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LXXIII.
1. One desirous of celebrating a Srâddha must invite the Brâhmanas on the day before (it is to take place).
2. On the next day, in the forenoon, if it falls in the bright half of the month, and in the afternoon, if it falls in the dark half of the month, the Brâhmanas, who must have duly bathed and duly sipped water, must be placed by him, in the order of their seniority' (or) of their sacred knowledge, upon seats covered with Kusa grass.
3. (He must entertain) two (Brâhmanas) facing the east at the Srâddha of the gods (Visvedevâs), and three facing the north at the Srâddha of the manes;
4. Or one only at each Srâddha.
5. After having (worshipped the Visvedevâs and) offered a burnt-oblation: during the recitation of the first Pañkaka (pentad) at a Srâddha repast consisting
[LXXIII. 1-32. Âsv. II, 5, 11-14; IV, 7; Gobh. IV, 2-4; Pâr. III, 10, 48-55; Sânkh. IV, 1; M. III, 125, 204-259; Y. I, 225-248; Âpast. II, 7, 17, 11-19; Gaut. XV, Regarding the corresponding section of the Kâthaka Grihya-sûtra, see Introduction. This chapter opens the section on Srâddhas (funeral oblations), which consists of thirteen chapters (LXXIII-LXXXV. Nand.)
1. The Ekoddishta and Sapindîkarana Srâddhas have been described above, XXI. The rules given in the present chapter refer to all the remaining kinds of Srâddhas, See 5-9, LXXIV, LXXVI-LXXVIII.
2. 1 At the Srâddha of the manes the oldest Brâhmana represents the great-grandfather; the one next to him in age, the grandfather; the youngest of the three, the father of the sacrificer. (Nand.)
5-9. The three Pañkakas referred to in Sûtras 5-9 are respectively vv. 1-5, 6-10, and 11-15 of Kâthaka XXXIX, 10. (Nand.) The great majority of the Mantras quoted in Sûtras 11-26 have not been traced in the Berlin US. of the Kâthaka, nor indeed in any other Samhitâ of the Veda, but there can be no doubt that they, belong, to the school of the Kathas, as nearly all are quoted by their Pratîkas in the Kâthaka Grihya-sûtra, and given at full in Devapâla's Commentary on the latter. The above renderings of the Pratîkas rest upon Devapâla's interpretations. That the rules in 5 seq. teach the performance of a Srâddha according to the rites of the Katha school, is confirmed by Nand. in his remarks on 5 seq. and 9 seq.]
of undressed grain or performed for the gratification of a special desire[1];
6. At a Srâddha repast consisting of meat, during the recitation of the second Pañkaka;
7. At a new moon (Srâddha), during the recitation of the last Pañkaka;
8. On the Ashtakâs (or eighth days) of the (three) dark halves subsequent to the full moon day of the month Âgrahâyana (or Mârgasîrsha)[1], during the recitation of the first, second, and last Pañkakas respectively;
9. Likewise on the Anvashtakâs (or ninth days of the dark halves of those months);
10. He must invite the manes, after having received permission to do so from the Brâhmanas[1].
11. Having driven away the Yâtudhânas by strewing grains of sesamum and by reciting the two
[5. 1 See LXXVIll.
8. The days referred to are the eighth days of the dark halves of the months Mârgasîrsha, Pausha, and Mâgha.
9. 'And on the Srâddhas taking place on the seventh day of the dark half, as ka indicates.' (Nand.) This statement does not, however, deserve much credit, as such Srâddhas are neither mentioned in our work nor in the Kâthaka Grihya-sûtra.
10. 1 'The permission of the Brâhmanas has to be asked with the Mantra, "I shall invite (the manes);" and their answer must be, "Invite the,!"' (Nand.)
11. The Yâtudhânas are a class of demons supposed to disturb the effect of a Srâddha. The second Mantra, according to Devapâla, is from the Rig-veda, X, 15, 1.]
Mantras (the first of which begins with the words), 'May the Asuras go away;'
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