8.3. The rules regarding Shraddha rites

[Full title: (C) The distinctive sacramental features, Part 2; (I) The funeral customs and rites; (1): Ashauca].

721 III. SRADDHA RITES : 1) DUTIES OF AN IDEAL SON: The present text (1307) mentions three important duties of an ideal son. The 'sonness' of the son lies in the proper performance of them. His appellation as a 'son' becomes meaningful only, if he ideally follows them. (1) When the parents are alive, he should carry out the orders of them. (2) When they are not alive, he should regularly perform the sraddha rites, every year, on the day of their death, by giving ample food to Brahmanas, in honour of them. (3) He should offer the lump of rice at the sacred place Gaya. This is a very famous verse. It attaches great importance (1) to the obedience to the words of parents, (2) the performance of yearly sraddha & (3) to the offering of pindas, at Gaya. 2) FOOD, OFFERED IN SRADDHA REACHES THE ANCESTOR : 1 The deceased person might have obtained birth in a different form of existence. The food is offered in the sraddha, in honour of him. Food to the deceased ancestor, in his next birth, would naturally be different in different forms. Then, how can the pi human food satisfy the deceased? This question naturally arises in the present context of sraddha. Devala elaborately describes , how the food can satiate them (1316-1319). This view, in brief, is that the food, transformed in an article, suitable for their enjoyment is cherished by them in every form of their existence. viz. If the dead has become god, the food is transformed into amrta (nectar) and thus reaches them. These verses of the text are also biao }

722 17 found in some Puranas (like Markandeya). The Visnu Smrti - 18 eg. Matsya, Padma (Srsti), Garuda (20/35) paraphrases the idea of these verses in a single verse. 3) PERIOD FOR MAHALAYAS RADDHA : 1 The Dharmasindhu (p.68) maintains that ordinarily there are fifteen days only for mahalaya sraddha. If there is an increase vrddhi) in the lunar days, they may become 16 in number. Devala, on the contrary, mentions the period of the mahalaya to be for sixteen days (1330). The first lunar day (pratipad) of the bright half also is included among the days of mahalaya. Thus the fifteen days of dark fortnight & the first day of the bright fortnight form the 16 days of mahalaya. The manava sraddhakalpa, Satyayani etc. also mention sixteen days for mahalaya sraddha, like Devala. 4) APANKTEYAS : I 1 19 While mentioning the apankte ya brahmanas (the brahmanas that defile the row) i.e. who are not fit to be invited for sraddha ceremony, the author classifies them into five groups (1) patitas (apostates), (2) upapatakins (perpetrators of minor sins), (3) pataniyakas (sinners) (4) panktidusakas (defilers of the row) & (4) papisthatamas (the most sinful). Several kinds of sinful are enumerated under each group & later on the important terms occurring in the enumeration are also explained (1334-1383). The impotent persons are also mentioned in the above enumeration. Hence the author enumerates & explains six kinds of impotent persons 20 (1379-1383). Narada 2 (stri.11-13) enumerates impotent persons of

723 fourteen kinds. 5) GHEE OF THE MILK OF BUFFALO ALLOWED: Devala prescribes that the milk and its products, of sheep, ewes & she-buffalo should not be used for the Sraddha, but the 1 ghee of she-buffalo is beneficial i.e.it can be used for it. 21 Some puranas like Vayu (78/17), Brahma (220/169), Markandeya (32/17-19), Visnu (3/16/11) have prohibited even the use of ghee, prepared from the milk of buffalo. 6) TIME OF OFFERING PINDAS : The lumps of cooked rice are offered in honour of the manes 1 at the sraddha. There is no unanimity about the time, when these are to be offered. The grhya S. & smrtis mention different & conflicting views. The Dharmasindhu has noted that there are in all 22 six alternatives. mentioned in different smrtis' Devala appears to maintain the view of offering pindas, before the brahmanas have taken food. The pindas are to be offered at the beginning, after the brahmanas have taken their seats, before worshipping and feeding them in the sraddha, as described in the present text. (1456, 1479, 1483). Manu (3/219) also describes the offering of pindas before the meal of brahmanas, but he also refers to the opposite view (Manu 3/261). The Manavasraddhakalpa (249-251) prescribes the pindadana, after the feeding of brahmanas. } }

7) THE FORMULA FOR OFFERING PINDAS : 724 The formula for offering pindas, mentioned by Devala is 'Etatte tata ye ca tvamanu' (This is for thee, o Father! & also for those who follow thee !). This is similar to the expression, occurring in the Ap. Matsya Purana (2/20/13). Similar formulas are also found in the Taittiriya Samhita (1/8/5/1), Atharvaveda (18/4/71-77), ASV Smrityarthasara (2.6.15), Gobhila Grihyasutra (3.3.6), Khadira Grihyasutra (3/5/17), Bharadvaja Grihyasutra (II/12) 2³ etc. 23 But the satapatha Brahmana (2/4/2/19) finds fault with the above formula of offering pindas. The person, offering pindas would also be included by the expression 'ye ca tamanu' & this inclusion is not proper. This formula, mentioned in the text clearly indicates that the author of the text is not at all the follower of the school of white Yajurveda in which recension, the formula of the text is not followed & is even criticised in the satapatha Brahmana. 7 8) GIVING OF GIFTS (DAKSINADANA) : 0 The author points out that all acts, relating to manes are to be performed with the apasavya (with the sacred thread worn on the right shoulder), but the act of giving gifts (daksina) only is to be performed with the savya (with sacred thread held on the left shoulder). Moreover, all acts, pertaining to the deva brahmanas are to be performed first, & then for the Manes, but the act of giving daksina only is to be performed in the reverse order, i.e. the brahmanas, invited in the place of Manes should receive the daksina first & then after the brahmanas, in the place of gods are to be given. (1494) 4

