Rare Dharmopadesas for Brahmins

Ariya Dharmopadeshangal

(Rare   Dharmopdesas)

By

Srivathsa Ve. Somadeva  Sarma

Translated by

P.R.Ramachander

    (I obtained  the tamil book  “Ariya Dharmopadesangal “  which has been published by  Sri Ramamurthy Srouthigal, “Sri sadguru  Dattatreya Nivasa” , Vidyaranyapura ,  Sringeri- 577139 from my friend Sri P.V.Anatha Narayanan . I am sure this book would be very much useful   to  all Brahmins to know the correct Acharas)

                                                                                   Introduction

                                                                                           By

                                                                Srivathsa Ve. Somadeva  Sarma

Achara (rituals)   are  only Dharma. The Acharas  followed by  holy people is  Sadachara and Aacharas followed by eminent followers of the religion   is Sishtachara. Though we generally tell Achara  as Dharma  , the rules which help practice Dharma  is Sadachara.  In some places Dharma is the dress and Achara  are the limbs. For example performing Sandhyavandana is a Dharma, but performing  it after taking bath, after marking the forehead with sacred marks and wearing a Panchakacha  is  the aacharas. Even Vedas do not support a person who does not have aacharas.  By following Achara   we can get a long span of life and also become   wealthy  . So many Dharma Sasthras say that Dharma is born out of aacharas and anyone who leaves aacharas   has  a very short span of life.

  Karma or Dharma is a medicine that removes sins. Achara  is the discipline  that we have to follow in taking the medicine . When you do not follow the disciplines, in spite of taking medicine  , the   disease is not cured. Sometimes even the discipline only cures  the diseases. One Purana says that  a hunter who only  followed Achara , got a Brahmin birth. Any religious without following the aacharas   does not give results.

1.The Sun should not be seen while  rising, setting or at noon. It should not be seen during eclipse   or in water

2.We should go round  Brahmins , Sumangalis , temple , gods  . Peepal tree  and cow in a clock wise manner(Pradakshina). Dhileepa who Went round a cow in an anti clock wise direction   and so  did  not get a child.

3.We should not blow air with our mouth on fire. We should not cross  fire with our feet and We should not touch it with hand. We should not put out fire by pouring water  on it, We should not dry our feet by showing our feet to the fire.

4.When We reach the sacred waters, We should not keep our feet on it first.We should take the water first and sprinkle on our head and then only wash our feet .We should not spit on water. We should not bathe without cloth   in sacred waters. We should not do ablations in sacred water. We should take water in a vessel and do ablations. We should not ansWer natures calls inside the water. We should  not put a stone in a lake or pond for  Bhīma who kept his feet first in sacred waters suffered.

5.Cooking food only  for ourselves, making garland out of floWer for our use  and cooking kheer (Payasam)  are all sinful activities. We should first offer everything to god and guests and take it ourselves.

6.Before going to bed, We have to wash our feet, dry it with a cloth  , meditate on God and  then only go to sleep.  We should not sleep with our head pointing to northern direction. We should  not sleep on a broken cot. We should not sleep in a dilapidated house, We should not wake up a person who is sleeping. Waking up elderly people is a great sin. While We sleep, all our sense organs  are within our mind.  If We  wake up a person in half sleep, the organs instead of returning to proper places  may  go to places of other organs .(Eg  mouth may go to nose),Because of this a person can become blind or deaf.

7. Periods of a woman is a penance for Brahma Hathi.  WE should not go near them during those three days. While We are eating We should not hear their voice.  We should not use water and food after they have used it.  On fourth day after bath  , if she cooks by going near fire, she would get sick,  The one who eats the food she prepares would get tainted. She would get pure only on fifth day.

8. All gods reside on a cow. Going round it in clock wise direction,   comforting it, offering grass , rice bran, water and oil cake to it are blessed deeds. We would be blessed  with  children because of that.  Kicking  a cow  with leg, hitting it with a stick, eating food without feeding it,  informing the owner when it grazes in his field  are sins.  We would born as an out caste  by doing any of these. One Brahmin threw away food because the dust raised by cow’s feet fell on it. Due to it , he was born as an outcaste called Kaisika,  By  serving a cow, King Dileepa got a  great son called   Raghu, We should try to protect the cow as much as possible. At least We should not trouble it.

9.We should not use cloths, slipper , garland  , water pot , seat  and bed  that Were used by others. It would be a sin and bring diseases.

10.The smoke from a corpse , early sun light  , shadow of a lamp , shadow of a human being  and shadow of an outcaste should not fall on us. It would cause  health problems and reduce our life span.

11,Nails and hair are like the lifeless feather on our body.. A married householder should cut /shave his hair only once a month , that too after seeing for auspicious time. We should not cut our hair or shave ourselves.  Our forefathers used to see proper Nakshatra and thithi. It is essential to see thithi only. If We do shaving on CHhathurthi  day, our mother will be affected and doing it in Chathurdasi would lead to bad effects to the sister, Sashti is not good to the brother, Amavasya, Pournami , Ekadasi   and Dwadasi are not good to father. Doing it in Prathma would lead to loss of Wealth, doing it in navami would cause loss of grains, in ashtami  it would destroy our family . Wednesday is a good day for hair cutting /shaving, We should not get it done on Tuesdays , Fridays and Saturdays.  After the death taint of a clan member  , We should cut our hair and do Tharpana. If that day falls on a  Friday, shaving can be got done on Thursday itself, During taint and before the annual death ceremony (Sradham), it is essential to shave off all hairs of our body.

12. We should not nip our nails. If we do it, immediately we have to take a bath. You should not draw a line on floor using the nail.  You should throw the cut nails  outside our house, We should not bite  the nails with our teeth,. Moodehevi (jyeshta devi ) says that such persons  are the place of her personal residence.

13.We should not nip  grass, durba   or flower with our nails., Nails should not touch the water that , we are drinking. Introducing finger to see whether water  is hot is wrong.We should pour water in our hands and test it. If we sprinkle water using nails on other person, our nail would get infected.(Nakha chuthi.  We should not nip with nail the banana fruit before offering it to God. We whould remove the skin at the tip by our fingers. We should not remove sandal paste meant for God by using the nail. We should do it by our inner  finger.

14. Without reason We should not powder  mud balls ,tiles and bricks.

15. We should not Wear a flower which has not been offered to God. We  should not Wear it in such a way,  that it is visible outside our hair.  If those who do not comb their hair , tie flowers with hair, the scent of the flower will not go out. Ladies should not Wear flowers without scent, We should not stamp used flowers with our feet.

16, We should not travel in a cart drawn by a single bullock,. If We go on a pilgrimage on  such a cart , it would even destroy the blessed deeds which We have done earlier. Single bullock is the steed of Lord Shiva. The Goddess of Dharma  assumes the form of a single bullock   and carries Lord Shiva. Climbing on a single bullock or travelling in a cart being drawn by it , is an insult to Dharma.

17.We should never enter our village or house through back door or entry point. We should always   go by the front door. Dakshayani (Lord Shiva’s wife) entered Daksha’s house by the back door   and she  destroyed herself as Well as the yaga,

18. At night We  should  not stay below a tree .If pregnant women sleeps there , her pregnancy would get affected. At night , birds stay on the tree and their poop may fall on us. At night ghosts and devils approach  the trees. Also trees leave out carbon dioxide at night, So We may get sick. It has been told that in Kali age after 5000 years , the ghosts  are  but the diseases.

19.We should not gamble. Playing cards with money wager is gambling. Even Yudhishtra who knew all Dharmas lost everything due to gambling. Since gambling leads to lie , avarice  and treachery  , it is one of those great sins.

20. Crossing a river swimming with hand and leg is a sin. Our Sasthras want to protect us. Lot of dangers may happen , when we cross the river due to nature’s fury, So cross the river in a boat and as soon as you reach the other shore, do Aachamana. This is to expatiate ourselves from the sin of crossing the river.

21.Please do not tell about Dharma or penance without  request from others. It definitely should not be told to people who are lower in birth status than ourselves.  Food should only be given to hungry people . If we tell Dharma to people who do not want it, they will not believe in it. So initially create a desire to hear Dharma in them and after their request teach them.

22. We should not stamp by our feet the shadow of God’s idol, Guru, Father , mother , elders  and cow. We should not cross their shadows also. We should not stamp the shadows of sinners also  nor cross it. We believe that a little of a person’s power is there on his shadow also. So stamping or crossing would be disrespecting them. Ravana tried to cross Kailasa mountain and got   in to trouble.

23.We should always tell the truth. If that truth is going to hurt others , We should tell even that truth. We should  not tell a lie to please another man. Once a hunter was chasing a boar. . In the path there was a sage who always told the truth. The hunter asked him which way did the boar go.  Instead of  telling a lie or  causing hurt  to the boar  , that sage told, “Would the people who see  tell?  Is the man who tells , the one who has seen it.”

24.We should not call any one as a sinner. If he had not committed a sin, the bad effect of committing the sin would reach the man who called him a sinner, Suppose he has done the sin, half its bad effect will come  and reach us. Three brothers Were  going separately on celestial vehicles to heaven. All the three of them saw a Garuda killing a serpent. The first one said it is a sin. His vehicle fell down on earth. The second one told Garuda “Please kill “. His vehicle also fell down. The third one kept silent and  reached heaven.

25.We should never doubt  about existence of God, Heavens, effect of Karma , re birth  and hell because Vedas confirm that they exist and sages much greater than us   support that assumption, Once when sage Brugu told a king called  Somakatha about his previous birth, he doubted about it, .Immediately Soma Kantha  was in great pain and he  saluted the sage and got his pardon. When in Katopanishad, Nachikethas asks Yama, whether they exist , Yama replied,  “I am the one who takes away the soul after death. I am the one who determines  about the quantum of punishment to them  and I send them back to this earth to be born again. So believe, believe  and believe.”

26. A householder should not grow hair, beard and nails for more than one month.  But after thedeath of  his parents, he should not cut them for one year. He should not also cut them when his  wife is in the family way.

27.Fearing that the beggar will come, We should not close the main door during the morning and evening.

