History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c73.t1.568

v5.c73.t1.568

It may be noted that while great emphasis was laid on inviting a very learned brāhmaṇa at a śrāddha, that object was often frustrated in practice by the provisions made in certain smṛtis that one¹²³⁵ should not partake of śrāddha food for three years after sapiṇḍana (which is often one year after death) and that by dining at a śrāddha in the first year one eats the bones and marrow of the deceased, in the second year his flesh, in the third year his blood and śrāddha in the 4th year is (somewhat) pure. Vide Par. M. vol II part 1 p 423, where smṛti passages prescribing prāyaścittas for partaking of food at various śrāddhas including *saṁvatsarika* are set out. Hārīta says: one partaking of food at Navaśrāddha should undergo Cāndrāyaṇa, the Prājāpatya for dining at a monthly śrāddha and fast for one day for dining at a pratyābdika śrāddha. This is on the same lines as acceptance of gifts. A donor collected merit by making gifts, but it was for the acceptor to decide whether he should accept gifts. The ideal placed before brāhmaṇas was that one, though entitled to accept gifts on account of his vedic learning and *tapas*, should not accept gifts, if he desires to secure the highest world (Yāj. I. 213), while Manu IV. 186 affirms ¹²³⁶ that though entitled to accept gifts a brāhmaṇa should not again and again resort to that method, since the spiritual power that he acquires by Vedic study is lost by accepting gifts. Manu IV. 85-86 (= Padma V. 19. 236-237) say that acceptance of a gift from the king is terrible (in its consequences) and Padma warns that gift appears sweet like honey but is like poison (i e. deadly in its effects). This reasoning applied with greater force to officiating and dining at a śrāddha, where not only gifts are to be received, but also sumptuous food that will please the palate is served in abundance.