Garuda Purana

यदाहारा भवन्त्येते पितरो यत्र योनिषु । तासुतासु तदाहारः श्राद्धा अवतिष्ठति ॥ २,१०.

Whatever food the ancestors have in the various wombs they inhabit, that very food, through śrāddha, is established for them there.

यथा गोषु प्रनष्टासु वत्सो विन्दति मातरम् । तथान्नं नयते विप्र जन्तुर्यत्रावतिष्ठते ॥ २,१०.

Just as, when cows are lost, the calf finds its mother, so too, O Brahmin, the food reaches the being wherever he abides.

पितरः श्राद्धमोक्तारो विश्वेर्देवैः सदा सह । एते श्राद्धं सदा भुक्त्वा पितॄन्सन्तर्पयन्त्यतः ॥ २,१०.

The ancestors, together with all the gods, are always declared as the receivers of śrāddha; having always partaken of the śrāddha, they satisfy the ancestors.

वसुरुद्रादितिसुताः पितरः श्राद्धदेवताः । प्रीणयाते मनुष्याणां पितॄञ्श्राद्धेषु तर्पिताः ॥ २,१०.

The Vasus, Rudras, and Adityas are the sons of Aditi, and the ancestors are the deities of the śrāddha rite; when satisfied in the śrāddha, they gladden the ancestors of men.

आत्मानं गुर्विणी गर्भमपि प्रीणाति वै यथा । दोहदेन तथा देवाः श्राद्धैः स्वांश्च पितॄन्नृणाम् ॥ २,१०.

Just as a pregnant woman delights in herself and her unborn child, so too do the gods and the ancestors of men become pleased by offerings made in the śrāddha.

हृष्यन्ति पितरः श्रुत्वा श्राद्धकालमुपस्थितम् । अन्योन्यं मनसा ध्यात्वा सम्पतन्ति मनोजवम् ॥ २,१०.

The ancestors rejoice upon hearing that the time for śrāddha has arrived; thinking of each other in their minds, they swiftly come with the speed of thought.

ब्राह्मणैः सह चाश्नन्ति पितरो ह्यन्तरिक्षगाः । वायुभूताश्च तिष्ठन्ति भुक्त्वा यान्ति परां गतिम् ॥ २,१०.

The ancestors, dwelling in the intermediate space, partake together with the brāhmaṇas; having assumed the form of wind, they remain, and after eating, they attain the highest state.

निमन्त्रितास्तु ये विप्राः श्राद्धपूर्वदिनेः खग । प्रविश्य पितरस्तेषु भुक्त्वा यान्ति स्वमालयम् ॥ २,१०.

O bird, when brāhmaṇas are invited on the day before the śrāddha, the ancestors enter into them, partake of the offerings, and then return to their own abode.

श्राद्धकर्त्रा तु यद्येकः श्राद्धे विप्रो निमन्त्रितः । उदरस्थः पिता तस्य वामपार्श्वे पितामहः ॥ २,१०.

If only one brāhmaṇa is invited to a śrāddha by the performer, the father resides in his stomach, the grandfather on his left side.

प्रपितामहो दक्षिणतः पृष्ठतः पिण्डभक्षकः । श्राद्धकाले यमः प्रेतान्पितॄंश्चापि यमालयात् ॥ २,१०.

The great-grandfather is on his right, and behind is the eater of the piṇḍa; at the time of śrāddha, Yama releases the departed and the ancestors from his abode.

विसर्जयति मानुष्ये निरयस्थांश्च काश्यप । क्षुधार्ताः कीर्तयन्तश्च दुष्कृतञ्च स्वयङ्कृतम् ॥ २,१०.

O Kāśyapa, he sends them among men, even those in hell, who, afflicted by hunger, recall their own misdeeds.

काङ्क्षन्ति पुत्रपौत्रेभ्यः पायसं मधुसंयुतम् । तस्मात्तांस्तत्र विधिना तर्पयेत्पायसेन तु ॥ २,१०.

They long for rice pudding mixed with honey from their sons and grandsons; therefore, one should satisfy them there with rice pudding according to the proper rite.

गरुड उवाच । स्वामिन्केनापि ते दृष्टा आगताः पितरो द्विज । लोकादमुष्मादागत्य भुञ्जन्तो भुवि मानद ॥ २,१०.

Garuda said: O twice-born, have the ancestors been seen by their own descendants, coming from that world and partaking of food on earth, O bestower of honor?

श्रीभगवानुवाच । गरुत्मञ्छृणु वक्ष्यामि यथा दृष्टास्तु सीतया । पितरो विप्रदेहे वै श्वशुराद्यास्त्रयः क्वचित् ॥ २,१०.