28. Finding fault of Gods , Vedas and elders  should not be done.   When Brahma found fault with Shiva, Veerabhadra punished him by  nipping off one of his heads. Once when devas  requested Lord Vishnu to   talk ill of Lord Shiva , he refused.  It is also wrong to find fault with those who worship God.

29. A lamp should not be put out  by blowing air by the mouth,  A male should never put off a lamp.

30.We should not see our shadow in water or oil.

31. We should not gnash our teeth making sound. This is a symbol of a Rakshasa.

32. When We yawn , We should   keep our hand just above the mouth. Yawn is the messenger   to disease, laziness and sleep.  At the time the bad air in our body escapes through our mouth. Suppose this air touches others, they would become sick.

33.If the shadow of a lamp,  shadow of human beings  , water from cloth  , water from our hair  , the dust raised by a goat , dust raised by donkey , dust raised by ladies , the air made by a winnow , the dust that comes up while sweeping falls on our body , even if We have Wealth equal to Indra  it would be lost. It would take away  the effect of good deeds done by us.

34. Man should not take  food in the row of females or children. They should not take food sitting  in the same row as their wives. But they can do so,  after the marriage  ceremony or during travel .

35.Only if we take clean food, our mind would be clean.  The cook , the people who eat and those who serve it should all be clean.

36. We should not sleep during day time   We should not make love during day time  . Milk should not be drunk during day time   After noon, We should not go round that  Peepal tree.

37.Jyeshta devi (moodhevi) lives with  people who  do Wear cloth, who do not Wear  Pancha Kacham   or only Wear  Loin cloth.  So   except during times of need  , We should Wear Pancha kacham.  In north India  even children are habituated to Wear this. “Those who do not have Kacha,  those who leave a tail and tie Kacha,, Those who tie Kacha on the  waist thread and those who do not tie Kacha  are like people without cloth.”  They should not be seen during performance of any ritual.  If we happen to see them , We have take bath along with the dress We Wear. The edges of a cloth should not hang while we Wear the Kacha. Through that our strength will go away. Even Muslims Wear cloth without the edge hanging about.

38.Our forefathers wore silk dress with borders. Silk protects the power of our soul. There is no good  effect of doing a ritual without Wearing Kacha. . So even for rituals like Sandhyavandana We have to Wear the kacham,

39. We should not wash our Dhothi at night. We should not sweep the floor at night nor throw trash outside our home. At night We should not stay in the shadow of  any tree. We should not  dig or plough earth at night. We should not talk  about secrets  at night.

40.  We should not enter in between cows or in between the Brahmins , between fire and a Brahmin , in between husband and wife , in between teacher and student, In between brothers or sisters or in between children , If We  go in between  Nandi, and Shiva, , Shiva and Parvathi , Lord Vishnu and Garuda  or Vishnu and his consorts, If We go in between them, the effect of all good deeds done by us earlier will be lost, If We go round them in clock wise direction, We would get good effect.

41. If We stub against a stone  while walking , then We should take some mud from that place and Wear it on our forehead. That is called Muruthika  and it will protect us from wicked spirits.

42.Those who have father   or elder brother should not Wear a ring made of silver  (called Tharjani)  in our pointer finger. Others can Wear it. That finger is supposed to be defiled because lord Shiva nipped the head of Brahma by that finger, For worship or Tharpana, the  pointer finger should not be used. Silver represents Rudra and if We Wear silver  on that finger  and touch other fingers with that finger the others would not be defiled.

43.During Sandhya  Vandhana   on Chathurthi, Ashtami   and Chaturdasi days, We should chant Gayathri 54 times. On Sapthami day We have to chant 37 times  and on Amavasya, Pournavasya  , and Prathama 26  times.

44. Daily in morning We have to chant Gayathrei 108 times. Gayathri should be chanted after the hands are covered by a cloth and kept in front  of us. When We get death or birth taint   We should chant Gayathri ten times.

45.Even if the sacred  threads gets not broken, it should be changed once in four months. When thread is cut  or when the taint comes and goes away   and in Sravana ,  We have to Wear a new sacred thread. If We happen to touch a sinner , bad  person  , barber  or ladies in periods, We have  to take bath and change the sacred thread.

46.On Ashtami , Chathurthi, Amavasya  (new moon), Pournavasya (full moon)  , Sankramana (first of a month , First of a year (manvathi or Yugadhi) , Previous day of Sradha, Sradha and on the last day of the taint, We should not take  food at night.

47.People who are above eight years of age or below 80 years   should not take any food on Ekadasi day.  Those who are sick  or Weak can take  milk and fruits for one time. Those who are not able to live that way,   can take  boiled rice along with water but without any spices or vegetables for one time.  There is no  parihara(redemption)  for taking food on Ekadasi day. It is a great sin. Even if Ekadasi comes during taint, We should not take food. The penance of Ekadasi would give pleasures in life on earth and later salvation.

48. Those answering calls of nature at night  , it is necessary for them to wash their legs and hands, It is not necessary to do Aachamana.

49.Except  on the days of eclipse, We should not take bath at mid of the  night. If there is a need,  We can show a lamp to the water and  then take bath.

50.After bidding farewell  to friends and relatives or  after doing worship   or after marriage or  any sacred function, We should not take bath.

51.On  Sundays or on Sapthami days We should not eat gooseberry (nellikkai) . This should not be eaten at night. But if Dwadasi comes on Sunday, by the special rule , We can take it   along with Agathi leaf   and Chundaikkai.

52.On no day   at night We should eat gooseberry  , or   ginger or curds , paddy or fried flour.

53. For turmeric , ghee , salt , parboiled rice  , Betelnut   and jaggery   There is no taint of cooking(Paka Dosha) .That is they can be brought from shop and be used.

54.Penance of Upavasa is  taking no food at all. During that time if We suffer too much  We can take water, root vegetables, Ghee, milk , Rice boiled with water without removing water , medicine and fruits. If We take any one of these , the fast  is not considered broken. At the time of a fast penance, if in any ones house the Sradha cannot be  performed for non availability of a Brahmin , We can help them by participating in Sradha.

55.Before taking food, Parishechana(Pouring water around the leaf), should be done  with chanting the Manthra and  taking water evey time separately . It is not proper to take water once and do more than one Parishechana.. Taking water after saying Amruthopastharanamasi (Poorva aabochanam) should be done together by people eating in groups. The water  taken in the hand should be taken in completely ,. If that water falls on the food during day time it is like a drop of nectar. If it falls at night it is like a drop of alcoholic drink. At night as soon as the water is put in the hand, after finishing the food ,  We have to say Amruthabhidhanamasi and  pour half of it  at the right of the leaf and take the rest. This is called pithru theertham.When We pour Pithru theertham We have to say “  Rourave,  apunya nilaye  , padmarbudha nivasinaam  artheenam  udakam datham , akshayyam upathishtathu.”

56.After taking food We have to gargle 12 times. Then wash leg and hands and do aachamanam. Only then We would be clean. By that time if We touch some one else, both the persons should take bath. After urinating  We have to gargle four times, after stools   8 times, after cleaning the teeth  18  times. After these We have to do Aachamana. If We do not get good water , instead of Aachamanam   We can touch the ear three times by right hand. This is called Srothrachamana.

57.When new water comes in the river , for ten days We  are not supposed to take bath in it..They say that river  enters in to her periods that time. Some people do not take bath from one to third day  of Aadi month(July 15-August 15^th)But if eclipse , upakama  or Sankramana(first of the month) occurs during the  period, We are permitted to take bath in the river.

58.Some people do evening Sandhya Vandana facing the West. Only Japa and Arghya(offering water) should be done facing the West. All other rituals including Aachamana should be done facing east or north.

59 Eclipse

1.Four Yamams before Solar eclipse We have to take food. (One Yaama is about 3 hours.)

2.But for lunar eclipse food can be taken before two yamams also.

3. If the moon sets before  the eclipse is over(Grahanasthamanam)  then for the entire day , We should not take food  and take food only after We see the moon.

4.If sun sets  before the eclipse is over, We should not take any food during night and take food only after  We see the Sun and take bath.

5.Those who live in sea shore can take bath in the sea  when the eclipse begins but We should not take bath in ocean after the eclipse  is over. This is because we are not supposed to take ocean bath during Prathama,

6.Even woman in her periods should take bath after the eclipse , in water poured by other women.

7.During eclipse all water is ganges and all Brahmins are sage Vasishta.

8.Till end of eclipse We should chant manthras and should not sleep.

9.Pregnant women should not come out during eclipse.

10.Food cooked before eclipse should  not be eaten and it should be thrown away.

11.In case of curd or pickles ,  a piece of Durba should be put in them.

12.The charity and chanting of Manthras done during eclipse gives  large returns.

13.In case of solar eclipse Tharpana should be done as soon as eclipse begins and in case of lunar eclipse, it should be done , when the eclipse is ending.

14.In ocean water Pithru Tharpanam should be done but for Aachamana We have to take  water from home after bathing.

15.Sun and moon are lords of plants and so when the eclipse comes, our stomach should be empty.

16.Those whose Nakshtras fall at the eclipse time , should write the following Sloka on a dried leaf and Wear it on their forehead  till the eclipse gets over.

Lunar eclipse sloka:-

Indro , analo  danda darasha  ruksha prachedhaso Vayu,

Khubera  , eesaa  , majjanma  , rukshe  mama raahisamsthe,

Somoparagam  shamayanthu  sarve.

Solar eclipse sloka:-

Indro , analo  danda darasha  ruksha prachedhaso Vayu,

Khubera  , eesaa  , majjanma  , rukshe  mama raahisamsthe,

Arkoparagam   shamayanthu may.

Meaning:-

Let Indra , Agni , Yama, Niryathi  , Varuna , vayu  , Khubera, eesaana   remove the sufferings due to lunar/solar eclipse.

60.Drinking tender coconut water in a bell metal vessel is equivalent to drinking of toddy. If needed use  silver vessel.

61. We should not keep milk  , Sandal paste and flowers in a copper vessel.

62.Ellurundai(sweet made of Gingelly) and Thilannam (Rice made of Gingelly)   should be made only for offering to manes  and devas . We should not  cook it for ourselves. If We make Ellurundai or mix of jaggery and gingelly  and offer it to the Peepal tree , then We would get cured of diseases.  If We distribute thilanna on Saturdays , sins  would go away.

