Such charitable gifts flowed most naturally and abundantly at the time of a man's death, or whenever his memory was revived by happy or unhappy events in a family, and hence _S_râddha has become the general name for ever so many sacred acts commemorative of the departed. We hear of _S_râddhas not only at funerals, but at joyous events also, when presents were bestowed in the name of the family, and therefore in the name of the ancestors also, on all who had a right to that distinction.
It is a mistake therefore to look upon _S_râddhas simply as offerings of water or cakes to the Fathers. An offering to the Fathers was, no doubt, a symbolic part of each _S_râddha, but its more important character was charity bestowed in memory of the Fathers.
This, in time, gave rise to much abuse, like the alms bestowed on the Church during the Middle Ages. But in the beginning the motive was excellent. It was simply a wish to benefit others, arising from the conviction, felt more strongly in the presence of death than at any other time, that as we can carry nothing out of this world, we ought to do as much good as possible in the world with our worldly goods. At _S_râddhas the Brâhma_n_as were said to represent the sacrificial fire into which the gifts should be thrown.[310] If we translate here Brâhma_n_as by priests, we can easily understand why there should have been in later times so strong a feeling against _S_râddhas. But priest is a very bad rendering of Brâhma_n_a. The Brâhma_n_as were, socially and intellectually, a class of men of high breeding. They were a recognized and, no doubt, a most essential element in the ancient society of India. As they lived for others, and were excluded from most of the lucrative pursuits of life, it was a social, and it soon became a religious duty, that they should be supported by the community at large. Great care was taken that the recipients of such bounty as was bestowed at _S_râddhas should be strangers, neither friends nor enemies, and in no way related to the family. Thus Âpastamba says:[311] "The food eaten (at a _S_râddha) by persons related to the giver is a gift offered to goblins. It reaches neither the Manes nor the Gods." A man who tried to curry favor by bestowing _S_râddhika gifts, was called by an opprobrious name, a _S_râddha-mitra.[312]