History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c82.730

v6.c82.730

The Agnipurāṇa provides:¹⁰⁵⁷ one should avoid in an intercalary month the performance of the following acts, viz. of consecration of Vedic fires, the establishment of images, sacrifices, religious gifts, vratas, the recitation of the Veda after undertaking it, observance of certain niyamas such as mahānāmnī, the letting loose of a bull (after sapiṇḍana), tonsure of a child, upanayana, rites such as the saṃskāras of nāmakaraṇa, inauguration of a king. Long lists of what may or may not be done in an intercalary month occur in many works such as in Hemādri on Kāla pp. 36-66, Nirṇayasindhu pp 10-15, Dharmasindhu pp. 5-7 It would be enough if some general provisions are stated The general¹⁰⁵⁸ rule is that one should perform obligatory acts and acts prescribed on certain occasions even in an intercalary month. For example, one must perform even in an intercalary month daily sandhyā worship, the five daily Mahāyajñas (such as Brahmayajña, Vaiśvadeva), the offering into fire (as an agnihotrin) and must take a bath if there is an eclipse (in adhimāsa), although this is naimittika; so also one must perform the funerary rites after a relative's death even if the death takes place in an adhimāsa (this also is naimittika). But an obligatory rite should not be performed in adhimāsa if śāstra allows its postponement, e g. Soma sacrifice. The general rule is that no kāmya rite (not obligatory, but to be performed for securing some object or result) is to be performed in adhimāsa. There are exceptions to this also if a certain religious rite is begun before an adhimāsa falls (such as a Prājāpatya penance for twelve days or a cāndrāyaṇa penance for a month) it may be continued even in adhimāsa. If there is drought and one desires to perform the Kārīrīṣṭi for bringing down rain, this may be done even in adhimāsa, since to wait might defeat the desired object These provisions are neatly summarised in the Kālanirṇaya-kārikās quoted below ¹⁰⁵⁹