63.Sravana Dwadasi (Dwadasi with Sravana star(thiruonam)) is  greater than Ekadasi. If Sravana Dwadasi comes, it is better to fast on Dwadasi day , than on Ekadasi day.

64.Madhyahnika time is at 12 noon. Gouna time is from 8.30 AM.On Dwdasi day before Madhyahnika time comes, in Gouna Kala We would do Madhyahnikam , Vaisva devam  etc.This is because Dwadasi Paranai(Taking food)  should be done before Madhyahnika  time. But Dwadasi sradha cannot be done in the morning.

65.If Dwadasi is only for a very little time, all rituals should be finished before Dwadasi ends  and food for Dwadasi should  be taken. But if it ends in very early morning , Dwadasi can be observed by  taking Thulasi water,. King Ambareesha  did like that.

66.Whatever taint may come , the Ekadasi Vrutha should be observed. It is as important as Sandhya vandana,But worship and dhana (charity to Brahmins) should be got done by someone who does not have the taint.

67.Upavasa (fasting) is a ritual meant for cleaning of the body and the mind as Well as to get blessings of gods. So without religious need, fasting should not be  done.

68.Fast is an important method to achieve concentration of  mind..Because body is the most important requirement for doing Dharma  , you should not do fast till the body becomes sick. Because body depends on food for health, you should not undertake  unnecessary fasting. You should not unnecessarily take food also.

69.Drinking too much and eating too much   are sinful acts. Once when Bheema asked Yudhishtra how he will fall , he told him he would fall due to over eating and over drinking.

70. Those who cannot fast completely  , can fast eating   fruits and drinking milk. This is called Phalahara(Palaharam in tamil) .Eating  hard to digest breakfast items like Uppma, Dosa, Adai etc is not fasting. Elders say  that even one time fasting is good. Once Bheema told Vyasa, “I cannot fast on all Ekadasis. I will take food once in all but one ekadasis but fast  on one Ekadasi,”, Sage Vyasa agreed to this proposal. That Ekadasi is called Bheema Ekadasi.

71.After breaking fast on Dwadasi day  take a leaf of Thulasi after offering it to God. This would remove all problems of body and mind.. Actually this should be done daily  as Thulasi protects our mind and body.

72.During fast  you should not drink water often.  You should not clean the teeth in such a way that  water in the gums is squeezed out. We should not use  Thamboola and  sleep during day time. Walking , fighting  , talking loudly  and  loose talk  would destroy the good effect of fasting. Talking passionately and company of women should be avoided.

73.What is Nithyopavasam (Daily fasting )?  Daily taking food only twice  , not taking food in between   and taking every handful of food  after saying “Govinda” is Nithyopavasam.

74.During Dwadasi   We have to eat gooseberry, Chundaikai   and Agathi keerai . These  are special items. Taking all of them is very good. But at least one of  them should  be taken.

75. Food that should be avoided during Dwadasi. Snake gourd , Brinjal , onion, honey  , garlic , food from house of unknown people  , sleeping in day time , Eating food twice , Love making , oil bath  should be avoided. They would remove  the good effects of  Ekadasi fast.

76.Why this Paaranai in the morning? The one eighth  portion of the Dwadasi thithi on that day is called Harivasaram. We should complete worship, vaisvadeva and food   and later offer food to God. King Ambareesha knew about it and took Thulasi water during that time.  Doing Paranai without fasting on Ekadasi day  is useless.

77.Why should Garlic and onion be avoided? These take away the Brahmanyam within us , which was built by rituals. People who eat these without knowing it , should once more celebrate  Upanayana(Sacred thread ceremony). Then only they are eligible  to do daily rituals like Sandhyavandana and ceremonies like Sradha. Though medicinally they cure some diseases,  they give extra  wrong energy(Madham) to people   and spoil the mind. If We have to take it for medicinal purposes, We can take it but later do redemption. For ladies , drinking of Pancha Gavya is sufficient. So people who chant Gayathri should not take these just for taste  or for strength.

78.Things which are equivalent to Alcohol. Water touched by nail, water drunk using left hand in  times other than food time, water drunk standing up, Drinking left over water drunk by some body else , Tender coconut water kept in bell metal , hot water and milk  kept in copper  vessel are equivalent to alcoholic drinks.

79.What should be avoided: Taking bath in Dhobhi ghat  , water in an iron vessel, taking gooseberry  on Sundays, Sapthami and at night , Buttermilk churned by hand , milk in the day time, curd at night  and Sathuma (multi grain flour)  should be avoided.

80.Month based on  Sun entering a particular Rasi is called Souramana   and months based  on next day of amavasya to the next Amavasya  as a month is called Chandramana. Sasthras prescribe  certain rituals should be based on Souramana montha  and  others on Chandramana month.

81.Thula snana, Dheepavali  , Karthigai dheepa  , Dhanurmasa pooja   and Shivarathri should celebrated on the soura mana month.

82.Chandra Darsanam:   We should not see Moon on Chathurthi day. If We see some one will find fault with us , with no basis. Since Lord Krishna saw the Chathurthi moon, Sathrajit told that he has stolen the Syamanthaka gem.If We think about the story of how he fought with Jambavan and brought back the gem,  The problem due  to seeing moon will not occur.

83.Things which reduce our life span: Drying ourselves in morning sun,  Being touched by the smoke from the corpse , making love to a lady elder than us, drinking water without filtering it  and Eating curd at night would reduce our life span every day. Not performing Oupasana , eating food meant for some body else and  eating food not supposed to be eaten, would reduce the life span according to Lord Yama himself.

84,Drying in the evening sun,  The homa smoke touching us , making love to woman younger than us, drinking pure water and eating milk and rice at night would daily increase the life span. Following rules of food, Doing Oupasanam , daily  saluting elderly people would also increase life span. If We do not feed a guest, Nachikethas says that the Wealth of our progeny would be destroyed.

85.If We make guests wait outside and take food inside the house, that food is like the Cow’s meat and the water is equal to toddy.

86.Never taking loan is the best .If there is need , We can take it and  return it speedily. We should pay the full loan taken at that time. Suppose We take loan from someone  and if We die without returning it, in the next birth,  we will be born as  his child and after taking that amount , that child will die.

87.We  should never spend more than our income .Respectability is much greater than   life We should never do anything by which We loose our respectability,. The life without respect is no life at all.

88. The body is like a water bubble  and purely temporary.   Wealth is also not permanent  ,. We should never postpone doing good deeds.  What is the guarantee that We will be there tomorrow? As soon as We think of a good deed, We should immediately do it. Once a guest came when Rama sat down to eat. Lakshmana asked the guest to wait  so that they can cook fresh food and feed him. But then  Rama called the guest and told, Mind, Wealth  , money and life are purely unstable. That is We cannot say next moment how they will be like.  So you kindly take food with us.”

89.Paste should not kept on the sandal stone or on a stick. The sandal paste kept on the stone, the  remaining food after a cat ate it  and seeing our own shadow in water   can even remove Indra’s Wealth.

90. If the dust raised by hooves of a goat or that one raised by donkey ,or the dust raised by broom  or the dust raised by feet of ladies  falls on us our Wealth would be destroyed.

91.With this body having six senses,  We should get salvation which is the ever living joy. The devotees who carry god  in their mind  are  mobile temples Any  help that We do them  is worship to God. Even though We are not great devotees , some part of God is in every one of us. So We should help  others, There is no blessed deed better than this. We should help others by  our body and Wealth.

92.When We are in our native place  We should follow all rituals prescribed by Sastras. When We go outside our place , it is sufficient if We do half the rituals. In towns, quarter  is sufficient. While travelling  as much as possible can be done.

93.When We do Sandhyavandhana, after  We give Arghya, We should do Pradakshia. That is what is called Athma Pradakshina . We should not do athma Pradakshina   in temples , river banks and near a peepal tree. If We do We will be affected by Brahma hathya sin.  Showing God our back side is a sin.

94.Keeping flower  over the top of the ears, man applying sandal paste only on chest and keeping Thulasi on the hair are sins. You should keep flower on hair , Thulasi over the ear and apply sandal paste   on chest and arms. Ladies can Wear sandal paste on their neck and arms.

95. We have to keep as secret our age  , Wealth , quarrels in our family  , the Manthra which has been taught to us by a Guru,  our love, our charity , the prizes given to us by others, the insults We have to bear and the loans that We have taken. If others ask, We should give some approximate figure. We should not hide anything from our Guru and close  friend.

96. The sorrow We cause to others is sorrow caused to God by us.  We would suffer for doing that.  The one who does help to others is helping himself. One who causes sorrow  to others causes sorrow to himself, Sasthra says  Paropakara punyaya , papaya para peedanam (helping others is blessed, causing hurt to others is a sin.).

97.Veda  says that all gods stay inside the body of a person who knows Vedas. So worship done to him is like worship of all gods. Like that the hurt We cause to them is like hurting all gods. We should not trouble anyone .Specially We should not trouble Brahmins. Playfully Samba put on a makeup of a lady and asked Saptha Rishis , what type of child would be born to him. Because of that the axe that will destroy his entire clan was born to him., A emperor called Nruga troubled Brahmins and was born as  a chameleon.

 98.We should not stand in street junction at mid night  or after eating in a Sradha  or at dawn or dusk.

99.Jyeshta devi would stay permanently with a Brahmin who does not Wear cloth or one who does not Wear Pancha Kacham  or one who Wears only loin cloth  or one who is desirous of quarrel.

100.  We should stand  beyond two hand distance   when a cart comes , beyond ten hand distance in case of a horse and 1000 hand distance in case of an elephant. In case of a bad man We should be far far away. These are actions which give results immediately.(Drushta) . This shows that Sasthra is very much bothered about the safety of our body.

101.The scorpion has poison in its horn,  For flies and mosquitoes it is on their head  and snake has poison on its fangs. But for a bad man poison is everywhere.

