तमुत्सृज्य तदात्मानमयजंस्ते फलार्थिनः
Desiring the fruit, they abandon that body and that self which was not sacrificed.
तस्मात्किञ्चिन्न जानीत ततो लोकेषु मुह्यत
Therefore, they know nothing; thus, they are deluded among the worlds.
अनुग्रहाय लोकानां पुनस्तानब्रवीत्प्रभुः
Then, for the benefit of the worlds, the Lord spoke to them again.
पुत्रान्स्वान्परिपृच्छध्वं ततो ज्ञानमवाप्स्यथ
Ask your own sons; then you will obtain knowledge.
अपृच्छन्संयतात्मानो विधिवच्च मिथो मिथः
With controlled minds, they questioned each other according to the rule.
प्रयश्चित्तानि धर्मज्ञावाङ्मनः कर्मजानि च
Those who know dharma spoke of expiations, and also of actions born of mind and deed.
यूयं वै पितरो ऽस्माकं यैर्वयं प्रतिबोधिताः
You are indeed our ancestors, by whom we have been instructed.
पुस्तानब्रवीद्ब्रह्मा यूयं वै सत्यवादिनः
Brahmā said to the ancestors: 'You indeed are speakers of truth.'
उक्तं च पितरो ऽस्माकं चेति वै तनयाः स्वकाः
And it was said: 'These are our ancestors,' thus their own sons.
तेनैव वचसा ते वै ब्रह्मणः परमेष्ठिनः
By that very statement of the supreme Brahmā, they indeed [became so].
तस्मात्ते पितरः पुत्राः पितृत्वं तेषु तत्स्मृतम्
Therefore, those sons became your ancestors; their status as ancestors is thus remembered.
व्याजहार पुनर्ब्रह्मा वितॄनात्मविवृद्धये
Then Brahma again spoke, for the increase of the lineage of ancestors.
राक्षसा दानवाश्बैव फलं प्राप्स्यन्ति तस्य तत्
The Rakshasas and Danavas also will obtain the fruit of that.
आप्यायमाना युष्माभिर्वर्द्धयिष्यन्ति नित्यशः
Being nourished by you, they will always grow and flourish.
कृत्स्नं सपर्वतवनं जङ्गमाजङ्गमैर्वृतम्
The entire world, with its mountains and forests, is filled with moving and unmoving beings.
तेभ्यः पुष्टिं प्रजाश्चैव दास्यन्ति पितरः सदा
The ancestors will always grant nourishment and offspring to them.
सर्वत्र वर्तमानास्ते पितरः प्रपितामहाः
The ancestors and great-grandfathers exist everywhere.
एवमाज्ञा कृता पूर्वं ब्रह्मणा परमेष्ठिना
Thus, the command was formerly given by Brahma, the supreme lord.
ते तु ज्ञानप्रदातारः पितरो वो न संशयः
Indeed, your ancestors are the givers of knowledge; there is no doubt.
अन्योन्यपितरो ह्येते देवाश्च पितरश्च ह
These are mutually ancestors—both the gods and the ancestors, indeed.
पप्रच्छुर्मुनयो भूयः सूतं तस्माद्यदुत्तरम्
The sages again questioned Suta about what followed from that.
पूर्वे तु देवप्रवरा देवानां सोमवर्द्धनाः
The foremost among the earlier gods were those who increased Soma among the gods.
शंयुः पप्रच्छ यत्पूर्वं पितरं वै बृहस्पतिम्
Shamyu asked what, in former times, the ancestor Brihaspati had said.
पुत्रः शंयुरिमं प्रश्नं पप्रच्छ विनयान्वितः
The son Shamyu, endowed with humility, asked this question.
समुद्भूताः कथं चैते पितृत्वं समुपागताः
How did these arise, and how did they attain the status of ancestors?
क्रियाश्च सर्वा वर्त्तन्ते श्राद्धपूर्वा महात्मनाम्
All rites are performed, preceded by Śrāddha, by the great-souled ones.
केषु चाप्यक्षयं श्राद्धं तीर्थेषु च नदीषु च
In which places is Śrāddha imperishable—among holy places and rivers?
कश्च कालो भवेच्छ्राद्धे विधिः कश्चानुवर्त्तते
What is the proper time for Śrāddha, and what procedure should be followed?
व्याख्यातमानुपूर्व्येण यत्र चोदाहृतं मया
I have explained, in proper sequence, that which was cited by me.
व्याजहारानुपूर्व्येण प्रश्नं प्रश्नविदां वरः
The foremost among those skilled in questions spoke, in proper order, the inquiry.