9) THE PERIOD FOR ELABORATE SRADDHA - 725 After having described the entire procedure of the elaborate sraddha, the author remarks that sraddha should be performed in the prescribed manner, once, thrice or four times in a year or in each month or on each day, according to one's faith in that ritual. Thus several alternative periods for its performance are suggested. (3/281) also enjoins like Devala the performance of sraddha thrice in a year (i.e.in three seasons, hemanta, grisma & varsa) and daily as a part of five great sacrifices. But the two alternatives, those of its performance once or four times in a year, mentioned Manu 24 by Devala, are not found in the above verse of the Manusmrti. However, Manu mentions the performance of sraddha on amavasya day of every 1 month, (3/122) 25 at an-other place. 10) SUBSTITUTES FOR SRADDHA : Devala prescribes several substitutes or alternatives, if one is unable to perform the extensive sraddha ritual. (1503-1509). 1 - (1) Offiering of pindas only, if dravya (articles) & brahmanas are not available. (2) A fast on that day. (3) Offering water in honour of Manes to satiate them. (4) If a qualified brahmana is not available, another daily pitryajna is to be performed and the food is to be donated to the qualified brahmana. (5) The darbha grass is to be strewn in the place of brahmanas & the sraddha is to be performed properly with Seeking their sanction (praisa) & the performance accordingly (anupraisa). (6) In the absence of everything else, one should at least offer into the fire in honour of Manes or give something to cow, or throw in water. A :

726 But the ritual, relating to Manes should not be omitted. (7) If only 1 one brahmana is available, the sraddha can be performed with the offering of six pindas & six arghyas & food is to be given to the six Manes. All of them, are to be considered as receiving food in the hand, mouth, palate, throat, heart & navel of the invited brahmana. Thus the elaborate sraddha can be performed even with M a single brahmana, but omission thereof is forbidden. 1 11) INDEBTEDNESS TO MANU : The author explicitly mentions that his description of the sraddha rite is the same, as was proclaimed by Manu. Hence it is necessary to consider how far Devala agrees with the extant Manusmrti & other works like Manavagrhyasutra, Manavasraddhakalpa etc., that deal with the sraddha rite. From the comparative study of the sraddha rite, in the extant Manusmrti & the present text, it appears that Devala is not 1 indebted to the extant Manusmrti, because the treatment of various topics like (1) praise of sraddha (2) brahmanas, unfit for being invited, (3) Time of sraddha, (4) the entire procedure of sraddha etc. is not in full accordance with the extant Manusmrti. A few cases of similarity may be there in some verses, but on the whole, the exposition of Devala is quite distinct from that found in the extant Manusmrti. There is agreement between Manu & Devala, in respect of the time of offering pindas, before the meal of the to brahmanas. But the worship of brahmanas & offering be made in i the fire (agnaukarana) are prescribed by Manu, before offering

727 of pindas, while Devala prescribes them after it. The supplication for blessings (varayacana) is mentioned by Manu, at the end of the whole ritual%; while Devala has enjoined the same, after the offering of pindas & before the worshipping & feeding of the brahmanas. The act of taking out three portions from each of the three pindas & offering them to the invited brahmanas respectively, occurring in the Manusmrti is not at all found in the present text. Thus there are various fundamental points of disagreement between the extant Manusmrti & the present text of Devala, Hence Devala's exposition is not based upon the extant Manusmrti, in its entirely. Moreover, the description of sraddha in the present text is not based upon that in the Manavagrhyasutra or the Manavasraddhakalpa. The treatment of sraddha rite in the Manavagrhyasutra is very scanty. Devala's exposition does not tally with that also. Devala explicitly refers to the Manavasraddhakalpa in the verse - "Manavah graddhakalpoyam manuna samudahrtah" (1511). Hence it would appear that Devala may be indebted to the text of Manavasraddhakalpa. But 26 the extant text of the Manavasraddhakalpa does not exhibit any such similarity, on the basis of which Devala's indebtedness can be proved. The Manavasraddhakalpa prescribes the worship of brahmanas ag naukarana & feeding of brahmanas, before the offering of pindas, while Devala enjoins all of them to be performed after the offering of pindas. Thus there is fundamental difference in the procedure described in the two texts. 1 Hence Devala is indebted to Manu for the exposition of sraddha rite, but not to the extant texts ascribed to Manu, mentioned

728 previously. Devala's words may be interpreted as referring to Manu as the promulgator of the institution of sraddha.