102.The father who  dies leaving loans to be repaid by the son is like his enemy. The father who does not give us knowledge or teach us humility is  his enemy. An ugly or very pretty wife is  a man’s enemy.

103.When We visit a place where Fire sacrifice is  being performed,  We should not go empty handed but carry Samith. Similarly when We visit   a farm,  home, temple , lady in a family way , senior citizens , Guru  and king  We should not go empty handed but should carry  some fertilizer , something which is of use in the house , a plate of fruits, flowers ,coconut  Camphor etc to the temple and food offering to others. Kuchela who took Avil (beaten rice) to see Krishna became rich.

104 Helping an extremely poor man,  making arrangements for worship in temples which cannot afford it and cremation of an orphan corpse are equivalent to performance of Aswamedha.

105.While gargling or cleaning our teeth, We should not use the pointer finger. If We do , We will go to hell.

106.Till our daughter gets a child, We should not take food in our daughter’s married home.

107. At the of time of taking food, We should wash our hand and leg , perform Aachamana and eat food facing North.

108.We should not take food   with single cloth, Wet cloth  , Wearing silk  , without chanting god’s names  , without  putting marks on our forehead or  with untied hair.

109. We should not eat the cooked rice for which Vaiswadevam has not been done or which is not offered to god. This applies even to food offered by our Guru.

110.Only after setting apart the rice meant for Vaiswadevam  and offering  it to God , We should start taking it.

111. Without doing Pranagnihothram( the manthras We say before taking food) you should not eat the food. As soon as rice is served, We should hold the leaf with our hand.

112. We should do aabochanam( taking a sip of water telling Manthras)  only with water poured by others. When We are taking food in a group all people should do it together, No water should remain in our hand and We should not make any sound while taking that water.

113. After food is served , till Pranagni hothram is complete  We should not talk with anyone.  It is better that we should not talk while taking food. But when we eat with a guest, we should talk to him and be hospitable. This does not go against the rule of being silent. During aabochanam, when We take  rice  one by one, each  should not be chewed by   the teeth but should be swallowed.

114.We should take  only that much rice in our hand, which will fill our mouth. We should take food in such a way that the food  along with five fingers just enters the mouth. We should not  take large quantity, and then take it out and keep it on the leaf. If we keep it and take it again,  it would be like a dog eating what it has vomited.

115.We should not sit in a row with lot of people  and eat food. We should not eat facing others also. If you happen to sit in a row, we have to chant a mantra called Trisuparna. If you do not know it, chant names of god.

116.Every time We put a handful of food in our mouth, We have to say , “Govinda, Govinda” .If We do this , it is as if We are observing fast.

117. While  eating  have to take , one part of food, one part water and leave other part with air, to be healthy.

118. Except while eating,  we have to keep the water glass on our right. Water kept on the left , Water drunk with left hand , water drunk while standing  , drinking of remaining water after another  one has drunk it  ,are equal to drinking toddy.

119.  Serving food other than fried food, fruits   and sweets , should not be served by Hand or iron ladle  or by left hand , it is equal to beef.

120.When people are eating in a row, if one man gets up , all the  leaves would get tainted.(Yechil) . In emergency cases  draw a line with water on both sides   and get up. This makes  you different from the row.

121The water to be taken after food with Manthra ‘Amthuthabhidhanamasi “(Uthara Abochanam) should also be poured in our hands by somebody else. It can be immediately taken. There is no rule that all people should finish eating food together. Half the water has to be taken and the other half   after taking it round the leaf should be poured below the leaf on the right side through the space in between thumb and first finger(Pithru theertham).

122. The water poured from the tip of fingers   is Deva Theertham, What is poured by the bottom of the hand is Brahma Theertham,.  What is poured to the left side by the middle of the palm is Rishi Theertham. What  is poured in between the thumb and  first finger is pithru Theertham.

123. That Uchishta Theertham which We pour on the right side  below the leaf after taking food, is supposed to quench the thirst of people in the rourava  hell.

124. “Rourave apunye  nilaye   Padma arpudha nivaasinaam .

         Arthinaam udakam   datham akshayyam upathishtathu”   is the manthra that We have to tell   when We pour the Uchishtya Theertham below the leaf.

125.When the cooked rice is brought , We have to say “asmakam nithyam  asthu yethath,(Let me get like this daily)”  When We finish and get up We are supposed to say “Annadatha Sukhibhava(Let him who gives the food live happily)”.

126.Till We wash our hand after food and do Aachamana,  another man who has not washed his hand is not supposed to touch us. If he does , both  of us have to take bath. With hand used to take food, We are not supposed to take water in a vessel. Similarly suppose someone gives water with unwashed hand, We should not use it. We are supposed to give water  for washing some one’s hand only after We do Aachamana.

127.After  food  and after sitting and doing Aachamana  telling the following prayer if We wipe our eyes. The eye sight will never fade.

CHaryathimcha , sukayamaacha , chyavanam  sakram aswinou,

Bukthamathre smareth yasthu chakshu  thasya na heeyathe.

If immediately after   We take the word , We remember Charyatha and other sages , Sukanya , Chyavana   , Indra and Aswini devas , then our eye sight will never fade.

128.We should move our hands over our stomach  saying the following Manthra,  then all the food We have taken would be properly digested.

Agasthya , Agni  , padapa analascha  , buktham maya annam,

Jarayanthu   asesham   sukham chame   thath parinama sambhavam . Meaning

Let Agasthya  . fire god and Padapagni   digest all the food that I have taken .Let my body be healthy.

129.Immediately after taking food   We have to walk one hundred steps . If  We sit or lie down immediately after   taking food  , there would be diseases of the stomach. If We walk fast   or run, our life span would reduce. We will have fear of Yama.

130,. Before Uthrabochana  the housewife or those who serve food should enquire whether  more food is required , If We do not do that, the blessings which We would have got by giving food will vanish and also We will get sin. It is a practice to do like this to the Sradha Brahmin.

131. To the guest after he eats the food , along with Thmboola We should give at least a small Dakshina(cash present.) Otherwise we would get the good effect of feeding.

132.As soon as We see an elder, we have to stand and then salute   him. For men, We have to chant “Abhivadaye” and then salute . Some people say “Chathusagara paryantham  Gobrahmanebhya  subham bhavathu (Let  good happen to all Brahmins   for a width of four oceans   .) and then tell Abhivadaye. Some people do Namaskaram and then tell Abhivadaye . These should be done as per the practice of our family.

133.If We are permitted to touch the elder, then after   saluting the elder We should touch his feet by keeping our hand in a cross fashion. That is We should touch his right feet by our right hand and left feet by left hand. If We are not permitted to touch the  elder after saluting him, We should do crisscross touching on floor in front of him.

134. Abhivaadaye , Bhargava , Chyaavana , AApnavaana , Ourva , Jamadagnya , Pancharsheya pravaran vitha (Srivathsa gothra)  AApasthambha  suthra , Yajur veda shaakha adhyayi , Some deva  sarmaa naamaham  asmibho

Is a sample Abhivaadaye manthra,You have  to fill it up with your pravara, Gothra, Suthra, Veda and name You should not tell pravaranvitha but Pravaraan vitha.

135.Pravara saints are the important saints born in the family of Gothra sage. In some gothras, there are 7 pravara rishis , in some 5, in some 3 and in some only one.Accordingly We have to say saptha rishaya(7) , Panchaarsheya(5) tryaarsheya(3)Yekarsheya(1) .Abhivadahye  means, I am introducing my self.

136.In the beginning all gothras originated from 9 rishis  and then they grew to hundreds. The rishi to whose clan We blong to is called Gothra rishi. People having same gothra are referred to as Sagothra and people having the same rishi in their pravara is called SApravara. We should not marry from our Gothra or our Pravara.

137.Asmi  means,” I am as indicated”, Bho is the form of address to elderly people.

138.There are many Suthras like AAsvalaayana, Kousheedhaka. Bodhayana,Bharadwaja , Sathyaashada, Vaikhanasa, Kathyayana, drahyayana, Jaiminiya etc.Each of those sages have given the method of performing the rituals in a man’s life. Those before death are  termed as Poorva prayoga and those after death are called Apara prayoga.

139.The famous suthras are  Aswalayana for  Rig Veda, Bodhayana, Aapasthambha, Baradwaaja, Sathyaashaada and Vaikanasa for Krishna Yajurveda, Kathyayana for Shukla Yajurveda anD drahyayana   and Jaimineeya for Sama Veda.

140. For the same Veda , many sages have  created  Suthras. We have to follow that Suthra which was followed by our forefathers. In case of shika(Hair style),. Pundra(what We put on our forehead) , Sutha and aacharas of our family has and our forefathers have to be followed by us. If We change according to will, We would be committing sin. If We do not get a priest who knows our Suthra , We cannot follow some other Suthra. Suppose without any option , if We are forced to do it, later the same ritual should be performed according to our Suthra.

141.We should without forgetting tell our Veda –Rik shakha Adhyayi, Yaju Shakha adhyayi  or sama Shaka adhyayi.

142.Suppose somebody is named as Sharma, he should tell “Sharma naamaham” .

143.The room where delivery has taken place, if  it is a mud floor, it should be floored again   and if it is any other type of floor, We have to first  burn  straw in the room and bring a cow inside the room and then sprinkle Punyaaha water. Unless this is done that room cannot be used for any purpose.

144.The Lady who has delivered , on the day she does Panda sparsam(Touching of vessels) , she should Wear a new Mangala Suthra and take Pancha gavya Then only she is eligible to participate  in religious and Pithru rituals.

145. On the day when death taint and birth taints go away,  the men should take bath in the morning, do all morning rituals  and after 8.30 AM , should take bath again, preferably in a pond or river.

146.When death occurs,  till SApindikarana,  a stone is kept in a pit in home(Graha Kunda) and another one in the river bank(Nadhi kunda)  . The  stones represent the pretha(dead body) of the expired person. The house where Graha kunda is kept is fully tainted till sapindikarana is over.

147.If  Graha kundam is kept in some other place , then  by cleaning with cow dung   and after sprinkling Punyaha,  the house will become pure. People who are living for rent can stay in such a house.