The Blessed Lord said: Garuḍa, listen as I tell you how the ancestors were indeed seen by Sītā, in the body of a brāhmaṇa, sometimes as three—her father-in-law and others.

गृहीत्वा पितुराज्ञां वै रामो वनमुपागमत् । ततः पुष्करयात्रार्थं रामोऽयात्सीतया सह ॥ २,१०.

Having received his father's command, Rāma went to the forest; then, for the sake of a pilgrimage to Puṣkara, Rāma went together with Sītā.

तीर्थं चापि समागत्य श्राद्धं प्रारब्धवांस्तु सः । फलं पक्वन्तु जानक्या सिद्धं रामे निवेदितम् ॥ २,१०.

Arriving at the holy place, he began the śrāddha; the cooked food, prepared by Jānakī, was presented to Rāma when it was ready.

स्नातप्रियोक्तवाक्यात्तु सुस्नाता नमपालयत् । नभोमध्यगते सूर्ये काले कुतुप आगते ॥ २,१०.

After bathing and speaking auspicious words, she, well-bathed, waited with reverence; when the sun had reached the middle of the sky and the proper time had come.

अयाता ऋःषयः सर्वे ये रामेण निमन्त्रिताः । तान्मुनीनागतान्दृष्ट्वा वैदेही जनकात्मका ॥ २,१०.

All the sages invited by Rāma had not yet arrived; seeing that the sages had not come, Vaidehī, the daughter of Janaka,

रामाज्ञयान्नमादाय परिवेष्टुमुपागता । अपासर्पत्ततो दूरे विप्रमध्ये तु संस्थिता ॥ २,१०.

At Rāma's command, she took the food and approached to serve it; then she withdrew to a distance, standing among the brāhmaṇas.

गुल्मैराच्छाद्य चात्मानं निगूढं सा स्थिता तदा । एकान्ते तु तदा सीतां ज्ञात्वा राघवनन्दनः ॥ २,१०.

Concealing herself among the bushes, she remained hidden; then, Rāghava's son, knowing Sītā was alone, at that moment—

विमृश्य सुचिरं कालमिदं किमिति सत्वरम् । किञ्चित्क्वचिद्गता साध्वी त्रपायाः कारणेन हि ॥ २,१०.

After pondering for a long time, he wondered why this was so; the virtuous lady had gone somewhere for a reason related to modesty.

किं वा न भोजयन्विप्रान्सी तामन्वेषयाम्यहम् । विमृशन्नेवमेवं स स्वयं विप्रानभोजयत् ॥ २,१०.

Why should I not feed the Brahmins? I myself seek her out, pondering thus, and so he himself did not feed the Brahmins.

गतेषु द्विजमुख्येषु प्रियां रामोऽब्रवीदिदम् । कथं तलासु लीना त्वं मुनीन्दृष्ट्वा समागतान् ॥ २,१०.

When the foremost Brahmins had departed, Rama spoke these words to his beloved: 'How did you hide in the lower regions when you saw the assembled sages?'

तत्सर्वं मम तन्वङ्गि कारणं वद मा चिरम् । एवमुक्ता तदा भर्त्रा सीता साधोमुखी स्थिता । मुञ्चन्ती चाश्रुसंघातं राघवं वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥ २,१०.

Tell me, slender-waisted one, the reason for all this without delay. Thus addressed by her husband, Sita, her face turned downward in modesty, shedding a stream of tears, spoke to Raghava these words.

सीतोवाच । शृणु त्वं नाथ यद्दृष्टमाश्चर्यमिह यादृशम् ॥ २,१०.

Sita said: 'Listen, my lord, to the wondrous thing I saw here.'

पिता तव मया दृष्टो ब्राह्मणाग्रे तु राघवः । सर्वाभरणसंयुक्तोद्वौ चान्यौ च तथाविधौ ॥ २,१०.

Your father, O Raghava, I saw before the Brahmins, adorned with all ornaments, and two others like him as well.

दृष्ट्वा त्वत्पितरञ्चाहमपक्रान्ता तवान्तिकात् । वल्कलाजिनसंवीता कथं राज्ञः पुरः प्रभो ॥ २,१०.

Seeing your father, I withdrew from your presence, clothed in bark and deer skin—how could I, so attired, appear before the king, O lord?

भवामि रिपुवीरघ्न सत्यमेतदुहाहृतम् । स्वहस्तेन कथं देयं राज्ञे वा भोजनं मया ॥ २,१०.

O destroyer of enemy heroes, this is the truth as I have experienced it. How could I, with my own hand, offer food to the king?

दासानामपि ये दासा नोपभुञ्जन्ति कर्हिचित् । तृणपात्रे कथं तस्मै अन्नं दातुं हि शक्रुयाम् ॥ २,१०.

Even the servants of servants never partake in such a manner; how could I give food to him in a vessel of grass?