tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6641738716446631837.post4429598202315036425..comments2023-08-27T12:35:12.308+02:00Comments on sanscrite cogitare, sanscrite loqui: A(n Indian) world full of creatures: Gilles Tarabout on natureelisa freschihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17068583874519657894noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6641738716446631837.post-47133800752279040752013-04-02T17:54:20.236+02:002013-04-02T17:54:20.236+02:00Dear Elisa,
The following verse from the Manusmṛt...Dear Elisa,<br /><br />The following verse from the Manusmṛti [I/37] advocates a common origin of the pitṛs, nāgas and bhūtas, if not [even by implication] their cohabitation:<br /><br />यक्षरक्षःपिशाचांश्च गन्धर्वाप्सरसोऽसुरान्।<br />नागान् सर्पान् सुपर्णांश्च पितॄणाञ्च पृथग्गणान्॥<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07695587062582618769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6641738716446631837.post-32307510850366545542013-04-02T16:04:34.932+02:002013-04-02T16:04:34.932+02:00Thanks Sudipta. Any information about the cohabita...Thanks Sudipta. Any information about the cohabitation of pitṛs, nāgas, bhūtas etc.? elisa freschihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17068583874519657894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6641738716446631837.post-70038438119839995752013-03-28T18:20:21.869+01:002013-03-28T18:20:21.869+01:00Yes, in fact pitṛs or ancestors are benevolent in ...Yes, in fact pitṛs or ancestors are benevolent in nature. Nāndīmukha [nānni mukh in colloquial Bengali] or vṛddhi śrāddha is an indispensible part of Bengali marital rituals. It is performed with a view to expressing gratitude to and seeking blessings from one’s ancestors [for more on this see Prof. Chintaharan Chakraborty’s Bengali book on rituals and customs, Hindur ācāra-anuṣṭhāna]. Homage to the ancestors is also paid through the ritual of tarpaṇa on occasion of the Mahālaya, which marks the end of the pitṛpakṣa and the beginning of the devīpakṣa, the latter being the time-period when the famous Durgā Pujā of Bengal is celebrated. During the upākarma ceremony performed on the full moon day of the month of Śrāvaṇa, the pitṛs are offered prayers to alongside the gods and the ṛṣis. However, according to Prof. Chakraborty’s book (p. 75), through tarpaṇa performed during śrāddhas, the entire universe [ābrahmastamba paryanta samasta jagat] is paid homage to, apart from ancestors, friends, foes, etc. Pitṛ-ṛṇa or one’s debt to one’s ancestors forms part of the triad of debts mentioned in the dharmaśāstras. Also the adorable nature of the pitṛs is clearly mentioned in Manusmṛti 3/193 and duties to the gods are deemed as subsidiary to those pertaining to the ancestors in Manusmṛti 3/203. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07695587062582618769noreply@blogger.com