Changes

== श्राद्धसमयः ॥ Appropriate time for Shraddha ==

== श्राद्धसमयः ॥ Appropriate time for Shraddha ==

* The days of krshnapaksha beginning with the tenth until the new moon day, except the fourteenth day, are considered most pure for a funeral offering; none other is as pure (Manu Smrt. 3.276).<ref name=":1" />

* The days of krshnapaksha beginning with the tenth until the new moon day, except the fourteenth day, are considered most pure for a funeral offering; none other is as pure (Manu Smrt. 3.276).<ref name=":1" />

<blockquote>कृष्णपक्षे दशम्यादौ वर्जयित्वा चतुर्दशीम् । श्राद्धे प्रशस्तास्तिथयो यथैता न तथेतराः || ३.२७६ ||<ref name=":0" /></blockquote><blockquote>kr̥ṣṇapakṣe daśamyādau varjayitvā caturdaśīm । śrāddhe praśastāstithayo yathaitā na tathetarāḥ || 3.276 ||</blockquote>

<blockquote>कृष्णपक्षे दशम्यादौ वर्जयित्वा चतुर्दशीम् । श्राद्धे प्रशस्तास्तिथयो यथैता न तथेतराः || ३.२७६ ||<ref name=":0" /></blockquote><blockquote>kr̥ṣṇapakṣe daśamyādau varjayitvā caturdaśīm । śrāddhe praśastāstithayo yathaitā na tathetarāḥ || 3.276 ||</blockquote>

<blockquote>रात्रौ श्राद्धं न कुर्वीत राक्षसी कीर्तिता हि सा । सन्ध्ययोरुभयोश्चैव सूर्ये चैवाचिरोदिते || ३.२८० ||<ref name=":0" /></blockquote><blockquote>rātrau śrāddhaṁ na kurvīta rākṣasī kīrtitā hi sā । sandhyayorubhayoścaiva sūrye caivācirodite || 3.280 ||</blockquote>

<blockquote>रात्रौ श्राद्धं न कुर्वीत राक्षसी कीर्तिता हि सा । सन्ध्ययोरुभयोश्चैव सूर्ये चैवाचिरोदिते || ३.२८० ||<ref name=":0" /></blockquote><blockquote>rātrau śrāddhaṁ na kurvīta rākṣasī kīrtitā hi sā । sandhyayorubhayoścaiva sūrye caivācirodite || 3.280 ||</blockquote>

* If one is unable to offer a shraddha every month, according to the rules given above, one may do it thrice a year - in winter, in summer and in the rainy season. However, the [[Panchamahayajnas (पञ्चमहायज्ञाः)|Panchamahayajnas]] have to be performed every day (Manu Smrt. 3.281).<ref name=":1" />

* If one is unable to offer a shraddha every month, according to the rules given above, one may do it thrice a year - in winter, in summer and in the rainy season. However, the [[Panchamahayajnas (पञ्चमहायज्ञाः)|Panchamahayajnas]] have to be performed every day (Manu Smrt. 3.281).<ref name=":1" />

<blockquote>अनेन विधिना श्राद्धं त्रिरब्दस्येह निर्वपेत् । हेमन्तग्रीष्मवर्षासु पाञ्चयज्ञिकमन्वहम् || ३.२८१ ||<ref name=":0" /></blockquote><blockquote>anena vidhinā śrāddhaṁ trirabdasyeha nirvapet । hemantagrīṣmavarṣāsu pāñcayajñikamanvaham || 3.281 ||</blockquote>The 14th Adhyaya of the 7th Skandha of the Bhagavata Purana, Yudhisthira asks Maharshi Narada who explains to him the course of conduct by which a householder will attain moksha without difficulty.<ref>Ganesh Vasudeo Tagare, The Bhagavata Purana (Part III), Ancient Indian Tradition & Mythology (Volume 9), Edited by J.L.Shastri, New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, P.no.[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.150116/page/n109/mode/2up 979-984].</ref> Accordingly, the text mentions that if sufficiently rich, a dvija (brahmana, kshatriya and vaishya) should perform according to his means, the shraddha ie. Mahalaya in honour of his departed parents as well as their kinsmen and others, in the dark half of bhadrapada. (19) It also enumerates a few other days designated for the performance of shraddha as follows:  

<blockquote>अनेन विधिना श्राद्धं त्रिरब्दस्येह निर्वपेत् । हेमन्तग्रीष्मवर्षासु पाञ्चयज्ञिकमन्वहम् || ३.२८१ ||<ref name=":0" /></blockquote><blockquote>anena vidhinā śrāddhaṁ trirabdasyeha nirvapet । hemantagrīṣmavarṣāsu pāñcayajñikamanvaham || 3.281 ||</blockquote>In the 14th Adhyaya of the 7th Skandha of the Bhagavata Purana, Yudhisthira asks Maharshi Narada who explains to him the course of conduct by which a householder will attain moksha without difficulty. Accordingly, the text mentions that 

