26 – Sapindikarana

Sapindikarana—the rite of uniting the dead, with his deceased ancestors. See Vol., II. p. 787. f.n.l.

 Garuda said: 

1. O foremost among deities, take pity on me and tell me truly when the sapinda rite has to be performed for the dead. 

2. How do they attain their goal when sapinda rite is performed? What happens when it is not performed? How can you say that sapinda is performed both for man and woman? 

3. How can both husband and wife derive the benefit of sapinda? If the husband is alive how can one perform sapinda for a woman? 

4. O lord of deities, how in the heaven does she attain the region of her husband? When the sacred fire is lit how is shraddha performed along with Vrushotsarga on the same day? 

5. O lord, how could the water-jar be gifted, if the sapinda rite is performed already? Please tell me, out of grace, since the welfare of the world is involved. 

The lord said: 

6. I shall tell you the truth how sapinda should be performed. O foremost among birds, the dead man is on the Great Highway for the period of a year (after death). 

7. Thereafter, he sojourns in the Pitruloka² together with the manes. Hence, the sapinda should be performed by the son to his father.

2. Pitruloka-The world of the manes where the spirits of the Dead abide for some time before they enter the heaven or discend to the world of mortals. The spirit of the deceased person is entitled to the designation of pitru, and an abode in pitruloka after passing through the state of preta as a result of sapindikarana rite which absolves him of pretahood.

8. When a year is complete, the son should perform pinda-pravesha duly on the anniversary of death. 

9. O Excellent bird, when the sapinda is performed on the anniversary of death the dead man attains his cherished goal.

10. After sapindikarana, he abandons his identity and becomes one with the manes. The assimilation with grandfather is made within six months from the period the rite is completed. 

11. No joyous ceremony such as marriage, etc. can be performed is the householder dies and the sapinda has not been performed. Even a mendicant will not take alms from that house unless the sapinda is performed duly. 

12. As long as the pindas are not merged, one remains impure. O lord of birds, the dead man gets a new appellation after this merge. 

13. The obligations of a family are many. Man's life is being wasted every moment. Human body is not permanent. In view of this, the twelfth day after death is thought to be appropriate for the sapinda rite. 

1-1-15. Whether one has maintained the sacrificial fire or 101, one should perforin the sapinda on the twelfth day. If that is not possible, after three fortnights or alter six months or on the anniversary day. 

The sapinda rite is made obligatory by the sages who know the truth. 

16. After sapinda rite ekoddishta shall not be performed. Il it is performed it shall be done for the three, avoiding Kshaya days. 

17-18. Ekoddishta, if not performed for the three - father, grandfather, great grandfather--tantamounts to a slaughter of pitrus. If one is unable to perform the three separate shraddhas, one shall perform all the three on the same day which is not the shraddha day of the grandfather. 

If the day or month of death is not known, parvana and not ekoddishta shraddha is recommended. 

19. If the body has not yet been evolved no shraddha is enjoined for him together with the other manes. If the sixteen shraddhas are performed he is released from pretahood, acquires the status of pitrus and rejoices in their company.

20. If there be no son, sapindikarana is not possible. There is no sapindikarana for a low caste woman either, so long as she lives with her husband well and good, but there is no sapindikarana for her after her death.

21. The woman whose marriage has taken place according to the practice observed in the marriages, such as Brahma, etc, is entitled to rice-ball and water libation which should be offered by the dynastic title of her husband. 

22. The woman who is married according to the custom followed in the marriages such as asuru, etc. is also entitled to pinda and water which should be offered by the dynastic title of her father. 

23-24. The sapindikarana for the deceased is always performed by the son alone. If the deceased has no son, it should be performed by his wife; if no wise, by his elder brother; if no elder brother, by his younger brother, or by his younger brother's son; if no younger brother or his son, by a close relative or by a disciple. After sapindikarana, he should perform Nandimukha.¹

1. Nandimukha Shraddha-The ceremony performed in memory of the manes, preliminary to any festive occasion such as marriage, etc.

25. O lord, if a dead man is issueless, his younger brother or his wife can perform the sapinda. 

26. According to Manu, is among many brothers in a family only one has a son that son is common to all brothers. 

27. The sapinda of persons devoid of sous should be performed by the wife or rutviks or the family priest. 

28. A son whose tonsure ceremony has been held is entitled to perform his father's shraddha but he shall not recite the Vedic mantras. He can very well say svadha. 

29. A woman's sapinda can be performed by three persons, beginning with her husband (i.e., husband, son or husband's brother). 

30. Either before a year, or after a year or on the anniversary day, the sapinda rite can be performed. After that, all individual rites are forbidden. 

31. After sapinda, all individual shraddhas are avoided. He who gives separate pinda virtually kills the Pitrus. 

32. When sapindikarana is performed a separate shraddha for each mane is not enjoined. If a separate shraddha is performed, the sapinda rite should be performed again. 