148.When we get tainted, if we are doing Agnihothra(ceremony of fire), We can take bath, finish the agnihothra rituals. But Oupasana and worship should not be done by us. Since they have to be definitely done, we can get them done by someone who does not have taint.

149.Except Sandhya vandhana , no other daily ritual should be done during the taint period . But Grahana  Tharpana, Yekadasi , Sravana Dwadasi  and Shiva Rathri  should be observed during taint period.

150. If a panchama enters our home , We should throw away all earthen vessels,  and all others should be washed by  cow dung and Punyaha water. We should throw away all cooked food. Only after bringing a cow inside the home and the dust from its feet falls inside, the house would become clean.

151.A pond where a cow enters  and is washed is a pure pond . By any one’s touch it will not get tainted.

152. In water source used by many,   if  a cat or  a dog falls and dies, We have to remove 100 pots of water from it and then it can be used. If a man dies, the entire water has to be emptied and it should be cleaned  by Pancha gavyam and Punyaaham.

153.The feet of a Brahmin is holy. So the house where the dust from their feet falls is pure. Since Jyeshta Devi lives on the back side of a Brahmin , We should never make them sit on a floor but either on a mat or a plank.

154.The back side and legs of a cow are pure. So they have to be seen. Goddess  Lakshmi lives there. The face  of a cow and what is smelled by the face  or dirty . The cow licked  the flesh from the body of sage Dadichi  and because of that got a portion in the fire sacrifice.  So he  cursed that front portion of a cow will be dirty and cursed.

155. There was a sage called  Behnabha who used to grow cows and live  by licking the foam on the calve’s mouth after it has drunk milk .  In the fire sacrifice conducted by king Ranthideva , they wanted to leave their  body and  become  cows with pretty horns. When he refused they killed him by their horn. Kamadhenu got angry and cursed that   their face will become dirty and cursed.

156.We can worship the back side of a cow, and decorate it.  Kalidasa  says King Dileepa worshipped the middle portion between the horns where lord Shiva dances. But the place for worship is the back side. After worshipping the back side , the front side can be worshipped.

157.Worship of cow,  service to cow  offering grass and paddy straw to cow, scratching the neck of the cow , Constructing a stone pillar so that the cow can rub itself on that  and offering grazing land to the cow  are blessed deeds and gets us reward.

158.Once the husband knows clearly that his wife is in the family way, he has to do penance. During that penance he should not take Dhanam. He should neither shave nor cut his hair, He should not  go as a Brahmin in a Sradham. He should not take bath in the sea,. He should not go on a pilgrimage. He should not go the cremation ground nor should he carry a corpse If he does not observe these, he would accumulate sins and growth of baby would be affected.

159.To get rid of sins We should do Kruchram. It means give punishment to the body. That is We should punish the body  by starving and also repent.

160.Those who cannot fast ,  instead of one Prajapathya kruchra should chant Gayathri ten thousand times. If even that is not possible, he should do 200 Pranayama., If even that is not possible he should do 1000 homams. If  even that is not possible, he should read from the Vedas thirty times and people who cannot even do that  should  feed 60 or  24 or 12 Brahmins and people who cannot even do that, should give Gomoolya (Rs3 and 15 paise). In Tamil Nadu a Kruchra   is about 40 paisa.

161. Suppose We have to become eligible to  perform a Karma(ritual)  We should give as gift  7 or 6 or 3 Kruchras.

162.Suppose a person dies  , We have to remove the body only after one Yaamam (About 3 hours).We should not keep it more than 3 Yaamams(Nine hours) If We keep it ,  it would become paryushitham that is old.

163. If a person dies in day time , his body should be cremated   within 3 yamams(9 hours)   but if it is night, the body can be cremated  within  nine Nazhigai(Nazhigai-24 minutes) , It is believed that the soul of the dead man is being taken with great speed by the assistants of  God yama.

164. If  we keep the body for a long time either in the day time or night , The parayooshitha dosha will set in. To remove this , We have to give away three Kruchrams and wash the body with Panchagavyam and then again wash it with pure water and then cremate it.

165.It is believed that , while cremating , We are doing Homa of the body in fire, Since it is not possible to lift it and do Homa, We set up a pyre, place the body on it and set fire to it.

166.Dying in Dakshinayayana , Krishna Paksha , at night  and on the cot are each a dosha. We have to give one kruchram each for each of these doshas and then only cremate the body. .Once a person’s soul was taken by mistake   to Yama loka by the assistants of Yama since they brought the wrong soul, Yama , the  lord asked them to take back the soul and return it to its body.They have the power to do that and so we should not cremate  the body  in a hurry.

167. What all things need to be done before a person dies? .Death would come definitely to every one. Suppose We know that our death is nearing , We should do Prayachitha(redemption) . That would remove the sins committed till then  and make death occur without much pain. This is an important ritual and should be done.

168.If the man  is about to die  and has sufficient strength , he should take bath, do Sankalpa and do various Dhanas. If he does not have strength, he can instruct his son to do it.

169.If after doing this, suppose  he  lives  for another 3 more days , he has to do  this Prayaschitha again.It is possible that he might have sinned again by his mind or body. Even if We do not do any fresh sin, since he was not performing daily rituals like SandhyaVandhana  due to his health, he would be committing some sin.

170.The Dhanam that We do ourselves before our death  is our great friend and so  We have to do such  rituals which would help us in the other world.

171. If We   are not able to do it , then We can get it done by our sons .We should make the dying man see Thulasi leaves, great Brahmins, We should murmur in the dying person’s  ear  “Rama, Rama”. If possible . We can ask them to make us chant “Rama, Rama”. We should sprinkle Ganga water on our body and also drink it.

172.,Once We know that the person is about to die soon, We should not make him lie on a cot or bed. .In the hall We can spread Durba and make that  person lie down on that. King Parikshtith attained hell because he died on a cot. Devi Bhagwatha says  that Janamejaya  made Devi Bhagawatha Navaha (Reading Devi Bhagwatham in 9 days)  and sent his father  to heaven.

173.If you have done only Punya (blessed  deeds) then our soul will leave  our body easily. The soul will leave by the holes in the mouth. The soul of sinners would leave the body very slowly after troubling them a lot. The soul would leave  the body through the hole for stools and urine..For realized souls, the soul will break their heads  and go out via Sushumna Nadi. Mahabharatha says  that Drona’s soul left that way.

174. What is the going of the Soul? Soul ,   which is the complete mingling of mind ,5 jnanedriyas , 5 karmendriyas, and five airs of the body(called Prana)  and the past karma that We have done  becomes like a spark of fire  and goes from our body to other worlds. For those who have got salvation  , it will all get mixed here itself. In case of Those who learn Vedas, it will go to the world of Brahma,  read Vedas there and at last merge with Brahma. Those for whom all the 48 samsakaras are done  or those who give as charity  things like earth, gold , cow etc you can go to Brahma Loka but because they do not have knowledge of Vedantha  they have to return back.

175.Whi is  The  labored breath with effort at the time of death? .Normally The udana at the neck will prevent other Vayus (airs) from going out of the body..Till he gives way the other airs of the body try to come out and when prevented, make one more trial, till Udana allows it to go out. People understand from this that the person is about to die.

176.How does the soul leave the body? Prana vayu in the heart , Apana vayu in our arse, Udana vayu in the neck , samana vayu in the belly button and Vyana vayu which is all over the body are  called Pancha Vayu. Before the soul leaves the body, vyana from the blood   comes to the heart. This causes very great pain. Till Apana  and SAmana  comes to the heart , the tubes carrying stool  and urine would be closed and digestion is completely stopped,

177.When will  milk not go inside the body? When Udana opens  the way to Prana to go out, if We pour milk or water in the mouth, it will not go in but come out. Before and after that the milk will go in. Since all the powers of the organs go and merge in the mind, We will not be able see or hear or smell and the skin will be without any feeling.

178.Since soul is a shining entity, till it is there in the body the chest would be warm. Right from the beginning of vyana going  and other airs  going out, , those areas would lose their  warmth. Even if heart beat is not there and even if none of the senses are working, we cannot conclude that a person is dead. Pouring milk in the mouth , Keeping cotton in the nose are the normal tests. Again these are not the ultimate symptoms of death. Some people grind pepper or clove and apply on that persons eye .If there is no soul, water will not come out of the eye. This is not a good method of testing.

179.Is there any other body? Some people believe that the soul catches hold of another body and then only leaves our body. They believe that the soul does not go to any other world and there is no need to observe Sradham(Death anniversary) for them . It is like a person   does not like to leave the house where he have lived for long , the soul also does not like to leave the body. So the assistants of Yama show the picture of another body and then attracted by it , the soul leaves the body. And that soul is taken to the world of Yama.

180.Soul never dies. Only body dies, When We are alive, youth goes and middle age sets in and later old age sets in and each of these changes is like throwing out the old dress and Wearing a new  dress. Death also is like that. It is only a change,  of new cloths discarding old ones. This is mentioned in Gita.

181. There are modes for the soul to go. They  are called  , the northern way and the southern way, These are also called The way of devas or way of manes  or also called the way of devotees   and the way of bad souls. Those who go by northern way are blessed as per the good deeds done by them   and  they will go via world of Yama , to  Heaven or mahar lokam   Jana lokam  , thapo lokam or Brahma lokam. Sinners only go to Yama loka.

182.Those who go to Brahma loka will die in Utharayana  (January 15^th  to july 15^th) , in the waxing period of moon in day time . It will take one to God of Utharayana or god of the year and from there  he will go to Brahma loka. This is the path to those who become experts in the knowledge  of Upanishads.

183 Those who die in the southern  way   will die at night  and the god of night will take them to the god   of the  waning moon, who will take him to God of Dakshinayana and further to the God of the year and further to land of Yama or to heaven. This also is called the dhooma marga .

184.Does it mean  that  all those who die in Dakshinayana   and in Krishna Paksha will go to Yama Loka and swarga? Suppose a person is a great devotee of god, or has done innumerable charities, will he not go to Brahmaloka . This is not true  that  all of them go to  the heaven as your placement depends only on the sins and blessed deeds that you have done.

