या गीता पितृभिः पूर्वम् ऐलस्यासीन् महीपतेः कदा नः संतताव् अग्र्यः कस्यचिद् भविता सुतः
That which was sung by the ancestors long ago for King Aila—when will a foremost son be born in our lineage?
यो योगिभुक्तशेषान् नो भुवि पिण्डान् प्रदास्यति गयायाम् अथवा पिण्डं खड्गमांसं तथा हविः
Whoever offers us the remnants eaten by yogis, or gives balls of food on earth or at Gaya, or offers meat of the ram and oblations—
कालशाकं तिलाज्यं च तृप्तये कृसरं च नः वैश्वदेवं च सौम्यं च खड्गमांसं परं हविः
Barley, sesame with clarified butter, and rice cooked with pulses for our satisfaction, as well as the Vaisvadeva offering, the gentle one, and ram's meat as the supreme oblation.
विषाणवर्जं शिरस आ पादाद् आशिषामहे दद्याच् छ्राद्धं त्रयोदश्यां मघासु च यथाविधि
Except for the horn, from the head to the feet, we desire it. One should offer the śrāddha on the thirteenth day and in the Maghā constellation, according to the prescribed method.
मधुसर्पिःसमायुक्तं पायसं दक्षिणायने तस्मात् संपूजयेद् भक्त्या स्वपितॄन् विधिवन् नरः
Rice pudding mixed with honey and ghee during the southern course of the sun—therefore, a man should worship his ancestors with devotion and according to the rules.
कामान् अभीप्सन् सकलान् पापाद् आत्मविमोचनम् वसून् रुद्रांस् तथादित्यान् नक्षत्रग्रहतारकाः
Desiring all wishes and liberation from sin, one should honor the Vasus, Rudras, Adityas, as well as the stars, planets, and constellations.
प्रीणयन्ति मनुष्याणां पितरः श्राद्धतर्पिताः आयुः प्रजां धनं विद्यां स्वर्गं मोक्षं सुखानि च
The ancestors, satisfied by śrāddha offerings, grant to humans: life, offspring, wealth, knowledge, heaven, liberation, and happiness.
प्रयच्छन्ति तथा राज्यं पितरः श्राद्धतर्पिताः तथापराह्णः पूर्वाह्णात् पितॄणाम् अतिरिच्यते
The ancestors, satisfied by śrāddha offerings, also grant kingship. The afternoon surpasses the forenoon for the ancestors.
संपूज्य स्वागतेनैतान् सदने ऽभ्यागतान् द्विजान् पवित्रपाणिर् आचान्तान् आसनेषूपवेशयेत्
Having welcomed these twice-born guests who have arrived at the house, with pure hands and after rinsing their mouths, one should seat them on appropriate seats.
श्राद्धं कृत्वा विधानेन संभोज्य च द्विजोत्तमान् विसर्जयेत् प्रियाण्य् उक्त्वा प्रणिपत्य च भक्तितः
Having performed the śrāddha according to the rules and having fed the best of Brahmins, one should dismiss them, speaking pleasant words and bowing with devotion.
आद्वारम् अनुगच्छेच् च आगच्छेद् अनुमोदितः ततो नित्यक्रियां कुर्याद् भोजयेच् च तथातिथीन्
One should accompany them to the door, depart with their approval, then perform daily rites and likewise feed the guests.
नित्यक्रियां पितॄणां च केचिद् इच्छन्ति सत्तमाः न पितॄणां तथैवान्ये शेषं पूर्ववद् आचरेत्
Some excellent ones desire the daily rites for the ancestors; others do not. The remainder should be performed as before.
पृथक्त्वेन वदन्त्य् अन्ये केचित् पूर्वं च पूर्ववत् ततस् तद् अन्नं भुञ्जीत सह भृत्यादिभिर् नरः
Others speak of doing it separately, some as before; then the man should eat that food together with his servants and others.
एवं कुर्वीत धर्मज्ञः श्राद्धं पित्र्यं समाहितः यथा च विप्रमुख्यानां परितोषो ऽभिजायते
Thus should the righteous, intent on the ancestral śrāddha, act, so that satisfaction arises among the foremost Brahmins.
इदानीं संप्रवक्ष्यामि वर्जनीयान् द्विजाधमान् मित्रध्रुक् कुनखी क्लीबः क्षयी शुक्ली वणिक्पथः
Now I shall declare those inferior Brahmins who are to be avoided: one who betrays a friend, has deformed nails, is impotent, consumptive, albino, or follows the merchant's path.
