दशाहे ब्राह्मणः शुद्धो द्वादशाहेन क्षत्रियः वैश्यः पञ्चदशाहेन शूद्रो मासेन शुध्यति
A Brāhmaṇa becomes purified in ten days, a Kṣatriya in twelve, a Vaiśya in fifteen, and a Śūdra is purified in a month.
सूतकान्ते गृहे श्राद्धम् एकोद्दिष्टं प्रचक्षते द्वादशे ऽहनि मासे च त्रिपक्षे च ततः परम्
At the end of the period of impurity in the house, the ekoddiṣṭa śrāddha is prescribed—on the twelfth day, or in a month, or after three fortnights, or thereafter.
मासि मासि च कर्तव्यं यावत् संवत्सरं द्विजाः तत परतरं कार्यं सपिण्डीकरणं क्रमात्
It should be performed every month for a year by the twice-born; after that, the sapiṇḍīkaraṇa rite should be performed in due order.
कृते सपिण्डीकरणे पार्वणं प्रोच्यते पुनः ततः प्रभृति निर्मुक्ताः प्रेतत्वात् पितृतां गताः
When the sapiṇḍīkaraṇa is performed, the new moon śrāddha is again prescribed; from then on, the departed are released from the state of pretas and attain the status of ancestors.
अमूर्ता मूर्तिमन्तश् च पितरो द्विविधाः स्मृताः नान्दीमुखास् त्व् अमूर्ताः स्युर् मूर्तिमन्तो ऽथ पार्वणाः एकोद्दिष्टाशिनः प्रेताः पितॄणां निर्णयस् त्रिधा
Ancestors are remembered as of two kinds: formless and embodied. The nāndīmukha are formless, while the pārvaṇa are embodied; the pretas partake of the ekoddiṣṭa. Thus, the determination regarding ancestors is threefold.
कथं सपिण्डीकरणं कर्तव्यं द्विजसत्तम प्रेतीभूतस्य विधिवद् ब्रूहि नो वदतां वर
O best of twice-born, tell us properly how the sapiṇḍīkaraṇa should be performed for one who has become a departed spirit, O foremost of speakers.
सपिण्डीकरणं विप्राः शृणुध्वं वदतो मम तच् चापि देवरहितम् एकार्घैकपवित्रकम्
Hear from me, O Brāhmaṇas, as I speak about the sapiṇḍīkaraṇa. It is to be done without the participation of the gods, with a single argha and a single pavitra.
नैवाग्नौ करणं तत्र तच् चावाहनवर्जितम् अपसव्यं च तत्रापि भोजयेद् अयुजो द्विजान्
There is no use of fire in that rite, nor is there any invocation; it is performed with the sacred thread over the right shoulder, and the twice-born are to be fed in an odd number.
विशेषस् तत्र चान्यो ऽस्ति प्रतिमासक्रियादिकः तं कथ्यमानम् एकाग्राः शृणुध्वं मे द्विजोत्तमाः
There is another distinction there, concerning the monthly rites and the like; listen with full attention as I describe it, O best of twice-born.
तिलगन्धोदकैर् युक्तं तत्र पात्रचतुष्टयम् कुर्यात् पितॄणां त्रितयम् एकं प्रेतस्य च द्विजाः
There, four vessels should be prepared, filled with sesame, fragrant substances, and water—three for the ancestors and one for the departed, O twice-born.
पात्रत्रये प्रेतपात्राद् अर्घं चैव प्रसेचयेत् ये समाना इति जपन् पूर्ववच् छेषम् आचरेत्
From the three vessels, and from the vessel for the departed, the argha should be offered; reciting 'they are the same,' the rest should be performed as before.
स्त्रीणाम् अप्य् एवम् एव स्याद् एकोद्दिष्टम् उदाहृतम् सपिण्डीकरणं तासां पुत्राभावे न विद्यते
For women, too, the ekoddiṣṭa is prescribed in the same way; but the sapiṇḍīkaraṇa for them does not exist in the absence of a son.
प्रतिसंवत्सरं कार्यम् एकोद्दिष्टं नरैः स्त्रियाः मृताहनि च तत् कार्यं पितॄणां विधिचोदितम्
Every year, a special offering should be performed by men for women on the anniversary of their death, as prescribed by the rites for the ancestors.
पुत्राभावे सपिण्डास् तु तदभावे सहोदराः कुर्युर् एतं विधिं सम्यक् पुत्रस्य च सुताः सुताः
In the absence of a son, those sharing the same ancestral oblations should perform this rite; if they are absent, then brothers should do so, and in the absence of a son, the son's sons should perform it.
कुर्यान् मातामहानां तु पुत्रिकातनयस् तथा द्व्यामुष्यायणसंज्ञास् तु मातामहपितामहान्
Likewise, the daughter's son should perform it for the maternal grandfather, and those called 'descendants of both lineages' should do so for the maternal grandfather and great-grandfather.