185.Mahabharatha says that  Bhishma wanted to die only in Utharayana and postponed his death.Because of this We should not assume that only those who die in Uttarayana     would go to heaven .It is a holy time  and his father had given him a boon that he can choose his time of death. So he did this to use that boon.

186.Cleanliness is a divine concept. We should keep our body, words, mind, the cloths that we Wear, the food We eat  and the articles that We handle as clean. Achara means  all these aspects being clean. If they are unclean then it is anachara.

187. If a woman in her periods or a chandala comes near us,  we have to take bath along with the cloths that we wear. Then only we will become clean. If Sudras , tainted Brahmins,, Brahmins who had hair cut, dog  or  crow touches us then We have to take bath along with cloths.

188.If women in periods or Chandalas touches us  or if We touch a dead body or if We carry a dead body, We have to take bath with our cloths  .Males should then change their sacred thread. Then only  they would become fit to do their rituals.

189. If our stool or urine  or somebody else’s stool or urine falls upon us, We have to take bath along with the cloth  that We Wear.

191.Great people believe that even though silk is got by  troubling a worm , it is clean..They also say that the milk we get after the calf feeds on the cow is again clean.

192.Like that the honey got after it is drunk by the bees is also considered as pure. It is fit for anointing of God.

193.Though a  peepal tree is grown from the seeds  which are  eaten  by the crow, it is also considered as clean.

194.If We wash silk cloths or get it washed by washer man then it loses its purity. To remove dirt from it it has to be washed using the gruel of green gram dhal on   Amavasya or Dwadasi days.

195.Doing Sradha Wearing a white silk   or giving white silk to a Brahmin on a Sradha day,  is considered as great.

196.Pancha gavya is made of mixing five things got out of a cow.  A woman after delivery becomes pure only after she  takes Pancha Gavya after the taint period is over.

197. Pancha Gavya is the mixture of Cows urine(one palam(60 gm) ) ,  half thumb equivalent of cow dung, about half a liter of milk , 60 gms of ghee(clarified butter) , 60 gms of Durba water. There is a mantra to mix them.

198.The Mantra for making Pancha Gavya

Yath  thwak  asthikadham  papam  , dehe thishtathji maamake  , prasanam  Pancha gavyasya  dahathu Agneer iva   indhanam.”

Let the sin adhering to my skin and bones  or my body  be burnt by Pancha Gavya  like a  fire wood is burnt by you fire.

199.Some information about Sradham. Sradham means that which We perform with sincerity  and belief. Some people call it thidhi and  divasam . Calling it Thevasam or  srardham is wrong.  It should be called as divasam or Sradham.

200.This has to be done  in the month  that a person died , in the paksha that he died and on the thidhi that he died. Because of this it is termed as Prathyabdhika Sradham.

201.One day is divided into 60 Nazhigas(24 minutes), The thirty Nazhigai of day time  is divided in to 5 portions of 6 nazhigai each. Each of these division has a name.

1.First 6 nazhigas- pratha kala,

2.7^th to 12^th Nazhiga –sangava kala

3.13^th to 18^th Nazhika Madyahneeka kala

4.19^th to 24^th Nazhigai  aparanna

5.25^th to 30^th Nazhigai  Sayanna.

202. The thidhi of death  for sradha should be there up to Aparahna .Suppose two days in a month the thidhi comes in Aparannaha, sradha should be performed on the day when it is more in Aparanha.

203.If the thidi comes twice in a month, normally Sradha should be done on the later date. But if the later thidhi has Sankramana dosha, then it should be done on the former thidhi. If in both cases, such dosha is there, it should be performed only on the later date.

204.In the months of Chithirai, Vaikasi  , Aadi, Aavani  , Iypasi  , Karthigai   and masi ,  if the mon th begins in the Madhyahnika kala, Sankaramana dosha is there. In the months of AAni  , purattasi  , margazhi thai  and Panguni this dosham is not there.

205.If there is only one thidhi in the month, We need not bother about Sankramana dosham. Sradha can be done on that day.

206.In the night if Sankramana  is there within 15 Nazhikais , then thidhi has Sankramana dosha.  If Sankramana at night is after that , then there  is no dosham.

207.Apranna kaala is further divided in to three equal parts called  Gandahrva period, Kuthaba period   and Rouhineeya period. If the thithi occurs on two days   and if it is not  fully in Aparanna kaala  , it would be there in the kuthabha kala of the next day. So Sradha should be done only on next day.

208.If the thidhi does not occur in a month , In the previous Chandramana month  n if there is the proper Thidhi , We should perform the Sradha on that day. If Thidhi is not there in Chandramana also,  Sradha should be performed in the next month.

209.If the mother’s  and father’s Sradha comes on the same day or both get postponed due to death or birth taint, then  on same day father’s Sradha should be performed first and next mother’s Sradha should be done. The same cooked food can be used for both.

210.If Mother’s or father’s Sradha  is postponed due to death or birth taint  , then they can be performed on the day that  the taint leaves.

211.If Lunar of solar eclipse comes on the Sradha day, you should observe fast on that day and perform Sradha the next day only.

212.If for  some reason  you forget to perform the Sradha,  from the day  you realize it, you should observe fast, observe Krucharacharanam  and then perform Sradha the next day. This is the opinion of some saints.

213. For some other reason , We are not able to perform Sradha  or suppose We do not know which thidhi it has to be performed, it can be done on the Krishna Paksha Ekadasi or Amavasya.

Some rules regarding Sradha.

214.Those who perform Sradha  should not eat food of outsiders ,  should not  shave or have a haircut , should not take oil bath and should not make love for  one month(some say 15days)  before the Sradham. 

215.If there are other problems  these should not be done at least for one Week before the Sradha. These should never be done for three days prior of Sradha. 

216.Whatever may be  the circumstance or reason they should not be indulged on the day before the sradha. If you do it , our Pithrus(manes) will curse us and We will lose our wife , children and Wealth.

217.A householder is supposed to do  Sradha in Oupasanagni. Only if your wife is there Oupasanagni can be maintained   So Sradha should be performed only in the place where wife is there. If wife dies Vidura Oupasanam  can be maintained.

218.Atleast in the Paksha when the Sradha falls or at least three days before Sradha Oupasana should be started  and on both times of the day. At least it should be done in the morning of the Sradha.

219.It is good,  if We can do Koosmanda homa before the Sradha. It removes  sins like abortion , eating in unknown places etc. The pithrus will  accept the Sradha only if We get rid of our sins before doing Sradha.

220.Even if We are not able to koosmanda Homan, We can keep ourselves pure by  Drinking Panchagavya, bath in the sea(If it is parva kala) bathe in sacred rivers and then do Sradha.

221.The day before Sradha, on Sradha day and the day after Sradha We should not clean our teeth using  stick or brush. We can clean it  by rubbing softly by our fingers  and gargling. This is because if you take out the water from the  gums , We will immediately feel hungry  .

222.Before Sradha, worship of Gods, worship of guests, special bathing and Dhanam should not be done, Dhanam should also not taken .Even those who do not take early morning bath  or Oupasanam  should take bath early , do Sandhyavandanam and perform Oupasanam and take bath   on the sradha day morning. Only sick people are permitted to do only one bath. Not adhering to this will invite curses from Pitrhrus.

223.The man who does the Sradha should personally invite the Brahmins participating on the night before after they have taken their food. If We do not do it,  several sorrows will befall us. Normally  We invite three Brahmins-one representing VisWedeva , one representing  pithru, pithamaha prapithamaha or mathru, pithamaha , prapithamaha, and third one representing Lord Vishnu. Some people do not call a Brahmin to represent Vishnu but  only put  a leaf and serve all items there. We should always follow our forefathers in any such issues.

223. The qualification for a Brahmin to  participate in a Sradha.

One who has read Vedas , Vedanthi , Yogi, one who performs Agni Hothra (the best), SAma Vedhi , Shukla Yajurvedi , one who does not go against one’s Dharma. One who knows Dharma Sasthras, One who is peaceful , even if one does not chant Veda one who is born in a family of Vedic pundits and one who does Gayathri Japa without fail.Only these can participate in Sradha .

225.If you do not get Brahmins,  Father in law, uncle  , Guru, , Daughter’s son and the priest who  helps us in performing Sradha  can represent  in the Sradha, Some Rishis say that daughter’s son   has a special place in this.

226.Who should not represent? Those who do not know Vedas, those  who do not have wife or son, one who works under people lower than him,  One who works in government, The priests of Sudras, People who do not observe Vruthas, People affected by leucoderma, leprosy , people with Damaged nails or damaged teeth The people who steal , atheists,  eunuchs , those who drink alcohol, People who earn money by singing  or playing musical instruments, People who have extra limbs like fingers, People who want to be recommended for eating in Sradha, People who hate Vedas and Brahmins,  People  who find fault with Vedas and Brahmins, Those who do not do Sradha  of their parents, People who have returned after crossing the sea, People who have taken food in a Sradha  in the previous day, People who accept sinful Dhanas should not take part in the Sradha  as  Brahmins.

227.If We accept  wrong  type of people  in Sradha , what We give will not reach the pithrus. If a  man who has not learnt  Vedas eats in a Sradha, when that Brahmin and the performer reaches hell they will be asked to take as many iron balls as much as the number of hands of food taken by that Brahmin.

228.If We do not get those who have learnt Vedas , atleast We should take those who chant Gayathri , the  mother of Vedas properly. It is a sin to employ Brahmins  who are not Brahmins any more.

229.We have to first show hospitality to Visve devas first and then only to the one who represents the Pithrus. Like that   when We send them after the Sradham , first We have to bid farewell to  Brahmin who represented Visve devas.

230. When We are washing the feet of Sradha Brahmins , on the northern side We have to make a square of 12”  with cow dung.

231.On its southern side  We have to make a circle of 12”  diameter for washing feet of the Brahmin representing Pithrus again by cow dung.

232. In between these there should be at least a distance of 6” . We have to take care that the water used to wash the feet of one Brahmin should not touch  the water used to wash the feet of the  other Brahmin. Some people either put a Wet cloth or rice husk in between them.

