How his srauta-fires save the life of an Ahitagni.

• Author: Falk, Harry

THE PITRMEDHASUTRAS DESCRIBE IN DETAIL how a deceased ahitagni is sent on his journey to yonder world. Cremation of the dead body is just one part of the process; the family and the village are likewise dealt with, so that after the unlucky incident all persons concerned can return to a life in purity.

Many Pitrmedhasutras start by dealing with the possibility that the Ahitagni himself expects an imminent death, but does, however, finally recover. This case is regulated by certain rules: expecting death, he has to lie down close to his sacred fires. If he recovers, this fact is explained by the healing powers of the fires. This small ceremony is not dealt with in P. V. Kane's monumental History of Dharmasastra (Poona, 1968-1977). It is given a very short paragraph in Caland's work on the cremation rites (1896a: 5). Caland traced this rite in the younger sutras belonging to the Taittiriya school, i.e., the Pitrmedhasutras ascribed to Apastamba (ApPMS), Hiranyakesi (HirPMS), and Bharadvaja (BharPMS), and in the Asvalayanagrhya (AsGS) of the Rgvedins, giving the impression that the rite was unknown to older texts. But there are references in the Satapathabrahmana (SB), the Jaiminiyabrahmana (JB), and the Pitrmedhasutra of Baudhayana (BauPMS), the latter two unknown to Caland at that time. There is no reference to it in the Kausikasutra (80, 1-7), the Agnivesyagrhya (3,4), and the Gautamapitrmedhasutra (Caland 1896b: 35).

A very simple reference is preserved in JB 1.46, in a clear grhya section, where the possibility of a dying sacrificer is dealt with:

sa yadopatapi syad yatrasya samam subhumi spastam syat tad bruyad iha me 'gnim manthateti. isvaro hagado bhavitoh.

Now, when he should feel death approaching, at a place where be might have spied (1) an even piece of good ground, there he should say: "churn the fire here for me!" (This way) he is capable of regaining his health.

The text goes on to prescribe what to do in case a recovery does not take place.

Similarly brief about the role of the fires is the BauPMS in its initial sentences:

atha yady ahitagner nirmaram gacchaty upatapata va jaraya vagnistha evasya yajamanayatane sayanam kalpayeyur jaghanena garhapatyam tad asmai (2) bhaksan aharanti yavad alam bhaksaya manyate. sa yady agado bhavati punar aiti. (3).

If an Ahitagni comes to a lethal condition, because of a sickness or because of old age, then they shall prepare for him a bed near the fires in the compound of the sacrificer, to the west of the Garhapatya fire. There they provide him with edibles, as much as seems sufficient. If he regains his health, be comes back.

In very similar words BSS 14.27 (199: 1) deals with the case of a consecrated sacrificer. If he looks as if he is dying, he should lie down in the area of the fires (agnidhriyasayano ha bhavati).

Some more information can be gleaned from BharPMS 1.1, 9ff. The mortally ill sacrificer is taken to a suitable burning-place, where his fires are installed.

There he should remain constantly offering into them. Then a reason for his possible recovery is given:

prana va eta ahitagner yad agnayas ta enam samiddhah parayanty agado ha bhavatiti vijnayate (BharPitrS 1.1, 11)

"As is well-known, the fires are the vital breaths of the Ahitagni. Well maintained they protect him; thus he becomes diseaseless." So it is known (in a Vedic source).

Here we learn that the sick person should try to be near his fires because it is they who are capable of promoting his recovery because they function as his vital breaths (prana).

A much more elaborate explanation is found in the AsvGS 4.1, 1-3:

ahitagnis ced upatapet pracyam udicyam aparajitayam va disy udavaset. gramakama agnaya ity udaharanti. asamsanta enam gramam...