History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c73.t1.69
History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c73.t1.69
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About the number of brāhmaṇas to be invited at a śrāddha there were several options and several views. The Āśv. Gṛ. S. states⁹⁰³ that at the Pārvaṇa-śrāddha (performed on a *parvan* day i. e. on Amāvāsyā), the Ābhyudayika śrāddha, the Ekoddiṣṭa or *Kāmya*, the larger the number of brāhmaṇas the greater is the reward, that in no case should a person invite only one brāhmaṇa at a śrāddha meant for all pitṛs or he may optionally invite only one brāhmaṇa except at the first śrāddha, that he may invite one, two or three brāhmaṇas for each of the three paternal ancestors. The Sāṅ. Gṛ. (IV. 1.2) and Kauṣītaki Gṛ III. 14. 1-2 prescribe that one should⁹⁰⁴ invite an uneven number of brāhmaṇas, at least three, to sit down as (representing the) fathers. Gaut. requires⁹⁰⁵ 'He shall feed an uneven number . of brāhmaṇas, at least nine or as many as he is able (to feed) and that they should be learned in the Veda and endowed with polished speech, good appearance, mature age and good character'. If five were invited two would be for gods and three for pitṛs; if seven, then four for gods and three for pitṛs and so on. Vas. XI. 27 (= Manu III. 125 = Baud. Dh. S. II. 8. 29), Yāj. I. 228, Matsya 17. 13-14, Viṣṇupurāṇa III. 15.14 provide that one must feed two brāhmaṇas at the rite for the gods and three for the manes or one only for each of the two purposes and even a rich man should not go in for a large company. The Padmapurāṇa (Sṛṣṭi 9.98 and 141) says the same thing.
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So the number of brāhmaṇas to be invited did not depend so much upon the means of the inviter, but upon the point whether the inviter would be able to honour them all properly and with ease. The idea was that at the same time when śrāddha was to be performed two brāhmaṇas should be fed for gods and three for the pitṛs. When only one brāhmaṇa could be invited or was available, Vas. (XI. 30-31) provides that portions of the several foods cooked should be put in a vessel and should be placed at the place where Vaiśvadevika brāhmaṇa would have been seated, then served in a plate and the *viśve devāḥ* be invoked and should be contemplated as present and then the food should be thrown into the fire or offered to a Vedic student (as alms) and then śrāddha rite should be continued. Śaṅkha ⁹⁰⁶ 14.10 provides a similar rule. The result is that if a man can afford to invite only one brāhmaṇa or can secure one only, then that brāhmaṇa is meant for the rite in honour of pitṛs and the offering for the gods is to be cast into fire. Baud. Dh. S. II. 8.30, Manu III. 126, Vas. XI. 28, Kūrma (uttarārdha 22 28) contain the same verse which emphatically states 'A large company destroys these five desiderata, viz the respectful treatment (of those invited), the securing of a proper place (such as one sloping to the south) and time, purity and (the choice of) meritorious brāhmaṇas;
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therefore one should not desire a large company'.⁹⁰⁷ The Kūrmapurāṇa (uttarārdha 22.32) insists that an *atithi* must be fed at a śrāddha or other-wise the śrāddha is not praiseworthy. Though these ancient works insisted upon the avoidance of large preparations and expenses for śrāddhas in honour of a deceased person, there were other smṛtis that favoured lavish distribution of wealth in śrāddhas. For example, Bṛhaspati lays down: '(An heir) should lay aside half of the wealth that comes to him (by inheritance) for the benefit of the deceased owner and should expend it in the monthly, six-monthly and yearly śrāddhas'. The Dāyabhāga XI. 12 approves⁹⁰⁸ of this and also quotes Āp. Dh. S. II. 6. 13.3 'On the failure of a sapiṇḍa the teacher of the Veda takes the wealth of the deceased, on failure of the teacher, the pupil takes it and having inherited it he should employ it in the performance of works of charity for the benefit of the deceased' (or he himself may enjoy it). These passages show to what lengths the cult of benefit to the soul of the deceased was carried in India by certain writers. More practical authors such as Haradatta did not relish these extreme views. In several purāṇas such as the Vāyu908a and Viṣṇu there are express directions that when a śrāddha is performed at Gayā, it should be on a profuse scale and no stinginess⁹⁰⁹ (lit. cheating in money matters) in spending wealth should be shown there;
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otherwise the performer would not reap the benefit of the performance of śrāddha at that holy place. The Padmapurāṇa appears to inculcate profuse expenditure of wealth in all śrāddhas. The Vāyupurāṇa⁹¹⁰ (82. 26-28) further says that the brāhmaṇas of Gayā are super-men, that when they are gratified (at a śrāddha) the gods together with pitṛs become gratified, that no question should be raised about the family, the character, the learning and the austerities (of the Gayā brāhmaṇas), that by honouring them a man attains liberation, that a man after honouring the brāhmaṇas should proceed according to his resources and strength to the performance of śrāddha, thereby he secures all heavenly desires and obtains the means of *Mokṣa*. The Skanda-purāṇa goes so far as to say that Gayā brāhmaṇas even if they are depraved in their conduct and are backward deserve to be invited at śrāddha and are superior to brāhmaṇas who have mastered the Veda and Vedāṅgas. The Nirṇayasindhu (III. p. 401) notes that, according to the Tristhalīsetu of his grandfather, this provision holds good only in the case of the śrāddha at the Akṣayya Vaṭa in Gayā and nowhere else. In modern times the brāhmaṇas at Gayā used to require the performer of śrāddha while he was in the sacred Phalgu river to make a declaration about his wealth and demanded fees accordingly, thereby carrying to the letter the words of the Vāyupurāṇa.
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Many people returned from Gayā thoroughly dis-illusioned and disgusted with the conduct of the brāhmaṇas at Gayā. In the Varāhapurāṇa⁹¹¹ it is said that two verses were sung by the pitṛs viz 'Would such a blessed and intelli-gent man be born in our family who will offer piṇḍas (i. e. śrāddha) to us without being stingy about wealth and who would bestow on brāhmaṇas with reference to us (i. e. for our benefit) jewels, clothes, land, costly vehicles and all other kinds of wealth including water, when he has riches enough?' Here lavish expenditure on all śrāddhas (not only at Gayā-śrāddha) appears to be strongly recommended. Devala prevides that on the days of *śrauta* sacrifices, of the celebration of charitable acts, of śrāddhas on the anniversary of death or on amāvāsyā, on lucky occasions (*vṛddhi*), on Aṣṭakā days, one should never give a frugal or poor dinner to the worthy brāhmaṇas invited for dinner.