21 - Rules governing Shraddha (contd.)

Vyasa said:

1. On the new moon day, a Brahmana should take his bath and propitiate the Pitrus as mentiond before. With purity and gentlemanliness, he should perform the Shraddha called Pindanvaharyaka. 

2. At the very outset, he should look up for a Brahmana who is a master of the Vedas.¹ He is the holy centre (deserves to be the recepient of offerings meant for gods and Pitrus) 

1. These verses describe the qualifications of the Brahmana to be invited for the Shraddha. Heredity, personality, learning, character are some of the main considerations of such an invitee. Cf Mt. P. 16. 8-10, NP. I. 28-6-10; also, Smru, C. (Smruti Chandrika) III (Shraddha Kanda) pp. 389-394. Ancient Smrutis insist on purity of Character. Says Manu (II. 118). «Better a Brahmana who knows only the Gayatri Mantra but is self-controlled, than a knower of three Vedas but lacking in self-control, eats everything and sells anything (despite the prohibition of dharma”). 

3. The Brahmanas to be invited must be Soma-imbibers (in Yajnas), free from passion (Rajas quality), know Dharma, of calm mind, performing holy rites, observers of rules restraining the mind, those who approach unto their wives on the prescribed days after menstruation. 

4. The Brahmana must be one who maintains the five (sacrificial) fires. He must be a student of the Vedas, a knower of Yajurveda, conversant with many Ruk mantras Trisauparna¹ and Trimadhus.² 

1. Trisuparna-The three Anuvakas beginning from Brahmametu mam (tait. Ar. X. 41-50) 

2. Tri-madhu-Three Vedic verses (RV. I. 90. 6-9, Vaj. S. 13. 27-29. Tait. S. IV. 2. 9. 3.) in which the word Madhu occurs thrice. 

5. He must know the mantras of Trinachiketas,³ be a chanter of the Sama-veda and must know the Jyeshtha Samans⁴ He must have studied Atharvashiras⁵ especially the section called Rudra Adhyaya mantras. 

3. Tri-nachiketas-variously explained as: 

1. A person who knows the Náchiketa fire

2. A person who has thrice kindled the Nachiketa fire.

 3. One who has studied the Anuvaka called Virajas, Tait. Br. III. 11. 7-8 which describes the Nachiketa fire and the story of Nachiketas.

4. Jyestha-saman-Two interpretations according to the branches of the Sama-veda. 

i. Talavakara sakha: Saman sung on Udu tvam (Rv. I. 50. 1) Chitraṁ devanam (Rv. I. 115. 1)

 ii. Chandoga Shakha: Three samans sung on murdhanam divo (Rv. VI. 7. 1, Sam. V. Purvărchika 67, ibid uttarărchika 1140). v. 4 and 5 of KP repeat Apa. Dh. S. (Apastamba-Dharma Sutra) II. 7. 17-22 where it is regarded as a qualification of a ‘Pankti-pavana’ (purifier of a row of ‘fallen’ persons by sitting in their row for meals).

            5. N. of an Upanishad. 

6. He must be devoted to the performance of Agnihotra. He must be a scholar knowing Nyayas and the six Angas (auxiliary studies of the Veda). He must be a knower of the Mantra Brahmaṇas and a reciter of Dharma Shastra. 

7. He must be observing vows of sages and a (lit. a minor sage) prospective sage of calm mind who has subdued sense-organs. He must belong to family of hereditary Vedic Teachers. He must be pure ever since the conception. He must be a bestower of a thousand cows. 

8. He must regularly perform the Chandrayana rite. He must be truthful in speech, a knower of the Puranas, devoted to the worship of the preceptor, Devas and the fire-god. He must be devoted to the perfect knowledge. 

9. One liberated from all sides, of firm mind, an excellent Brahmana who has realised the Brahman, and who is self-possessed, a devotee of Vishnu, engaged in the worship of Mahadeva and one called Parktipavana¹ (one who sanctifies the row in which he sits for meals.) 

1. Pankti-pavana: Persons who sanctify others by their presence in the row of diners (even at funeral repast). This belief is pretty old, vide Baudh. Dh. S. (Baudhayana Dharma Sutra) II. 8. 2. Manu III 185-186. The list of such Brahmanas given here (vv. 1-14) is found in the Mbh. Anu. 90-25-31, also cf. Mt. P. 16. 7-13, Vayu p.79.56-59.

10. A person who is as follows, should be known as a Panktipăvana; one who is engaged in non-violence, one who never accepts monetary gifts; one who performs Satra (sacrificial sessions) and one who is engaged in charitable gifts.

Additional Verses in Brackets 

A. Brahmanas who are young and healthy and well versed in Shrutis or Vedas, devoted to the performance of great Yajnas and those Brahmanas who are engaged in the Japa of the Savitri Mantra are Pankti-Pavanas.

