Adhyāya IV, Kaṇḍikā 1

1^[1]. If disease befalls one who has set up the (sacred Śrauta) fires, he should leave his home (and go away) to the eastern, or northern, or north-eastern direction.

2. 'The sacred fires are fond of the village'—thus it is said.

3^[2]. Longing for it, desirous of returning to the village they might restore him to health-thus it is understood (in the Śruti).

4^[3]. Being restored to health, he should offer a Soma sacrifice, or an animal sacrifice, or an ordinary sacrifice, and take his dwelling (again in the village).

5^[4]. Or without such a sacrifice.

6. If he dies, one should have a piece of ground dug up to the south-east or to the south-west—

7. At a place which is inclined towards the south or towards the south-east.

8. According to some (teachers), inclined towards south-west.

9. (The piece of ground dug up should be) of the length of a man with upraised arms,

10. Of the breadth of one Vyāma (fathom),

11. Of the depth of one Vitasti (span).

12^[5]. But plants with thorns and with milky juice, &c., as stated above.

15^[6]. From which the waters flow off to all sides: this is a characteristic required for the cemetery (śmaśāna) where the body is to be burned.

16^[7]. 'They cut off (from the dead body) the hair, the beard, the hairs of the body, and the nails'—this has been stated above.

17^[8]. (They should provide) plenty of sacrificial grass and of butter.

18^[9]. They here pour clarified butter into curds.

19. This is the 'sprinkled butter' used for the Fathers (i.e. Manes).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

1, 1. Comp. Śrauta-sūtra VI, 9, 1. The funeral rites according to the Gṛhya-sūtras have been treated of by Prof. Max Müller, Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft, vol. ix.

[2]:

I.e. longing for the village. I here differ from Prof. Stenzler's translation, 'Indem sie, um nach dem Dorfe zu kommen, ihm Gutes wünschen.' Prof. Stenzler here follows Nārāyaṇa, who has the following note, grāmam āgantum icchanto^ऽgnaya enam āhitāgnim āśaṃsante, ayam agado bhaved iti.

[3]:

Comp. Śrauta-sūtra VI, 9, 7.

[4]:

Śrauta-sūtra VI, 10, 1.

[5]:

See above, II, 7, 5.

[6]:

See the note on Sūtra 12.

[7]:

See the Śrauta-sūtra VI, 10, 2.

[8]:

Dvigulphaṃ barhir ājyañ ca. Nārāyaṇa explains dvigulpha by prabhūta. Comp. bahulatṛṇa, Kātyāyana XXV, 7, 15.

[9]:

'Here' means, at a ceremony directed to the Manes. Nārāyaṇa.

[10]:

Nārāyaṇa: By the word śmaśāna (cemetery) two different śmaśānas are designated here, because below (Sūtra 15) a distinction is added (to the word śmaśāna), in the words, 'This is a characteristic required for the śmaśāna where the body is to be burned.' Thus the place where the body is burned, and the place where the gathered bones are deposited, both are called śmaśāna.