Having attained the highest lordship, all of you have become illustrious, your brilliance shining forth for all to see. Understand that this supreme honor is bound to a vow cherished by Paśupati himself; therefore, you must uphold it with devotion. When one’s soul is purified from every sin, they reach the world of Rudra. Then, a question arises: “O Sūta, how did Aila Purūravas satisfy his ancestors?” You are asked to recount the union of Aila with the Sun, and the deeds of the great-souled Soma. Tell also of the waxing and waning due to the ancestors, and how the ancestral rites are determined. Speak of the vision of the ancestors known as Kāvyas, Agniṣvāttas, and Saumyas. All this, Sūta promises, will be explained, along with the festivals in their proper order. On the night of the new moon, one must reside for a single night in a single enclosure. Each new moon, both maternal and paternal grandfathers are honored. From Soma, which flows forth, offerings are poured out for the sake of the ancestors. That Soma, full of ancestral essence and established in heaven, is worshipped. From the measures of Sinīvālī, Sinīvālī herself is worshipped. Sitting there, the devotee observes her, awaiting the proper time. With ten and five streams of nectar and ambrosia, and with gentle honey that flows forth immediately, King Indra satisfied the ancestors with these offerings. What is called ṛta, the cosmic order, is Agni, and Agni is considered the embodiment of the year. The seasons are known as half-months, and the ancestors themselves are the sons of the seasons. The great-grandfathers are the gods, and the five-year periods are the sons of Brahmā. The gods who are invited are called the children of Soma, and those who drink Soma are remembered as such. The ancestors are grouped into threefold classes: Kāvyas, Barhiṣads, and Agniṣvāttas. Householders who do not perform sacrifices are called Agniṣvāttas, as are the Ārtavas. For them, Agni is the year, Sūya is the parivatsara, Rudra is the vatsara, and the five-year periods are of the nature of a yuga. Those ancestors who drink nectar in heaven do so every month on the new moon. Month by month, Soma flows forth and nourishes them. Thus, the immortal, gentle nectar, together with honey and mead, is consumed by the thirty-three fragrant gods, who drink that watery essence. As all the gods drink, the moon is gradually diminished. At the new moon, the Suṣumnā channel is replenished in proper order. After the Soma is consumed, the sun dries it up with a single ray. When only one digit remains, the Soma is replenished again. The dark digits wane, while the bright ones fill the moon back up. On the full moon night, the bright, complete disc is seen. Thus, Soma, filled with ancestral essence, is remembered as the embodiment of the year, like Iḍ. Now, the sacred days and the junctures of the fortnights are described. The sacred days of the half-months occur in both the bright and dark fortnights. The sacred days of the half-month begin from the second day onward. Therefore, at the beginning of the sacred days, at every juncture starting from the first day, the rites must be observed in their proper order, honoring ancestors, gods, and cosmic cycles.