VYAVASTHA1DARPANA 295 OBSEQU1Es, &c. of THE LATE PROPRIETOR MUST BE PERFORMED. Two motives are indeed declared for the acquisition of wealth: one temporal enjoyment, the other the spiritual benefit of alms and so forth. Now, since the acquirer is dead and cannot have temporal enjoyment, it is right that the wealth should be applied to his spiritual benefit. Accordingly Vrihaspati says: “Of property which descends by inheritance, half should carefully be set apart for the benefit of the deceased owner, to defray the charges of his monthly, six-monthly, and annual obsequies.” By saying “To defray the charges of his monthly, &c. obsequies,” his participation, and by directing “Religious purposes,” his spiritual benefit, are stated as reasons. So A pastamba ordains: “Let the pupil or the daughter apply the goods to religious purposes for the benefit of the deceased.” Consequently, 141. He who takes the estate of the deceased, shall perform his obsequies.f I. A brother, a brother's son, a Sapinda, or a pupil, performing rites with a funeral cake for the deceased, shall thence obtain increase (of prosperity)."f VRIHAspati. II. He who takes the estate shall perform the obsequies.* Smriti. 142. But if one be heir to the estate, and another be qualified to perform the srdidda, (o) he must give sufficient property and cause the rites to be celebrated by him who is qualified to perform them.f TE.c word “Srāddha” here signifies the obsequies performed after the death of a person.f. How can the spiritual preceptor, who takes the estate of a Kshatriya perform his funeral rites, since that is forbidden.of the text:—“The priest who performs funeral rites for persons of an inferior tribe, is degraded to that class in the present world and in the next P” No; for this text relates to brothers unequal in class: and the difficulty is obviated by saying, the spiritual preceptor may accomplish the funeral rites by the intervention of a qualified person equal in class with the deceased.*
- Coleb. Dá. bhá. p. 216.
f Coleb. Dig. Vol. III. pp. 545, 546. If, in consequence of the heir of a deceased proprietor being in a different country, there be a probability of loss of the deceased's estate, then for his religious merit and spiritual benefit, any one can, with propriety, spend the money left by him, inasmuch as, according to this text of NARADA : “Whoever willingly performs the obsequies of, and religious rites for, a deceased, he also is held to be a substitute for the person, on whom it was incumbent to perform them.” This has been fully laid down in the Shuddhitatua. The author of the Dāyabhāga, by saying that the estate of a deceased proprietor should in every instance be applied to religious purposes for the benefit of the deceased, has laid down the same thing. Dáyatatwa, Sans. p. 63. W 3 Vyavasthá. IReason. Vyawasthá.