श्यावदन्तो ऽथ खल्वाटः काणो ऽन्धो बधिरो जडः मूकः पङ्गुः कुणिः षण्ढो दुश्चर्मा व्यङ्गकेकरौ
One with black teeth, bald, one-eyed, blind, deaf, dull-witted, mute, lame, crippled, eunuch, with bad skin, and those with deformed hands and feet.
कुष्ठी रक्तेक्षणः कुब्जो वामनो विकटो ऽलसः मित्रशत्रुर् दुष्कुलीनः पशुपालो निराकृतिः
A leper, one with red eyes, a hunchback, a dwarf, a deformed person, a lazy man, one who is both friend and foe, of bad lineage, a herdsman, or one lacking proper appearance—
परिवित्तिः परिवेत्ता परिवेदनिकासुतः वृषलीपतिस् तत्सुतश् च न भवेच् छ्राद्धभुग् द्विजः
A professional mourner, a hired wailer, the son of a woman who laments for hire, the husband of a low-caste woman, and his son—none of these should partake of the śrāddha as a twice-born.
वृषलीपुत्रसंस्कर्ता अनूढो दिधिषूपतिः भृतकाध्यापको यस् तु भृतकाध्यापितश् च यः
One who performs the rites for a low-caste woman's son, an unmarried man, the husband of a barren woman, one who teaches for wages, and one who is taught for wages—
सूतकान्नोपजीवी च मृगयुः सोमविक्रयी अभिशस्तस् तथा स्तेनः पतितो वार्द्धुषिः शठः
One who lives by eating food from childbirth houses, a hunter, a seller of soma, one who is cursed, a thief, one fallen from his caste, a barber, or a deceiver—
पिशुनो वेदसंत्यागी दानाग्नित्यागनिष्ठुरः राज्ञः पुरोहितो भृत्यो विद्याहीनो ऽथ मत्सरी
A slanderer, one who has abandoned the Vedas, one harsh to charity or sacred fires, a king’s priest or servant, one lacking knowledge, or one who is envious—
वृद्धद्विड् दुर्धरः क्रूरो मूढो देवलकस् तथा नक्षत्रसूचकश् चैव पर्वकारश् च गर्हितः
One who hates elders, is hard to bear, cruel, foolish, a temple attendant, an astrologer, or a maker of festival days—all these are to be condemned.
अयाज्ययाजकः षण्ढो गर्हिता ये च ये ऽधमाः न ते श्राद्धे नियोक्तव्या दृष्ट्वामी पङ्क्तिदूषकाः
A sacrificer for the unworthy, a eunuch, and all those who are censured or base—having seen these polluters of the line, they must not be appointed at the śrāddha.
असतां प्रग्रहो यत्र सतां चैवावमानना दण्डो देवकृतस् तत्र सद्यः पतति दारुणः
Where there is favor shown to the unworthy and disrespect to the worthy, there the punishment ordained by the gods falls swiftly and terribly.
हित्वागमं सुविहितं बालिशं यस् तु भोजयेत् आदिधर्मं समुत्सृज्य दाता तत्र विनश्यति
If someone, abandoning the well-established tradition, feeds a foolish person, forsaking the original dharma, the giver there is destroyed.
यस् त्व् आश्रितं द्विजं त्यक्त्वा अन्यम् आनीय भोजयेत् तन्निःश्वासाग्निनिर्दग्धस् तत्र दाता विनश्यति
But if, neglecting a dependent twice-born, one brings another to be fed, the giver there is consumed by the fire of their sighs and perishes.
वस्त्राभावे क्रिया नास्ति यज्ञा वेदास् तपांसि च तस्माद् वासांसि देयानि श्राद्धकाले विशेषतः
Without clothing, no rite, sacrifice, Veda, or austerity can be performed; therefore, garments should especially be given at the time of śrāddha.
कौशेयं क्षौमकार्पासं दुकूलम् अहतं तथा श्राद्धे त्व् एतानि यो दद्यात् कामान् आप्नोति चोत्तमान्
Silk, linen, cotton, undyed cloth—whoever gives these at a śrāddha obtains all desired and excellent rewards.
यथा गोषु प्रभूतासु वत्सो विन्दति मातरम् तथान्नं तत्र विप्राणां जन्तुर् यत्रावतिष्ठते
Just as, among many cows, a calf finds its mother, so too does the offering of food reach the particular ancestor for whom it is intended.
नामगोत्रं च मन्त्रांश् च दत्तम् अन्नं न यन्ति ते अपि ये निधनं प्राप्तास् तृप्तिस् तान् उपतिष्ठते
The name, lineage, and mantras, along with the food given, do not go to waste; even those who have died attain satisfaction thereby.