पूजयेयुर् यथान्यायं श्राद्धैर् नैमित्तिकैर् अपि सर्वाभावे स्त्रियः कुर्युः स्वभर्तॄणाम् अमन्त्रकम्
They should honor the ancestors properly with occasional śrāddha rites; in the absence of all others, women may perform the rites for their own husbands, but without mantras.
तदभावे च नृपतिः कारयेत् त्व् अकुटुम्बिनाम् तज्जातीयैर् नरैः सम्यग् वाहाद्याः सकलाः क्रियाः
If even they are absent, the king should have the rites performed for those without family, properly carried out by men of the same community, including all the necessary rituals beginning with the conveyance of offerings.
सर्वेषाम् एव वर्णानां बान्धवो नृपतिर् यतः एता वः कथिता विप्रा नित्या नैमित्तिकास् तथा
For all castes, the king is considered a relative; thus, O Brāhmaṇas, these regular and occasional rites have been explained to you.
वक्ष्ये श्राद्धाश्रयाम् अन्यां नित्यनैमित्तिकां क्रियाम् दर्शस् तत्र निमित्तं तु विद्याद् इन्दुक्षयान्वितः
Now I will explain another regular and occasional rite connected with śrāddha; in this, the new moon joined with the waning of the moon should be known as the occasion.
नित्यस् तु नियतः कालस् तस्मिन् कुर्याद् यथोदितम् सपिण्डीकरणाद् ऊर्ध्वं पितुर् यः प्रपितामहः
The fixed time is prescribed for this rite, which should be performed as stated, after the sapiṇḍīkaraṇa ceremony, for the father or great-grandfather.
स तु लेपभुजं याति प्रलुप्तः पितृपिण्डतः तेषां हि यश् चतुर्थो ऽन्यः स तु लेपभुजो भवेत्
He then attains the status of one who partakes only of remnants, being deprived of the ancestral oblation; whoever is the fourth in descent from them becomes one who partakes only of remnants.
सो ऽपि संबन्धतो हीनम् उपभोगं प्रपद्यते पिता पितामहश् चैव तथैव प्रपितामहः
He too, being separated by relation, obtains only limited enjoyment; the father, grandfather, and likewise the great-grandfather are the same.
पिण्डसंबन्धिनो ह्य् एते विज्ञेयाः पुरुषास् त्रयः लेपसंबन्धिनश् चान्ये पितामहपितामहात्
These three men are to be understood as connected by the ancestral oblation; others, starting from the great-grandfather’s father, are connected only by remnants.
प्रभृत्युक्तास् त्रयस् तेषां यजमानश् च सप्तमः इत्य् एष मुनिभिः प्रोक्तः संबन्धः साप्तपौरुषः
From the great-grandfather’s father onward, three have been mentioned, and the performer of the rite is the seventh; this is the sevenfold relationship as taught by the sages.
यजमानात् प्रभृत्य् ऊर्ध्वम् अनुलेपभुजस् तथा ततो ऽन्ये पूर्वजाः सर्वे ये चान्ये नरकौकसः
Beyond the performer of the rite, those who partake only of remnants, and all other earlier ancestors, as well as those who dwell in the lower worlds, are included.
ये ऽपि तिर्यक्त्वम् आपन्ना ये च भूतादिसंस्थिताः तान् सर्वान् यजमानो वै श्राद्धं कुर्वन् यथाविधि
Even those who have attained animal birth, or are situated among beings and the like—all of them, when the performer conducts the śrāddha according to rule—
स समाप्यायते विप्रा येन येन वदामि तत् अन्नप्रकिरणं यत् तु मनुष्यैः क्रियते भुवि
They are all satisfied, O Brāhmaṇas, by whatever I have described; and whatever scattering of food is done by men on earth—
तेन तृप्तिम् उपायान्ति ये पिशाचत्वम् आगताः यद् अम्बु स्नानवस्त्रोत्थं भूमौ पतति भो द्विजाः
By that, those who have become spirits attain satisfaction; and whatever water, from bathing or washing clothes, falls to the ground, O twice-born—
तेन ये तरुतां प्राप्तास् तेषां तृप्तिः प्रजायते यास् तु गन्धाम्बुकणिकाः पतन्ति धरणीतले
By that, those who have become trees are satisfied; and the drops of fragrant water that fall upon the earth—
ताभिर् आप्यायनं तेषां देवत्वं ये कुले गताः उद्धृतेष्व् अथ पिण्डेषु याश् चाम्बुकणिका भुवि
By those, those who have attained divinity in the family are nourished; and when the oblation is lifted up, the drops of water that fall to the earth—