There are human ancestors who partake of the offerings made during the monthly śrāddha rites. Yet, among them are some who have fallen from the duties of their order, deprived of the sacred nourishment of svadhā and svāhā. Lamenting their own deeds, these souls have reached places of torment. Afflicted by hunger and thirst, they wander restlessly, scattering here and there, longing for the food of others and suffering various agonies. Their punishments are many: some are found upon the Śālmalī tree, others in the dreadful river Vaitaraṇī, and still others in the terrible region of Kumbhīpāka. Some endure the crushing of stones, all cast down by the weight of their own actions. For those ancestors dwelling in other worlds, their relatives, according to family lineage, go forth and offer oblations to those residing in the realm of the departed. Later, those who are born at the end of the immobile beings—having fallen low due to their own actions—receive whatever food is allotted to them in those wombs, in those very species. At the proper time, to the deserving recipient, as prescribed by rule, the offering is given. Just as a calf finds its mother among a herd of lost cows, so too does an offering to the ancestors, given with faith and mantra, never go fruitless. One who understands the coming and going of the departed knows the attainment of the ancestors through the śrāddha performed with them. The dark fortnight is for the ancestors in your hands; the bright fortnight belongs to their dreams at night. The ancestors are remembered as the seasons, half-months, and months, each corresponding to one another. When they are pleased, they are satisfied by the acts performed with śrāddha. Thus, the true nature of the ancestors has been revealed in the Purāṇa. The attainment of nectar and the satisfaction of the ancestors have also been described. This eternal creation has been briefly recounted, for it cannot be fully enumerated by one who desires prosperity—it is to be accepted in faith. What more should be described in detail and in order? Upon hearing this, a request is made: “I wish to hear in detail about their origin and true nature.” The reply comes: “I will tell you about their fourfold age; listen attentively. The age, its divisions, and the duties of each age will be explained. This is called the era of six illuminations; I will now explain it to you in detail. Know that the time of a blink is equal to the duration of a short syllable. Thirty such divisions make up a muhūrta; thirty muhūrtas together form a day and night. The sun divides day and night into human and worldly measures. In the realm of the ancestors, a month consists of a day and a night; this division is again explained. Thirty human days make a month, which is considered a month for the ancestors. A year of the ancestors is understood by means of the human calculation. Here, three years of the ancestors are counted as their years. By worldly measure alone, the year that is called human is remembered. In the divine realm, a year consists of a day and a night; this division is again explained. These day and night periods in the divine realm are again enumerated. Know that one hundred human years are equal to three divine months. This divine year is described according to the human calculation. And thirty such years are considered the year of the Saptarṣis.” Thus, the cycles of time, the nature of the ancestors, their satisfaction, and the importance of śrāddha are all revealed, as recounted in the sacred tradition.