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276
THE FUNERAL CEREMONIES
one possibly accompanying the corpse, and having nothing whatever to do with consigning themselves to the fire.
The succeeding verse of the hymn is confirmatory of the purport of the preceding one. It would be rather inconsistent with any intention of burning the woman to enjoin her to repair to the world of living beings, jiva-lokam, the sense of which is wholly unequivocal, as we have proof in the verse of the Hitopadeśa*: “acquirement of wealth, constant good health, a beloved mistress, a gentle wife, a dutiful son, and knowledge bringing emolument, are the six sources of happiness (jiva-lokeshu) in the world of living beings;” jíva-lokam must, therefore, imply an exhortation to the widow to return to her social duties, cherishing the recollection, but not sharing the death of her husband. Sáyańa explains the term precisely to this effect, when he interprets jíva-loka, putra pautrádi, “sons and grandsons,” evidently understanding that the widow is to return to the bosom of her family.
The author of the Grihya sútra, Aśvalayana, furnishes further proof of what is meant, as he specifies the person who is to address the stanza to the widow, placed on the north of her deceased husband's head, and who is to be her husband's brother, or a fellowstudent, or an old servant, and who, having thus spoken to her, is to take her away. The authority of
* [Pr. 18. See the St. Petersburgh Dictionary s. v.]