 

* If sufficiently rich, a dvija (brahmana, kshatriya and vaishya) should perform according to his means, the shraddha ie. Mahalaya in honour of his departed parents as well as their kinsmen and others, in the dark half of bhadrapada.<ref>Ganesh Vasudeo Tagare, The Bhagavata Purana (Part III), Ancient Indian Tradition & Mythology (Volume 9), Edited by J.L.Shastri, New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, P.no.[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.150116/page/n109/mode/2up 979-984].</ref>  

He should also perform their shraddha at the time of the summer and winter solstices (ayanas), and the vernal and autumnal equinoxes (vishuva), during the division of time called Vyatipata; on the day when a tithi ie. lunar day begins and ends between two sun-rises (technically known as dinakshaya); during the lunar and solar eclipses; on the 12th lunar day, and when the constellations known as Shravana, Dhanishtha and Shata-taraka are on the ascendance; on the 3rd day in the bright half of Vaishakha (ie. on Akshaya tritiya); on the 9th lunar day in the bright half of Karttika (known as Akshaya navami); on the four Ashtakas (8th lunar day in the dark halves) during the seasons called Hemanta and Shishira (ie. on the 8th day in the dark half of the months of Margashirsha, Pausha, Magha and Phalguna); on the 7th day in the bright half of the month of Magha; on the full moon day when the constellation Magha is ascendant (which is in the month of Magha) on days when the constellation associated with the names of other (lunar) months are ascendant on a full moon day, or even when the moon rises one digit less than  the full on that day; on any 12th lunar day when the constellations Anuradha, Shravana and the three constellations beginning with the word Uttara (viz. Uttarashadha, Uttara Bhadrapada and Uttara Phalguni) are ascendant; or when the 11th lunar day (of any month) is associated with (any of) these three constellations; (and lastly) on any day when the constellation under which a person was born or the constellation called Shravana is ascendant. (20-23)

<blockquote>कुर्याद् आपरपक्षीयं मासि प्रौष्ठपदे द्विजः ।  श्राद्धं पित्रोर्यथावित्तं तद्‍बन्धूनां च वित्तवान् ॥ १९ ॥<ref>Bhagavata Purana, Skandha 7, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%AD/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%AA Adhyaya 14].</ref> </blockquote><blockquote>''kuryād āparapakṣīyaṁ māsi prauṣṭhapadē dvijaḥ । śrāddhaṁ pitrōryathāvittaṁ tad‍bandhūnāṁ ca vittavān ॥ 19 ॥''</blockquote>It also enumerates a few other days designated for the performance of shraddha as follows:

 

* the summer and winter solstices (ayanas)  

* the vernal and autumnal equinoxes (vishuva),  

* during the division of time called Vyatipata;  

* on the day when a tithi ie. lunar day begins and ends between two sun-rises (technically known as dinakshaya);  

* during the lunar and solar eclipses;  

* on the 12th lunar day, and when the constellations known as Shravana, Dhanishtha and Shata-taraka are on the ascendance;  

* on the 3rd day in the bright half of Vaishakha (ie. on Akshaya tritiya);  

* on the 9th lunar day in the bright half of Karttika (known as Akshaya navami);  

* on the four Ashtakas (8th lunar day in the dark halves) during the seasons called Hemanta and Shishira (ie. on the 8th day in the dark half of the months of Margashirsha, Pausha, Magha and Phalguna);  

* on the 7th day in the bright half of the month of Magha;  

* on the full moon day when the constellation Magha is ascendant (which is in the month of Magha)  

* on days when the constellation associated with the names of other (lunar) months are ascendant on a full moon day, or even when the moon rises one digit less than  the full on that day;  

* on any 12th lunar day when the constellations Anuradha, Shravana and the three constellations beginning with the word Uttara (viz. Uttarashadha, Uttara Bhadrapada and Uttara Phalguni) are ascendant; or when the 11th lunar day (of any month) is associated with (any of) these three constellations;  

* (and lastly) on any day when the constellation under which a person was born or the constellation called Shravana is ascendant. (20-23)

It also mentions that, Shraddhas should be performed when it is the time of the purificatory rites observed in the behalf of himself, his wife or children; as well as at the time of the cremation of a dead body or on the death anniversary of a person; and at the time of any other function like marriage. (26)

It also mentions that, Shraddhas should be performed when it is the time of the purificatory rites observed in the behalf of himself, his wife or children; as well as at the time of the cremation of a dead body or on the death anniversary of a person; and at the time of any other function like marriage. (26)