[Advaita-l] QUESTION ON THARPANA&SRADHA

[Anand Hudli]

>
> Thanks a lot for clarification.  Yes, I have read about the vidhi-s /
niyama-s  to be followed in the case of tripAdi and dhanishtAdi paNchaka
death.    But I was wondering why only these nakshatra-s are considered as
inauspicious and why only certain nakshatra-s classified as tripAdi.  It is
very difficult to get answers for 'WHY'-s in dharma shAstra, we have to
follow the vidhi-s and do it just because 'it is there in the shAstra and
do it without asking the question 'why'?? it is just because shAstra itself
is the pramANa for dharma / karma jignAsa :-)   Anyway, thanks again  for
your time and explanation prabhuji.
>
> Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
> bhaskar

It is not that shAstra does not answer "why" questions at all. If one asks
why shrAddhas have to be performed, shAstra does reply that one has to
repay the debts of the pitRs and hence shrAddhas are necessary. If one asks
why pitRpakSha is important for pitRs, shAstra replies that the
dakShiNAyana period in general is day time for pitRs and hence they have to
be offered food. If one asks why sandhyA arghya has to be offered to the
sun, the shruti's arthavAda says our arghyas help Surya when he is attacked
by rAkShasas, etc. However, there are "why" questions for which shAstra
does not have an answer or it could be that parts of the shAstra which do
contain the answer have been lost or the person who is answering the "why"
question does not know the answer. If you ask me why Sundays, Tuesdays, and
Saturdays are considered inauspicious, I can tell you that according to
JyotiSha, sUrya, kuja, and shani are malefic planets. But I do not know why
death in the panchaka nakShatras is considered to be bad thing (aniShTa). I
am not aware of any explanation, which could be there in some dharma
shAstra work. Even the detailed work on dharma shAstra, the nirNayasindhu,
only says that death in the panchaka nakShatras brings more death to the
family, without explaining why. (vAsave maraNaM cet syAd gRhe vApi
punarmRtiH).

But you are right in that dharma is beyond the sense (atIndriya) and as
such we cannot employ logic based on sense perception in matters of dharma.
Kumarila bhaTTa, in his vArtika (2.14) on the codanAsUtra, makes it clear
that dharma is beyond the senses- shreyassAdhanatA hyeShAM nityaM vedAt
pratIyate | tAdrUpyeNa ca dharmatvaM tasmAnnendriyagocaraH |

Anand