233. Wearing the Pavithra,  you have to worship with rice  the deva Mandala(Square)   and with Yellu(gingelly) the Pithru mandala   with Gingelly   .  While We are washing the feet of the Brahmin,  We should remove the pavithra and keep it on our ears. In Deva Kunda put the Durba on the eastern side   and in Pithru Kunda  Durba should be put on the southern side.

234.We have to apply ghee  on the sole of the feet  and thumb of the Brahmin chanting “Shukramasi.”After washing our hand  saying “Kandathvaaram”  We have to apply cow dung.

235.Brahmana should face the east  and the one who does Sradha should stand facing the West. The water should be poured by the wife and using both hands starting from the south We have to wash both the feet.

236-238.We have to wash  their feet chanting  the following three  slokas:-

1.“Samastha  sampath samvapthi hethaa,

Samudhitha aapathkula   dhooma kethava ,

Apara samsara   samudhra sethava ,

Punanthu maam  Brahmana   pada pamsava.”

This means that let the dust of the feet of the Brahmin, which can give me  all Wealth  , which removes all the dangers faced by me  and which is like a bridge helping me to cross the bankless   sea of SAmsara  make me pure.

2. Aadhi vyadhi haram   nrunaanam  ,Dukha daridrya nasanam  ,

Sri Pushi keerthitham Vandhe  Vipra  sri Pada pankajam.”

I salute  the lotus like feet of the Brahm in, which removes the diseases of the mind and body and which grants me Wealth  , health and fame.

3.”Viprougha  darasanath   Sathya  ksheeyanthe  paparasaya,

Vandanath mangalavaapthi , archanath achyutham padam.

Seeing a crowd of Brahmins  the crowd of sins would fly away And if We salute  them  auspiciousness will come and  if We worship them   We will get salvation.

239.After We  Propitiate the Viswe deva in the sradha, after  telling the manthra  We should put the rice from his   right leg to head, from bottom to top. We should Wear the sacred thread over the left shoulder.

240. When We do the same thing for Pithrus, We should put the sacred thread on right shoulder(Pracheena vidhi) and put the gingelly from head to his left leg  from top to bottom.

241. People who are rich should buy white silk dhothi every year   and give to the Brahmins or atleast give a dhothi with silk Zari border. We have to either give three or two  or at least one Vasthra to the Brahmin, Giving a cloth without border  is  not that good.

242. If the cloth has a black border is given then the pithrus  would go to hell and so they will curse us,. So we should always give cloth with red border. That which is washed by washer man or that which was worn by someone else should not be given. New cloth should be bought and on the morning of Sradha, after   We take bath  it should be dipped in water and then dried  to become eligible to be given as Dhana,

243.If We are not able to get suitable cloth, We can give its cost ,If we cannot  afford it , we can give a new sacred thread instead of cloth along with some cash present.

244. If we give the sacred thread before the start of the Sradha  and they Wear it, that sacred thread can be retained , But if we give after they are propitiated then they will have to change it the next day.

245. Before We start the Sradha, We have to give the Brahmins oil. It is a hospitality shown to the manes and for the  stool to go out easily for the Brahmana . After he takes bath and   Wears the madi (Untainted cloth)  , the Sradham starts.

246. Similarly  for cleaning the mind of  Brahmin Ellurundai( Sesame Jaggery balls)  is to be given and to make his language pure, Thamboola is offered .Some people do not offer this because they think that nothing should be eaten before the Sradha.  The general rule is follow the customs followed by our family. 

247. Aachamana should be done only after removing the Pavithram from hand , Similarly the feet of the Brahmins should not be washed Wearing the  Pavithram.  We should not apply sandal paste Wearing Pavithram.  At those times Pavithram   should be kept above left ear.

248. The feet of the Brahmin should be washed only up to the ankle.

249. The  cooking for Sradha should be done using ghee . Some sages say that we should not use Gingelly oil and coconut oil. But since pure cow ghee is not easily available   and since    We use Gingelly in the Sradha  , learned people say that cooking can be done in good Gingelly oil.

250. Since some sages say that coconut  can be used in Sradha,   some people say that coconut oil also can be used.   We should not add anything new to the family usage.

251.  The food ritually offered to the pithrus can be taken  only by  those clan members who have ten day taint  from events in our family. Even those who have three day taint should not eat it. Some people say that those  fried in oil  is Ok to be taken by any one. Others if they take  the food offered to Pithrus should do redemption before doing their usual rituals.

252. The remains of food offered during Yekodishta should not  be even eaten by   ten day taint clan members.

253.Black gram, black Gingelly . wheat , green gram dhal , jaggery , Khandasari sugar, Cumin, pepper  and Samba rice  can be used for cooking in Sradha.

254. Some people   say coconut, mustard, snake gourd  , wood apple  and cucumber can also be used for cooking. Some people do not add these.  So do according to family custom.

255. Ash gourds , chilles  and asafetida   are banned from being used during Sradha . Ash gourd grew out of an asura called Kooshmanda , Chillies came from outside the  country and Asafetida is a resin from a tree   and is supposed to be the result of the sin of Indra.

256.Perandai (Cissus) , curry leaf,  bitter gourd , plantain , mango  , Jamun fruit  , lemon  , colacasia, elephant foot yam , lime , sweet potato , cluster beans  , lab lab beans  and jack fruit can be used  during Sradha.  Among these black gram, honey and jack fruit are greatly liked by Pithrus.

257.The following should not be used for Sradha: cow pea , horse gram , Bengal gram , tur dhal (Thuvarai paruppu)  , ash gourd , bottle gourd , drum stick, buffalo milk  curd made of it , asafetida,  pomegranate  should not be used.

258.Pithrus are peace loving people   and so We should use all material which are Sathvika  in nature only.

259. On Sradha day no one except those born in our caste can take food in our house. Some people due to pity or due to their affection  offer food for the Panchamas and Shudras on that day, That is wrong and Pithrus will curse us if We do it.

260. It is known that the great savant Sridhara Ayyaval fed a Panchama on the Sradha day and that ganges water came in the Well of his house to purify him.

261.He was not one who used to go against shastras, On all days he used to feed every body . God who wanted to test  him and prove  his greatness to the world came as guest in his house. If you can make ganges come in your Well, you can also do it.

262.That day washed vessels by us ,  the place washed by us on that day  , , washed and dried cloths on that day , cooking  by us without drinking coffee and so many other rules should be observed on a Sradha day. If these are all not observed performing Sradha is a waste.

263.In the Sradha , maternal grandfather, uncle , disciple, daughter’s son, nephew  and son in law should not represent as Brahmins in a Sradha.

264. Due to certain sages permitting and due to practice  daughter’s son can be permitted.

265.On Sradha day and previous day, the one who does Sradha should not clean his teeth with stick or brush,  should not   walk a distance and  should not carry a burden .We should not fix and invite a Brahmin and later cancel it. We should not   keep sandal paste on vessels made of mud.

266 . Cooked Dhal,  Payasam   and ghee   should be served on the right side of the leaf. .Dhal and ghee   should be kept on  a separate leaf piece in the Dhonnai (Banana leaf cup)  All preparations where salt is added should  be kept on the front leaf. In sradham food is normally served on two leaves   one  front  leaf and the second leaf kept slightly behind on the first leaf.)

267.In the Parvana Sradha  , Viswedevas called Puroorava and Aardrava should be worshipped, In Mahalaya Sradha Viswe devas called  thuru and ruche should be worshipped  In Nandhi sradha  Viswedevas  Sathya and Vasu should be worshipped. In Spindikarana Viswedevas called   Kala Kamuka should be worshipped.

268.In Yekodishta , Masika , Sapindikarana  , Nandi sradha and Gaya Sradha, Abisravana  (Manthras when Brahmins are taking food)    should not be there.

269.The one who is selected as Viswedeva should wash his hand only after the one who represents Pithrus washes his hand. The same  thing is true of Aachamana.

270. When the  Brahmins are eating, if the food being  eaten  by one falls on other man’s leaf,  the Brahmins should touch the leaf further. After removing the leaf and cleaning that place with cow dung ,  fresh leaf should be again put in another place and food should be served   again.

271.If By the time We send away the Brahmins  after taking food, Fire  is put out , That day We have to starve   and redo the Sradha next day.

272.If the pinda meant for the crow is eaten by some other animal before crow touches it or if  is eaten by a dog or  if Sudras see it,  We have to starve that day and do the   Sradha gain the next day.

273. The rice and other preparations should be   served to the Brahmins without favoritism. But Dakshina can be given  according to the capacity of those Brahmins.  But Good people do not do that .

274.After Pinda pradhana, few rice that is remaining , should be eaten after saying Manthra.  After eating it , worship  of Viswedevas can be done. Some people only smell it. Do according to your family custom.

275.People who do not have sons , if they give the center Pinda  to their wife   saying the Manthra abhandhava  , then they will get a son. Other Pindas should be put in fire or water.

276. The vessels used to prepare food for sradha should not  be cleaned by Sudras,. The leaf used by Brahmins to take food should be buried in the soil. If Sudras  touch that leaf   or Dog eats from it, then the entire Sradha is a waste .

277.  The leaf used by Brahmins to take food should be removed before they  start to tell the blessing Manthras(Swasthi vachana) . The area should be cleaned after Pinda Pradhana.

278.The Brahmins should not touch each other till the Sradha is over.  They should eat silently. While eating food, suppose they say the food is good, The Pithrus will not eat that food.

279.Before the leaf of Viswedeva, you have to draw a line by water and spread  cooked rice over it and then pour water over it. This is called Vikiranna,

280.”ASomabacvhaye  deva Yagna bhaga vivarjitha , thesham annam  prathaasyami vikiram Vaiswa devakam”  is the manthra for offering Vikiranna. This means  I offer this Vikiranna to devas who do not get share in the Yagna , because they have not drunken Soma pana.”

281. In front of the leaf of Pithrus , then We have to draw a line with Gingelly mixed water, keep cooked rice on them and pour Gingelly water  over it. This is called “Paithruka Vikirannam.”

282.. Asamskrutha prameethaa ye thaginyoya, kula sthriya dasayami thebhyo vikirannam  thabayaschu paithrukam”  is the mantha which means  that I offer this to Pithrus for whom death ritual has not been done and  those Kula sthree(women) who sacrifice.