33. If after performing sapinda any one performs ekoddishta, he makes himself and the dead man victim of Yama's wrath. Upto a year the rite for redemption from ghost hood should be performed under the specific name and gotra by the householder. 

34. The water-jar offering, seeding, gifts of lights, etc. after the sapinda rite is over, should be made in a single unit. 

35. O bird, the brahmin officiating in the first annual shraddha should be given the cost of water-pots and other articles (if water-pots and other articles are not given) after being fed. 

36. After the pinda offering has been made, he should gift as much of food-stuff to a brahmin as would last for a year. A person for whom all due rites are performed shall obtain a divine body and will proceed in the divine aerial car fully contented, to the realm of Yama. 

37. If father is alive, no sapinda rite is performed to the dead son. No sapinda is performed to the woman whose husband is alive. 

38. If the chaste wife ascends the pyre on the fourth day, the Vrushotsarga and other rites for her should be performed on the day when the same are due for her husband. 

39. An adopted daughter shall subscribe to her husband's gotra till the birth of a son After the birth of her son she reverts to the gotra of her father. 

40. If the wise ascends the funeral pyre there is aways the identity of rites for her husband and wife. The separate Shraddha (ekoddishta) shall be performed by the son on the anniversary of his father's death. 

41. If both husband and wife die on one and the same day, without a child and are cremated in the same pyre, the kinsman should perform separate Shraddha for each. The sapinda is along with her husband. 

42. This is my sworn statement that if anyone offers separate pindas to the deceased couple-husband and wife-he is not affected by major sins at all. 

43. If both husband and wife die and are cremated in the same pyre, food is cooked for pinda at the same time but pindas are offered separately. 

44. This separate offering is enjoined only for a year. Vrushotsarga, Nava shraddha (the first annual offering on the day of death) and the sixteen separate shraddhas, the pada-dana,¹ major gifts are offered separately for a year. The dead person will be satiated for ever.

1. pada-dana-the gift of padas. See Vol. II, p. 821, Verse 16.

45. If two persons, men or women, of the saine gotra die on the same day, the altar for the ritual is common for both, but the offering of gifts is separate. 

46. The Shraddha performed on the eleventh day should consist of the same kind of cooked food in the case of husband and wife but not in the case of others. 

47. If Shraddhas are performed in holy centres, in the dark fortnight or during the period of solar or lunar eclipse, the same cooked food can be used for many Shraddhas. 

48. If a woman is burnt along with the corpse of the husband, the fire burns out the body. It cannot burn the soul. 

49. Just as the impurities of metals are removed when metals are melted in fire, so the woman shall remove her impurities in the fire that is on a par with nectar. 

50-51. Assuming a divine body in heaven both of them attain purity. Just as the oil in a metallic vessel can be heated but not burnt to ashes by sire, so also crenated along with her husband she cannot be reduced to nothing. Her soul remains immortal though it is merged into the soul of her husband. 

52. If she is separated from her husband and dies else-where she cannot attain the region of her husband till the day of final deluge.²

2. The day of final deluge—The day of pralaya when the whole universe, at the end of a kalpa, is destroyed. 

53. Leaving off her mother, father and sons she will attain an everlasting happiness by following her dead husband. 

54. Calculating by the celestial calander she shall stay in heaven for thirty-five million years with the stars. 

55. At the end of that period she is born in a noble family, where she will be highly delighted in the company of her husband since she has remained chaste throughout. 

56-57. If a woman who is married duly according to religious rites does not associate herself with her husband she will remain miserable for seven births subsequent to this. She will be evil-conducted and repulsive in speech. The woman of such a despicable character who goes after another man, leaving her own husband shall be born as a lizard or an alligator or a leech. 

58. Hence, a woman shall endeavour to serve her husband in thought, word and action and follow him in life and death. 

59. A woman who commits sins against her husband alive or dead shall never get a husband in her re-birth. She will be the most unfortunate creature among women. 

60. By not thinking of anyone else and by serving her husband with devoted attention, a woman shall derive half the merit her husband achieves by the worship of God, propitiation of the manes and hospitality to guests. 

61. By doing her duty like this she will attain the region of her husband after death and shine like a celestial damsel in heaven as long as the sun and the moon shine in the firmament. 

62. If reborn they will be born in a flourishing family and will live together for a long time. A chaste lady will never suffer from the pangs of separation from her husband. 

63. O lord of birds, I have told you all. Now, I shall tell you some special things which yield happiness to the dead. 

64. The sapinda rite is performed on the twelfth day or thereafter, in any case within a year. The Udakumbha and feeding rites are performed every month. 

65. A rite already done need not be repeated except the rites for the dead. If anyone does it again the previous rite becomes fruitless. 

66. The rites for the dead, of course, can be repeated. O lord of birds, if any auspicious ceremonies (such as marriage etc) are to be celebrated, the sapinda rite should be completed before that. 

67. A son who performs sapinda rite according to the rules shall offer monthly pindas as well together with feeding and Udakumbha rites.