CHAPTER X.

The Collecting of the Bones from the Fire.

1. Garuda said: Tell me, O Lord, the rites for burning the bodies of the good, and describe also the greatness of the wife who is faithful.

2. The Blessed Lord said: Listen, O Tarksya. I will tell you all about the ceremonies for the upper body, by doing which sons and grandsons are released from the hereditary debt.

3. There is no need for numerous gifts, but one should perform the funeral ceremonies for his parents; the son who does so obtains fruit like that of the Agnistoma.

4-6. Then the son, abandoning sorrow, should have the shave, along with all his relatives, in order to remove all sins.

The son who does not have the shave when the mother or father has died,--how can he be called a son, the helper through the ocean of changefulness.

Therefore he must have the shave by all means, except the nails and the hair of the armpits. Then, having bathed with his relatives he must put on clean cloths.

7-9. Then, bringing river water, he should bathe the corpse and next adorn it with sandal-paste, garlands, or the clay of the Ganges;

Having covered it with new cloths he, with his sacred thread on the right shoulder, should pronounce the family name, and dedicate rice-balls and presents,

At the place of death, in the name of the so-called dead, he should offer them. By this the earth and its presiding deity become pleased.

10. He should wake offering at the threshold in the name of him who is become a traveller; by this the evil ones amongst the tens of millions of elementals can do no harm.

11-13. Then the daughter-in-law and others should go round it and worship it; then along with the other relatives the son should bear it on his shoulder.

The son who bears his father on his shoulder to the burning-ground obtains the fruit of the horse-sacrifice at every step.

He who carries his dead father on shoulder or back or hip pays off the debt of constant parental kindnesses.

14. Then, half-way, after cleaning and sprinkling, he should make a halt. Having bathed the corpse, he should make an offering for him.

15. Oblations should be made in order that goblins, demons and fiends, and others in the various directions, shall not cause disturbance of that body which is to be sacrificed.

16-19. Then it should be taken to the burning-ground, and laid down with its head to the north. Some place should be cleaned there, for the burning of the body, as follows:

Having swept the ground and washed it with cow-dung, having taken out some earth and erected an altar and sprinkled it with water, and having placed the fire as prescribed,

And having worshipped with flowers and coloured rice the Shining One known as the eater of flesh, he should make an oblation as prescribed, beginning with 'loman,'--