History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.882

v6.c81.882

This discussion about the puṇyakāla is necessary because a bath is to be taken and gifts are to be made during that time in order to secure the full merit thereof The general rule is that a bath is not to be taken and a gift is not to be made at night. Parāśara⁵⁶¹ says 'a bath by day purified by the rays of the Sun is commended; bathing at night is not commended except on seeing an eclipse'. The Viṣṇudharmasūtra says the same. But several exceptions were recognized The Bhaviṣyapurāṇa⁵⁶² provides 'one should not take a bath at night and particularly should not make a gift at night, but a bath and a gift may be made at night on proper occasions A gift at night is commended in an eclipse, marriage, saṅkrānti, pilgrimage, on death, on the birth of a child and at (before sitting down for) hearing *itihāsa* (Mahābhārata)' Gobhila⁵⁶³ provides 'people may bathe and make gifts at night in eclipses, saṅkrāntis, marriage, in distress (or death) and on the birth of a child and in vratas undertaken for a desired object' A bath is therefore obligatory on every saṅkrānti and particularly in Makara-saṅkrānti. There are special recommendations about gifts in Hemādri on Kāla (pp. 414-419) which are taken by him from Viśvāmitra and which are borrowed by Nirṇayasindhu (pp. 4-5), Samayamayūkha (pp 143-144) and others and which are as follows. gift of ram on Meṣa, of cows on Vṛṣabha, of clothes, food and drinks on Mithuna, of ghṛtadhenu⁵⁶⁴ on Karkaṭa, of a conveyance with some gold on Siṁha, of clothes and cows on Kanyā, of different kinds of grains and seeds on Tulā, on Vṛścika of clothes and houses, on Dhanus of clothes and conveyances, on Makara of wood and fire, on Kumbha of cows, water and grass, on Mīna of fresh flowers Special gifts are required to be made on Makrasaṅkrānti. The Skanda⁵⁶⁵ says 'He who donates *tila-dhenu* on Uttarāyaṇa (i. e. Makrasaṅkrānti) secures all objects and obtains the highest happiness.' The Viṣṇudharmottara provides 'the gift of garments on Uttarāyaṇa yields great reward (merit). A man becomes free from diseases by donating sesame and a draught bull'. The Śivarahasya declares that Śiva after he performed the Gosava sacrifice created sesame on Makara-saṅkrānti for the gratification of all men and provides 'men should bathe in water in which sesame are mixed and one should rub one's body with sesame; *tarpaṇa* of gods and pitṛs should be made with water in which sesame have been put; sesame should be given to brāhmaṇas on Uttarāyaṇa saṅkrānti; one should eat sesame and perform *homa* with them; those who perform homa with sesame and honour brāhmaṇas shine in the heaven (as stars) like those who donate a thousand cows; auspicious lamps fed with oil of sesame should be lighted in Śiva temples and a brāhmaṇa should worship God (Śiva) with grains of rice and sesame'. The Kālikā-purāṇa (q. by Hemādri on Kāla p. 413 and Kṛtyakalpao, Naiyata, pp. 366-67) provides: 'one should place on the top of (the liṅga emblem of) God (Śiva) the five jewels viz gold, diamond, sapphire, ruby and pearl; but if a man has none of these he may place in Uttarāyaṇa on the top of the liṅga gold one⁵⁶⁶ *karṣa* or half karṣa in weight; he should worship with plenty of ghee prepared from cow's milk and should donate ghee and a blanket after washing and pressing it; he should give condiments and a dinner to brāhmaṇas and ascetics and honour them with dakṣiṇā'.