Sarga-41
Sinners against Brahmins are not entitled for obsequies. 1.41.18-21
Those who sin against great brahmins and die as a result of their curse without making atonement for their sin are not entitled to any obsequies says Yajnyavalkya in Brihadaranyaka in his dialogue with Shakalya.“I ask you about that Purusha of the Upanishads. If you do not wish to tell me about him you shall lose your head”. Shakalya did not think much of it and lost his head. Besides, thieves snatched away his cremated remains mistaking them for something else. ‘It appears that Shakalya did not have the knowledge about the Purusha of the Upanishads. His head fell down dead instantly by offending Yajnyavalkya and was deprived of the funeral rites. Similarly if the sons of Sagara who had sinned against the revered sage Kapila, born from a part of Narayana who was stationed in the Brahmi stage and was a propagator of the knowledge of brahman, were instantaneously reduced to ashes and were not entitled to funeral rites, it stands to reason.
Gautama says: “There is no salvation for those who die as a result of sin against cows and brahmins”. Mitakshara writes: “The wretched who resort to anger, fasting, poison, fire, weapon, hanging, water, throw themselves down from a mountain or a tree, who die as a result of a brahmin’s curse or are killed by a brahmin are as good as dead. For them, there is no cremation, no obsequies nor even a collection of cremated remains. They are not to be mourned. There is no need to offer morsels of rice to them or perform their death anniversary”.
Yajnyavalkya supports: “No impurities need to be observed for those killed by a king, a brahmin or a cow and for those who immolate themselves”.
Sarga-41
Sinners against Brahmins are not entitled for obsequies. 1.41.18-21
Those who sin against great brahmins and die as a result of their curse without making atonement for their sin are not entitled to any obsequies says Yajnyavalkya in Brihadaranyaka in his dialogue with Shakalya.“I ask you about that Purusha of the Upanishads. If you do not wish to tell me about him you shall lose your head”. Shakalya did not think much of it and lost his head. Besides, thieves snatched away his cremated remains mistaking them for something else. ‘It appears that Shakalya did not have the knowledge about the Purusha of the Upanishads. His head fell down dead instantly by offending Yajnyavalkya and was deprived of the funeral rites. Similarly if the sons of Sagara who had sinned against the revered sage Kapila, born from a part of Narayana who was stationed in the Brahmi stage and was a propagator of the knowledge of brahman, were instantaneously reduced to ashes and were not entitled to funeral rites, it stands to reason.
Gautama says: “There is no salvation for those who die as a result of sin against cows and brahmins”. Mitakshara writes: “The wretched who resort to anger, fasting, poison, fire, weapon, hanging, water, throw themselves down from a mountain or a tree, who die as a result of a brahmin’s curse or are killed by a brahmin are as good as dead. For them, there is no cremation, no obsequies nor even a collection of cremated remains. They are not to be mourned. There is no need to offer morsels of rice to them or perform their death anniversary”.
Yajnyavalkya supports: “No impurities need to be observed for those killed by a king, a brahmin or a cow and for those who immolate themselves”.