having wound round the jars that are full of water threads he prepares an effigy of a human being, three threads for the head, three for the mouth, 21 for the neck, 4 for the body, two on each arm, one for the male organ, five for each of the feet with the words 'May the revered Yama be pleased.' Then making ready the chair, washing it with *pañcagavya*, he makes the effigy of a human being on black antelope skin with palāśa stalks, he establishes the prāṇas in the effigy made on the jar and placing his body on the body made with stalks he should sleep. When he rises, he should himself bathe his body with (the water in) the jars with verses of Puruṣasūkta and with pañcagavya and pure water and eat in the evening food mixed with sesamum grains together with clarified butter. He should give dinner to brāhmaṇas for the gratification of the servants of Yama. On the 4th day he burns (the effigy) with mantras. He should offer water, and piṇḍa with the words 'piṇḍa to me of such and such a gotra for benefit in the next world, *svadhā namaḥ*.' With these words he should bring to a close the rite. He should observe impurity for ten days for himself, but his agnates have not to observe impurity for him. On the 11th day he performs ekoddiṣṭa. They also cite the following verse 'one who is in distress, a woman and a śūdra having burnt one's body (i. e effigy) with mantras should perform all rites on that very day. This is the revelation.' In the case of women the rite is performed silently or with (?) Vedic mantras. In this way he should perform his own śrāddha every month for a year and at the end of each year up to twelve years. And then he should stop. When he is not able to do all these (himself) his son and the like may perform them. They also recite the following verse; 'Although heirs may be alive one may perform one's śrāddha while alive, having quickly set about doing everything according to the rules, except Sapiṇḍana. One should not make delay as to the time specified above, since life is evanescent'."