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not been ordained) avoid being cursed by the Brahmanas (as an introducer of strange rites)?' He then thought of the original |
progenitor of his race. As soon as he was thought of, Atri endued with wealth of penances came there. Beholding him |
exceedingly afflicted with grief on account of the death of his son, the immortal Atri comforted him with agreeable counsels. |
He said unto him, 'O Mini, this rite that thou hast conceived, is a sacrifice in honour of the Pitris. Let no fear be thine, O thou |
that art possessed of the wealth of asceticism! The Grandsire Brahman himself, in days of old, laid it down! This rite that thou |
hast conceived has been ordained by the Self-born himself. Who else than the Self-born could ordain this ritual in Sraddhas? I |
shall presently tell thee, O son, the excellent ordinance laid down in respect of Sraddhas. Ordained by the Self-born himself, O |
son, do thou follow it. Listen to me first! Having first performed the Karana on the sacred fire with the aid of Mantras, O thou |
that art possessed of wealth of penances, one should always pour libations next unto the deity of fire, and Soma, and Varuna. |
Unto the Viswedevas also, who are always the companions of the Pitris, the Self-born then ordained a portion of the offerings. |
The Earth also, as the goddess that sustains the offerings made at Sraddhas, should then be praised under the names of |
Vaishnavi, Kasyapi, and the inexhaustible.[413] When water is being fetched for the Sraddha, the deity Varuna of great |
puissance should be praised. After this, both Agni and Soma should be invoked with reverence and gratified (with libations), O |
sinless one. Those deities that are called by the name of Pitris were created by the Self-born. Others also, highly blessed, viz., |
the Ushnapsa, were created by him. For all these shares have been ordained of the offerings made at Sraddhas. By adoring all |
these deities at Sraddhas, the ancestors of the persons performing them become freed from all sins. The Pitris referred to above |
as those created by the Self-born number seven. The Viswedevas having Agni for their mouth (for it is through Agni that they |
feed), have been mentioned before. I shall now mention the names of those high-souled deities who deserve shares of the |
offerings made at Sraddhas. Those names at Vala, Dhriti, Vipapa, Punyakrit, Pavana, Parshni, Kshemak, Divysanu, Vivaswat, |
Viryavat, Hrimat, Kirtimat, Krita, Jitatman, Munivirya, Diptaroman, Bhayankara, Anukarman, Pratia, Pradatri, Ansumat, |
Sailabha, Parama krodhi, Dhiroshni, Bhupati, Sraja, Vajrin, and Vari,--these are the eternal Viswedevas. There are others also |
whose names are Vidyutvarchas, Somavarchas, and Suryasri. Others also are numbered amongst them, viz., Somapa, |
Suryasavitra, Dattatman, Pundariyaka, Ushninabha, Nabhoda, Viswayu, Dipti, Chamuhara, Suresa, Vyomari, Sankara Bhava, |
Isa, Kartri, Kriti, Daksha, Bhuvana, Divya, Karmakrit, Ganita Panchavirya, Aditya, Rasmimat, Saptakrit, Somavachas, |
Viswakrit, Kavi, Anugoptri, Sugoptri, Naptri, and Iswara:--these highly blessed ones are numbered as the Viswedevas. They |
are eternal and conversant with all that occurs in Time. The species of paddy which should not be offered at Sraddhas are those |
called Kodrava, and Pulka. Assafoetida also, among articles used in cooking, should not be offered, as also onions and garlic, |
the produce of the Moringa pterygosperma, Bauhinia Variegata, the meat of animals slain with envenomed shafts all varieties |
of Sucuribita Pepo, Sucuribita lagenaria, and black salt. The other articles that should not be offered at Sraddhas are the flesh of |
the domesticated hog, the meat of all animals not slaughtered at sacrifices, Nigella sativa, salt of the variety called Vid, the |
potherb that is called Sitapaki, all sprouts (like those of the bamboo), and also the Trapa bispinosa. All kinds of salt should be |
excluded from the offerings made at Sraddhas, and also the fruits of the Eugenia Jamblana. All articles, again, upon which any |
one has spat or upon which tears have fallen should not be offered at Sraddhas. Among offerings made to the Pitris or with the |
Havya and Kavya offered to the deities, the potherb called Sudarsana (Menispermum tomentosum, Rox) should not be |
included. Havi mixed with this is not acceptable to Pitris. From the place where the Sraddha is being performed, the Chandala |
and the Swapacha should be excluded, as also all who wear clothes steeped in yellow, and persons affected with leprosy, or one |
who has been excasted (for transgressions), or one who is guilty of Brahmanicide, or a Brahmana of mixed descent or one who |
is the relative of an excasted man. These all should be excluded by persons possessed of wisdom from the place where a |
Sraddha is being performed,' Having said these words in days of old unto the Rishi Nimi of his own race, the illustrious Atri |
possessed of wealth of penances then went back to the Grandsire's assembly in Heaven.'" |
SECTION XCII |
"Bhishma said, 'After Nimi had acted in the way described above, all the great Rishis began to perform the sacrifice in honour |
of the Pitris (called the Sraddha) according to rites laid down in the ordinance. Firmly devoted to the discharge of all duties, the |
Rishis, having performed Sraddhas, began to also offer oblations (unto the Pitris) of sacred waters, with attention. In |
