ZBORNIK - Matica srpska

dead is a sign of their filial and pitiful obligation. The burial customs
thus intensify the tragic conflict in one case while in the other
they resolve it into a contemplative repentance.
As an extension of ancestor-worship in India, there also evolved
the doctrine of Pitri Rina. To be free of the debt of ancestors,
the individual was called upon to beget and raise a son who shall
take over the task of providing libations for the family line.
Protection to the Suppliant
According to the Greek tribal law the punishment or vengeance
(prorresis) was to be enforced on the murderer by the victim's
family. 9 It was not the duty of the State as in modern times. In such
a situation, it was natural for the guilty to flee his home and seek
refuge in extended or permanent exile. The population of exiles in
ancient Greece used to be in considerable numbers. Fugitives sought
the protection of distant families or of close-by powerful rivals of
the victim's house. Normally, a family would not interfere with the
process of vengeance and would not thwart the attempts of the victim
in capturing the murderer. But in the case of an offending relative
they would intervene to settle a ransom or blood-price. Or in
the case of very minor crimes, temporary refuge may be provided to
enable further escape. This could be true in the case of offenders
who had incurred wrath or pollution. Even this was not free from
censure or even the risk of divine wrath. However, in Greece and
India alike, it was the bounden duty of a reputable person to grant
refuge to one who had surrendered or had been unjustly threatened
or victimised. 10 In Greece, if the suppliant had sought refuge at a
temple, then he became as inviolable as the temple itself. If he were
to be turned away, it may result in the wrath of the deity falling on
the community. As the Supplices say to Pelasgus, “Do what you
will / Thy house remains to Pay / Find in thy children / Justice is
equal / Mark the Justice of Zeus" (Supplices, line 193). Some of the
well-known instances of suppliants seeking successful refuge are:
daughters of Danaus before Pelasgus, King of Argos: Iphigenia and
Hekabe before Achilles; 11 and Odysseus pleading before Hekabe in
Troy. 12 In the Indian lore the classic example is of Sugriva and Vibhishana
winning the protection of Rama. 13 Both the suppliants are
exiles who were unfairly banished. A rather unknown instance from
drama is that of Sakara of Mricchakatikam saving his life by becoming
a supplicant of Carudatta. Sakara need not have been granted
protection as he deserved it according to no norm. He ought to have
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