[332] Kalau tâvad gavâlambho mâmsadânam ka srâddhe nishiddham, Gobhilena tu madhyamâshtakâyâm vâstukarmani ka gavâlambho vihitah, mâmsakarus kânvashtakyasrâddhe; Gobhilîya Grihya-sûtra, ed. "Kandrakânta Tarkâlankâra, Vigñapti," p. 8.
[333] It may be seriously doubted whether prayers to the dead or for the dead satisfy any craving of the human heart. With us in "the North," a shrinking from "open manifestations of grief" has nothing whatever to do with the matter. Those who refuse to engage in such worship believe and teach that the dead are not gods and cannot be helped by our prayers. Reason, not feeling, prevents such worship.—Am. Pubs.
[334] A deeper idea than affection inspired this custom. Every kinsman was always such, living or dead; and hence the service of the dead was sacred and essential. The Srâddhas were adopted as the performance of such offices. There were twelve forms of this service: 1. The daily offering to ancestors. 2. The srâddha for a person lately deceased, and not yet included with the pitris. 3. The srâddha offered for a specific object. 4. The offering made on occasions of rejoicing. 5. The srâddha performed when the recently-departed has been incorporated among the Pitris. 6. The srâddha performed on a parvan-day, i.e., new moon, the eighth day, fourteenth day, and full moon. 7. The srâddha performed in a house of assembly for the benefit of learned men. 8. Expiatory. 9. Part of some other ceremony. 10. Offered for the sake of the Devas. 11. Performed before going on a journey. 12. Srâddha for the sake of wealth. The srâddhas may be performed in one's own house, or in some secluded and pure place. The number performed each year by those who can afford it varies considerably; but ninety-six appears to be the more common. The most fervent are the twelve new-moon rites; four Yuga and fourteen Manu rites; twelve corresponding to the passages of the sun into the zodiacal mansions, etc.—A. W.
[335] See "Hibbert Lectures," new ed. pp. 243-255.
[336] The same concept is found in the Platonic Dialogue between Sokrates and Euthyphrôn. The philosopher asks the diviner to tell what is holy and what impiety. "That which is pleasing to the gods is holy, and that which is not pleasing to them is impious" promptly replies the mantis, "To be holy is to be just," said Sokrates; "Is the thing holy because they love it, or do they love it because it is holy?" Euthyphrôn hurried away in alarm. He had acknowledged unwittingly that holiness or justice was supreme above all gods; and this highest concept, this highest faith, he dared not entertain.—A. W.
[337] In Chinese we find that the same three aspects of religion and their intimate relationship were recognized, as, for instance, when Confucius says to the Prince of Sung: "Honor the sky (worship of Devas), reverence the Manes (worship of Pitris); if you do this, sun and moon will keep their appointed time (Rita)." Happel, "Altchinesische Reichsreligion," p. 11.
[338] Rig-Veda I. 164, 46; "Hibbert Lectures," p. 311.
[339] Rig-Veda X. 114, 5; "Hibbert Lectures," p. 313.
[340] Rig-Veda I. 164, 4.
[341] Τὺ δὲ φρόνημα τοῦ πνεὺματος ζωὴ καὶ εὶρἡνη. See also Ruskin, "Sesame," p. 63.