consequence, however, of the offerings made by persons of all classes (unto the Pitris), the Pitris began to digest that food. |
Soon they, and the deities also with them, became afflicted with indigestion. Indeed, afflicted with the heaps of food that all |
persons began to give them, they repaired to the presence of Soma. Approaching Soma they said, 'Alas, great is our affliction in |
consequence of the food that is offered to us at Sraddhas. Do thou ordain what is necessary for our ease.' Unto them Soma |
answered, saying, 'If, ye gods, ye are desirous of obtaining ease, do ye repair then into the abode of the Self-born. Even he will |
do what is for your good.' At these words of Soma, the deities and the Pitris then proceeded, O Bharata, to the Grandsire where |
he was seated on the summit of the mountains of Meru.' |
"The deities, 'O illustrious one, with the food that is offered us in sacrifices and Sraddhas, we are being exceedingly afflicted. O |
lord, show us grace and do what would be for our good.' Hearing these words of theirs, the Self-born said unto them in reply, |
'Here, the god of fire is sitting beside me, Even he will do what is for your benefit.' |
"Agni said, 'Ye sires, when a Sraddha comes, we shall together eat the offerings made to us. If ye eat those offerings with me, |
ye shall then, without doubt, succeed in digesting them easily.' Hearing these words of the deity of fire, the Pitris became easy |
of heart. It is for this reason also that in making offerings at Sraddhas a share is first offered to the deity of fire, O king. If a |
portion of the offerings be first made to the deity of fire at a Sraddha, O prince of men, Rakshasas of regenerate origin cannot |
then do any injury to such a Sraddha.[414] Beholding the deity of fire at a Sraddha Rakshasas fly away from it. The ritual of |
the Sraddha is that the cake should first be offered to the (deceased) sire. Next, one should be offered to the grandsire. Next |
should one be offered to the great-grandsire. Even this is the ordinance in respect of the Sraddha. Over every cake that is |
offered, the offerer should, with concentrated attention, utter the Savitri Mantras. This other Mantra also should be uttered, viz., |
unto Soma who is fond of the Pitris. A woman that has become impure in consequence of the advent of her season, or one |
whose ears have been cut off, should not be allowed to remain where a Sraddha is being performed. Nor should a woman (for |
cooking the rice to be offered in the Sraddha) be brought from a Gotra other than that of the person who is performing the |
Sraddha.[414] While crossing river, one should offer oblations of water unto one's Pitris, naming them all. Indeed, when one |
comes upon a river one should gratify one's Pitris with oblations of water. Having offered oblations of water first unto the |
ancestors of one's own race, one should next offer such oblations to one's (deceased) friends and relatives. When one crosses a |
stream on a car unto which is yoked a couple of oxen of variegated hue, or from them that cross a stream on boats, the Pitris |
expect oblations of water. Those that know this always offer oblations of water with concentrated attention unto the Pitris, |
Every fortnight on the day of the New moon, one should make offerings unto one's deceased ancestors. Growth, longevity, |
energy, and prosperity become all attainable through devotion to the Pitris. The Grandsire Brahman, Pulastya, Vasishtha, |
Pulaha, Angiras, Kratu and the great Rishi Kasyapa--these, O prince of Kuru's race, and regarded as great masters of Yoga. |
They are numbered among the Pitris. Even this is the high ritual in respect of the Sraddha, O monarch! Through Sraddhas |
performed on earth the deceased members of one race become freed from a position of misery. I have thus, O prince of Kuru's |
race, expounded to thee agreeably with the scriptures, the ordinances in respect of Sraddhas. I shall once more discourse to thee |
on gifts." |
SECTION XCIII |
"Yudhishthira said, 'If Brahmanas that are in the observance of a vow (viz., fast) eat, at the invitation of a Brahmana, the Havi |
(offered at a Sraddha), can they be charged with the transgression or a violation of their vow, or should they refuse the |
invitation of a Brahmana when such invitation is received by them? Tell me this, O grandsire!' |
"Bhishma said, 'Let those Brahmanas eat, impelled by desire, who are observant of such vows as are not indicated in the Vedas. |
As regards those Brahmanas, however, that are observant of such vows are indicated in the Vedas, they are regarded as guilty |
of a breach of their vow, O Yudhishthira, by eating the Havi of a Sraddha at the request of him who performs the Sraddha.' |
"Yudhishthira said, 'Some people say that fast is a penance. Is penance really identifiable with fast or is it not so? Tell me this, |
O grandsire!' |
"Bhishma said, 'People do regard a regular fast for a month or a half month as a penance. The truth, however, is that one who |
mortifies one's own body is not to be regarded either as an ascetic or as one conversant with duty[415]. Renunciation, however, |
is regarded as the best of penances. A Brahmana should always be an abstainer from food, and observe the vow called |
Brahmacharya.[416] A Brahmana should always practise self-denial restraining even speech, and recite the Vedas. The |
Brahmana should marry and surround himself with children and relatives, from desire of achieving righteousness. He should |
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