 B. Those who belong to good families, are endowed with Vedic learning, those who are of good conduct, performers of Penance, a Brahmana householder who maintains (sacrifical) fires--these should be known as Panktipavanas. 

11. A Brahmana who is engaged in what is beneficial to his parents, who regularly takes his bath early in the morning, a sage knowing spiritual topics and a person of self-control should be known as Pankti-Pavana.

12. A great Yogin, well-stabilised in perfect knowledge, one who ponders over the meanings of Vedantas: has faith, one who is engaged in Shraddha-such a Brahmana is Pankti-Pavana. 

13. A Brahmana who is engaged in the Vedic lore, one always devoted to celibacy, who is well versed in the Atharvaveda and who desires liberation is a Pankti-Pavana. 

14. A Brahmana who has no common Pravaras (with the performer of the Shraddha) and who belongs to a different Gotra¹ and who is thus unrelated, should be regarded as Panktipavana. 

1. Cr. Baudh Dh. S. II. 2. 7. 

15. One shall feed a quiescent Yogin² engaged in the perfect knowledge of the reality. In his absence, he may feed a Naishthika (perpetual) celibate sage or a religious student who has completed his religious studentship and who takes to the life of a householder. 

2. VV. 15-18 cf. Vishnu Dh. S. 83. 19-20. It specially recommends Yogins as invitees to Shraddha and quotes a Gatha in which Pitrus express their yearning for a Brahmana Yogin fed at their Shraddha. Puranas vie with each other in describing the quantitative and qualitative efficacy in feeding a Yogin at a Shraddha than other Brahmanas in different ashramas (stages of life). Cf. Bd. P. III. 9. 70 Mk. P. 29. 29. 

16. In his absence, he shall feed a householder who is desirous of salvation and who has no attachment. If all these are not available, one shall feed a householder who is an aspirant. 

17. If an ascetic who knows the Gunas of the Prakruti and all the principles (tattvas) partakes of one’s Havis, the merit that one attains exceeds feeding even a thousand knowers of Vedanta. 

18. Hence, with great effort, one should feed a leading Yogin engaged in the pursuit of perfect knowledge of Ishvara (in rites pertaining to gods and Pitrus) by means of Havyas and Kavyas. In case he be not available, he should feed other Brahmanas. 

19. This is the best alternative in the matter of giving Havya and Kavya. The Anukalpa³ (next alternative) which is always practised by pious men should be known as follows: 

3. Medhatithi on Manu III 147 explains this as the second-best course: mukhyabhave yo ‘nushtiyate pratinidhi-nyayena. 

20. One should (then) feed (one’s) maternal grandfather,¹ maternal uncle, sisters’ son, father-in-law, preceptor, daughter’s son, a king, a kinsman, as well as a Rutvik and a Yajya (one on whose behalf a Yajna can be performed) 

1. Yaj. Smru. I. 220, Mt. P. 16. 10-11. 

21. One should not feed a friend² in the Shraddha. He should be pleased with wealth(?). Desire for Dakshinas is demonic and is not conducive to any benefit either here or hereafter. 

2. VV. 21-22. Cf. Manu III. 138-139 but he modifies his view and allows invitation to a friend in emergency but not an enemy however learned III. 144. 

22. In case of non-availability of a suitable Brahmana one may very well feed and honour a friend but not an enemy, even though he may be learned and enlightened. The Havis partaken of by an enemy becomes futile after death. 

23. A Brahmana who has not learned the Vedas becomes extinct like the fire of (dry) grass. Havya shall not be given unto him, for Homa is not performed in the ashes indeed. 

24. Just as by sowing seeds in a barren land, the sower does not reap any fruit thereof, similarly, by offering Havis to one without Ruk mantras (i.e., one who has not learned Ruk mantras) one does not reap the fruit of that offer. 

25. If a non-knower of Mantras partakes of food-oblations in Havya and Kavya (offered to gods and Pitrus), the performer of that Shraddha is compelled to swallow after death as many burning thick balls of iron (in number) as the rice balls swallowed by that non-knower³ (of mantras). 

3. Manu III. 133.

26. O Brahmana, that abode (place of sacrifice) becomes Asura (unholy and demonaic) where these base men of evil conduct partake of the Havya, though they may be endowed with the knowledge and birth in noble family. 

27.* If the Vedas and Vedis (sacrificial platforms) are in disuse upto three generations, that person becomes an evil Brahmana; He never deserves invitation to feeding in Shraddhas⁴ etc. 

*Aushanasa Smruti. 