283.After keeping the Vikiranna, We have to keep our  Pavithram on our ears and then do two   aachamanams , keep Dhurba facing south and over that keep Vayasa Pinda  (Pinda for crow)  Since this Pinda is offered to the crows , it is called  Vayasa Pinda.

284. “Ye agni daktha, Ye anagni daktha, yevaa jathaa  kule mama , bhoomou dathena Piindena   trupathayaanthu  Param gathim.” Is the manthra to be recited and this would  mean   To all those  who are born in my clan, to those who Were burnt by fire  and to those who Were not burnt by fire, let them get satisfied by the Pinda that I am keeping on the earth.”

285.The vayasa pindam should be kept on earth , in a place where dogs would not come  and should not  be visible to other caste  people. First We have to pour water , put the sacred thread on the right shoulder  and then call the crow. Once it seems lord Yama took the form of a crow and then he told his devotee that if Pinda is given to    the crow, then Yama will not trouble our ancestors. And so offering Vayasa pindam in Sradha and daily offering cooked rice to crow before We eat is a must.

286.When Bhishma and  Sri Rama  Were offering  Sradha Pindam ,it seems their manes came and received it. But they said since the Mantra says We are keeping on earth, We would not receive from you,  but take it from earth. So we also should follow rules and believe that our Pithrus are present during the Sradha.

287. If  the crow takes the Pinda facing east, our Wealth will increase, If it faces south , We would get ill .If it takes facing West, We would go to some other town, If it takes facing north, our life span will increase. If it does not take it at all sorrows will increase.

288.We should address the Pithrus and ask them, “Anna seshai kim Kareyatham?(What to do  with the food that is remaining?)”,They will say “Ishtais saha  bhojyatham((eat  it with people who love you)” , Because of this mantra some people say that  the food can be shared with friends. This is wrong.

289. Since Sastra says that only our clan members  who have ten day taint,  can eat that food and learned people also follow that custom, We also should do like that. We should not interpret that We are disobeying the order of Pithrus, but take it that the order is forever    and refers all the food that remains  , which should be shared with friends.

290.Anna sesham  indicates only cooked food and Ishta are those clan members with ten day taint whom We like. This should be strictly followed.

291. If Sradha comes on Ekadasi day , the one who performs Sradha , his wife  and children should definitely  take food on that day. Sradha which comes only yearly once is much more important than Ekadasi which comes twice a month. Pithru sesha will bless us and also give us the effect of observing Ekadasi.

292. If widows perform Sradha for their husband on Ekadasi day, they have to eat the Sradha sesham. If they think that Ekadasi is more important and do not take food  , Pithrus  would be made to eat dirty food.

293. If Sradha for father or brother comes on Ekadasi day,  ladies with husbands living (Sumangali)  can eat the Pithru sesham but  a widow should not eat it.

294.The Sradha sesha of father in law and uncle can be eaten by son in law   and nephew  respectively.

295.Fruits , milk , curd , butter milk , ghee, honey  and  uncooked vegetables  do not have Pithru sesha,

296.If a Brahmin eats Brahmanartham , immediately he should wash his feet , do Aachamana and chant Gayathri ten times and then drink water. If he does not do it, he is not eligible for performing  Sandhyavandana that evening.

297. Even if he does that, he is not eligible to perform Oupasana that evening. He can get it done by his disciple or wife. He cannot go to the temple that day.

298.After giving Dakshina to the priest on Sradha day We say,

“Datharo nobhi varthanthaam   Veda santhathi revana,

Sradha cha mavyapakath   bahu deyancha nosthu.” Meaning

“Oh Pithrus,   Let my Wealth children   and Vedas  grow. Let Sradha (sincerity)  not go away from me . Let me get sufficient Wealth to do Dhana.

299. Annancha no bahu bhavethj , athitheekuncha   labhemahi,

Yachitharascha  nassanthu masdaya kishma kanchanaa,.” Meaning

Let me get lot of material fit to be eaten ,. Let lot of guests come to my house, Let beggars come to me. Do not make me beg with other people.

300. The Brahmins  who represent Viswedevas and  Pithrus, slightly modify these slokas and bless us using them.

301.When Brahmanas  after food take leave of us  We should go round them, talk some hospitable words   and also greet them in their mother toungue.

302.Pathra saakhadhi dhanena  klesithaa yooya mithrucha,

 THath klesa jatham  chithethu vismruthya kshanthu marhana.” Meaning

I troubled you fit for great hospitality by offering you leafy vegetables, please do not keep that in mind, forget it and pardon me.

303.Paraheni Tharpanam  This should be done  the next day of Sradha  in the early morning and not immediately after Sradha on the same day.

304.Some people do it after Pinda pradhanam. This is not correct. If someone takes food  offering them water after some time is only proper. After feeding them on Sradha day We should offer water in the form of Paraheni tharpanam only on next day. If you do it on the same day, it looks like  We are giving food to Pithrus and ordering them to immediately take water as We do not have time.

305.Sasthra are the orders of God and We have to follow it. We should not find fault with it. In some type of Sradhas there is no Partaheni Tharpanam. In some Sastras ask us to immediately do it  and in some cases it asks us to do it the next day.

306.What are those Sradhas where Paraheni Tharpanam is not there?

If father is alive and mother is no more, in the Sradha done to mother, there is no Paraheni Tharpanam. In case of Sapindikarana Sradham , anumasika Sradham  and Nandhi sradham, there is no Paraheni tharpanam.

307.What are those occasions where Paraheni Tharpana, should be done immediately?  Except in case of Sradha for mother and father  and in case of Sakrunmalaya Sradham, in all other cases Paraheni tharpanam should be done immediately. We should get up at 4 Am of the next ay (Brahma muhurtham) , wash our hands and legs , gargle , take bath  and then do Paraheni Tharpanam. Then We have to clean our teeth, take bath again and do the morning ablations.

308. If We do not get up at proper time  and the dawn is over,  then only after finishing Sandhya vandanam, the tharpanam shuld be done. By that time if We are not clean, then We have to take bath and do the Tharpanam.

309. Can We clean our teeth on Sradha day?  Sasthra says that without washing teeth, without answering calls of nature and without taking bath  , no ritual should be performed . Same Sasthra says that We should not clean our teeth on Sradha day. Is this not contradictory.

310.But if We  massage the gums and teeth  gently and gargle , our mouth would become clean. If We   do it hard, due to the gums getting dry , We will feel immediately hungry.

311.Normally in Amavasya and other Tharpanas, Tharpana is done to mothers side also (Maternal grand parents , maternal great grand parents and one more generation.) But in Parheni Tharpanam it is given to only our clan and not to mother’s clan.

312. Apart from the Tharpana We do on Sradha days , Tharpana done during ardhodhaya and Mahodaya periods and  Tharpana done in sacred rivers, a house holder is supposed to do 96  tharpanas in a year,. It is termed as Shannavathi sradha/Tharpana.

313.In the Shannavathi Tharpanas  12 month beginnings , 12 Amavasyas, and 16  mahalaya days are  included.

314.On a single day We are not supposed to do two Tharpanas. When people do on all 16 days of Mahalaya on the Amavasys day in Mahalaya Paksha ,  they have to do two Tharpanas.

315.If Sankaramana, Amavasya  Ardhodhaya and Mahodhaya come together on the same day We have to only do Ardhodhaya or Mahodhaya tharpanams.

316. Those who do Tharpana on all 12  Sankramana days, , if Sankramana comes along with Amavasya, on the two Ayana days,  and two Vishu days ,  First sankaramana Tharpana should be performed and then Amavasya Tharpana should be performed. In all other 8 sankramana days , if Amavasya comes, We need to do only one Tharpana.

317.After the property is divided between brothers each of them have to do Sradha separately.

318.After Property is divided Sradha should be done separately but if father is no more and mother is alive, The Sradha has to be done in the place she lives. If mother and children live separately, the mother  should feed two Brahmins.

319. If there is no property to divide, if the brothers are living separately  then also they should do Sradha separately. If they happen to be in the same place  ,they should employ different set of Brahmins, separately cook rice and Payasam and using all other cooked things commonly  and do the Sradha. They have to do Homa separately.

320. Like this Tharpana also has to be done separately by the brothers. When many people individually do Tharpana and Sradha, The pithrus become very happy and bless  them all.

321. Sasthra says that Nandhi sradha should be performed in case of Samskaras like Nama Karanam , Yagnopaveetha dharanam etc.

322. Special aacharas for ladies.

1. You should not be without the thilakam on forehead even for a minute.

2..You should not scratch your head  with both hands.

3.You should not break ash gourd.

4.Pregnant women should not break coconuts. They should not be in the place where coconut is broken.

5. It is a great sin to prevent husband and wife from joining together. If somebody prevents their being together, they will become widows for 21 generations.

6.We should not clean the home with a broom stick at night. Even if We sweep,  that  trash should not be put in the street at night. We should not gather and heap trash. If We do it god will prevent us from being with our near and dear ones on  important days like marriage.

7. You should get up very early morning , sprinkle cow dung water in the courtyard and draw Rangoli. If They do not it , in the next birth they will be born as very poor people.

8.As soon as leaf is spread to eat, the ladies should draw a square below the leaf with cow dung  water.

9. Cooked vegetables or cooked rice should not be served with hand. If done it is equivalent  to beef.

10. Any charity without permission of the husband  , will not lead to any result.. If you undertake fast without his permission , his lifespan would be reduced by one day. 

11.Never say any particular item is not there  but say , please buy that.

12.You should not cry and shed tears for anything. Wealth will   not stay  in house a woman sheds tears.

13. While serving food ,  after serving one person, the remaining should not be served to the next person. If  you serve with  a ladle this problem is not there. i.e this rule is not applicable to food  being served  with ladle.

14. After curd rice is eaten, We have to enquire once more whether  more rice is needed by any one.

15 Ladies should not sit or walk without tying their hair.

16.If they get angry  they should  not use harsh words.

17.Putting Kumkumam   would give long life to husband.

18. Protecting of virtue and   behavior according to rituals  would increase life span of husband.