Chapter 13 - Rituals relating to birth and death

Aurva

When a son is born, it’s recommended that a father bathe himself fully clothed, after which he should undertake those rituals pertaining to the birth and a śrāddha befitting the occasion. 1

After he has respectfully circumambulated the deities associated with even days and the ancestral spirits, he should honour brahmins and offer food with his mind on this and nothing else. 2

Facing east or north, he should offer food such as yoghurt, whole grains of barley and dates with that part of his hand or body sacred to each deity, your majesty. 3

As the host of ancestral spirits known as the Nāndīmukhas are propitiated by this śrāddha, sire, it should be performed by people at all such happy times. 4

At the marriage of a son or daughter, on entering a new house, at the naming ceremony of a child, at the first cutting of the hair and so on, 5

At the parting of a pregnant woman’s hair and at the first showing of a baby’s face, the faithful householder should venerate the host of Nāndīmukhas. 6

I’ve described in brief a set of rituals for the ancestors to be conducted on occasions marked by joy. Now you’ll hear about the rules for undertaking funerals, your majesty. 7

After the corpse has been washed with fresh water and garlanded with flowers, it’s cremated outside the village. The relatives of the deceased should immerse themselves in water fully dressed. 8

Facing south, they offer water in cupped hands, saying, ‘This is for you, wherever you are.’ 9

Entering the village with the cows when the stars begin to shine, they should sleep on straw mats spread on the floor. 10

Every day, they should place food on the ground as an offering for the deceased, your majesty. They may eat boiled rice during the day, but no meat, you bull among men. 11

Brahmins are to be fed for as many days as the mourner sees fit, for the deceased person is also nourished when his kin are dining. 12

On the first, third, seventh and ninth days, having changed his clothes and washed himself outdoors, he should make an offering of sesame seeds and water. 13

On the fourth day, the bones and ashes should be gathered, sire, after which the bodies of those who make offerings of food may be touched again. 14

Those who made offerings of water are also able to resume all their usual activities, but should refrain from luxuries, such as garlands and body lotions, sire. 15

Those who made food offerings are permitted to use beds and seats after the deceased’s ashes and bones have been gathered, but sexual intercourse with women is forbidden. 16

If the deceased is a child, or in another place, or is a fallen person or a sage, purity returns more quickly, and the rituals involving water, fire and so on are discretionary. 17

The food of a family whose relative has died may not be eaten for ten days, and the giving and receiving of gifts, sacrifice and Vedic studies are suspended. 18

Such are the rules when the deceased is a brahmin. For a kṣatriya, impurity persists for twelve days; for a vaiśya, two weeks; but for a śūdra, purity returns only one month later. 19

One might choose to feed the brahmins on odd days, and on each following day, one should place an offering of food on a bed of kuśa-grass for the spirit of the deceased, along with any leftovers. 20

As soon as a man has fed the brahmins, he should touch some water, a weapon, a goad or stick, depending on his community, as he’ll be purified by doing so. 21

After this, a man may resume his occupation as befits the brahmin order and the others, so he might live on earnings from a fitting source. 22

In every month that follows, the ekodiṣṭa ceremony should be undertaken on the date of death, but rituals such as invocation of the deities are unnecessary. 23

A single offering of water should be made on these occasions to purify one person. A food offering should be made for the deceased, while brahmins take a meal. 24

The brahmins who perform the sacrifice are to be asked if they are satisfied, and, if they are, then the words, ‘May he also be eternally so’, should be addressed to the deceased. 25

The practice known as ekodiṣṭa takes place for one year after death, and an offering of food is made on such occasions. Now you’ll hear some more about this, sire. 26

In the performance of this ritual, a set of four vessels filled with sesame seeds, fragrances and water is used, your majesty. 27

One is for the deceased, while the others are for the ancestors. The contents of the first are poured into the other three. 28

When the deceased has reached the status of an ancestor by this process, sire, one should venerate the old ancestral spirits with all the śrāddha rituals. 29

A son, grandson, great-grandson, other relative, a brother’s descendant or a descendant related through participation in a food-offering ritual are all entitled to perform these funerary rites, your majesty. 30

In the absence of all these, a descendant related through shared participation in a water offering, or a relative connected through a food or water offering on the mother’s side, may officiate. 31

If the male line is extinct on both sides, these rituals may be performed by women, sire. The rites may even be performed by the deceased’s acquaintances. Further, the king himself may cause the rites to be performed with wealth left by a person without heirs. 32

Funerary rites are of three kinds: initial, medial and final. Now you’ll hear from me about the differences among them. 33

The initial rites are those performed after the cremation and the touching of water, a weapon and so on. The ekodiṣṭa rituals performed in months that follow are known as medial rites. 34

The rituals after the food offering for the deceased, during which he acquires the status of an ancestral spirit, are called the final rites, your majesty. 35

The initial rites should be performed by those connected through a food or water offering on the father’s or mother’s side, or by the deceased’s acquaintances or by the king when he has taken over the property of the deceased. 36

The final rites are performed by the deceased’s son or his descendants, the deceased’s daughter’s sons or by their descendants, sire. 37

The final rite of ekodiṣṭa should also be performed each year by women on the anniversary of the death, your majesty. 38

For this reason, you should hear about these final rites, sire, the times at which they are performed and the procedure to be followed, flawless monarch. 39

So ends Chapter Thirteen in Book Three of the glorious Viṣṇu Purāṇa.