4. VV. 27-47 describe the disqualifications for invitation to a Shraddha. Most of these verses are common to Manu III. 151-166 Cf. Yaj. Smru. I. 222-224, Bruhad-Yama Smru. III. 34-38, Mbh. Anushasana 90. 6-11, Mt. P. 16. 14-17, Bm. P. 220. 127-135. Bd. P. Upodghata 15. 39-43, 19. 39-41, NP. I. 30-41. The textual similarity between these verses from different works is significant. Out of these, Manu’s list of disqualifications is the most comprehensive one. A reference to Smru. Chandrika III, pp. 394-403 shows how writers on Dharma Sutras, Smrutis and Puranas attached great importance to the selection of Brahmanas for Shraddha. As Manu III 149. puts it, one may not put Brahmanas to test for work pertaining to gods, but in the case of Pitrus (i. e. for Shraddha) one must be scrupulously careful-a view endorsed by most other writers on Dharma Shastra. 

28. The person mentioned above, a servant of a Shudra a salaried attendant of the king, the sacrificial priest of Shudras a person who sustains himself by killing and a person livelihood is imprisoning others-these six are Brahmabandhus (not true Brahmanas-nominal Brahmanas). 

29. (Defective verse) Manu says that they are fallen for the sake of wealth. These sellers of Vedas are not approved of for the Shraddha. 

30. Those who sell their sons, those who are born as sons of a remarried widow, those who perform the Yajnas of even ordinary persons-all these are spoken of as fallen ones. 

31. Those teachers who are not cultured, those who read and teach Vedas for salary-are called fallen ones. 

32-33. That Shraddha wherein the wicked Tamasikas such as old Shravakas (Buddhists), Jainas, knowers of Pancharatra, followers of Kapalika and Pashupata sects, atheists, and others like them eat food offered to gods, does not bestow excellent benefit here and hereafter.¹ 

1. Here the followers of Pancha-ratra, Kapalika and Pashupata sects are disqualified as these sects were regarded to have been outside the vedic fold due to their recognition of their sectarian Agamas as against the Vedas. Pashupatas of the vedic fold described so elaborately in this Purana are different. 

Cf. Bd. P. III. 14. 38-39, Vayu 78. 30-31 

34. A Brahmana not belonging to any Ashrama, or a non-performer of the prescribed duties of his own Ashrama (stage of life) and who falsely poses as belonging to a particular Ashrama all these should be known as defilers of rows of people participating in a feast. 

35-42. The following persons are shunned in Shraddha and similar rites: A person with a hideous skin; one with ill-formed rotten nails, a leper, one with white leprosy, one with black teeth, one whose penis is mutilated, a thief, an impotent person, an atheist, a drink-addict, a paramour of a Shudra woman, a murderer of a hero, one who indulges in sexual intercourse with one’s brother’s widow,¹ one who commits arson, a pimp, the seller of Soma, the young brother who marries before the elder brother,² the violent man, the elder brother who remains unmarried when the younger brother has married, non-performer of Maha-yajnas, an expelled one, a widow’s son, a usurer, a stargazer) one indulging in songs and musical instruments, a sickly person, a one-eyed fellow, one deficient in any limb, an Avakirnin (a religious student who breaks his vow), one who has an additional limb, a person who defiles food, bastard, a person accused of a crime, a Devala (a person maintaining himself by worshipping idols); a person who injures his friend; a back-biter, a henpecked husband; a person who has abandoned his parents and the preceptor, a wife-forsaker, the creator of discord in one’s clan, one who is impure, a worthless fellow; an issueless person, a perjuror, a beggar, a person living by means of dramas, a seafarer, an ungrateful person, a person committing breach of promise, and one who censures Vedas, Devas and the Brahmanas. All these should be avoided in a Shraddha. 

1. didhishupati-one who lasciviously dallies with the widow of his deceased brother even though he be appointed to procreate a son from her as per law (dharma), Manu III. 173. 

2. Parivetta-a younger brother who marries or kindles sacred fires before his elder brother-Manu JII. 171. 

43. The following are defilers of rows: -an ungrateful person, a back-biter, a ruthless person, an atheist, a person who censures the Vedas, a person injuring friends and a cheat. 

44. All these should not be fed (in a Shraddha). They cannot be given any gift in holy rites A murderer of a Brahmana and a person who is accused should be avoided scrupulously. 

45. A Brahmana who has fattened himself on the food and drink offered py Shudras and a person not performing Sandnya prayers and five great Yajnas-are the defilers of the row in feasts). 

46. A Brahmana who destroys what he has learned, one devoid of an ablution and charitable gifts and a Brahmana with predominance of Tamas and Rajas Gunas-all of these are defilers of rows.¹ 

1. Though KP. does not explicitly discuss it there is a distinction between one who should not be invited as a Brahmana for Shraddha because being Sagotra and those who are apankteyas or Pankti-dushakas i.e., whose presence defiles the row of diners. The list of such defilers (Pankti-dushakas) is given above in this chapter. 

47. Of what use is an expiation beyond limit. Those who do not perform the enjoined duties but perform those acts which are forbidden are to be scrupulously avoided in the Shraddha.