Miscellaneous Topics : Qualifications of a Brahmana - Verse 1

The first topic discussed is about the vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes liked by Pitrs and therefore should be served to Brahmanas while dining at a Sraddha (vide vv. 3-9). Apastamba Dh.S. (GOO B.C.) prescribes flesh-eating as obligatory at Sraddha and enumerates the animals the flesh of which gratifies Pitfs for a specific period e.g. the flesh of a gavaya (a cow-like animal) offered in Sraddha gratifies the Pitfs for a year (samvatsaram gavayena tfptih). For other animals and the period of gratification etc., see Apastamba Dh.S. II. 7.1625; II. 17.3. For refusal to accept non-vegetarian food at a Sraddha one has to go to hell ( Vispudharmottara I. 140-49-50, also Manu V. 35; KP. 11.17.40). Manu III.26 r '-272, Yajnavalkya I. 158-260, Mbh. Anuiasana Ch. 88, Katyayana’s Sraddha-Sutra ( Kandika 7-8), KP. 11.40-42, Mt. P. 17.31-35, Bd.P. 2.3.19, VP. IIT.16.I-3 and such other Puragas specify the flesh of certain animals served at Sraddha and the period of gratification of Pitrs thereby. Hemadri opines that greater the period, greater is the gratification {iha sarvatra prilyatiiayo vivakfitah—Sraddha p. 590).