याहं राज्ञा पुरा दृष्टा सर्वाभरणभूषिता । सा स्वेदमलदिग्धाङ्गी कथं यास्यामि भूपतिम् । अपकृष्टास्मि तेनाहं त्रपया रघुनन्दन । श्रीभागवानुवाच ॥ २,१०.
I, who was once seen by the king adorned with all ornaments, how could I, now smeared with sweat and dirt, approach the lord of the earth? Because of this, O delight of the Raghu line, I was overcome with shame and withdrew. The Blessed Lord said:
इति श्रुत्वा प्रियावाक्यं रामो विस्मितमानसः ॥ २,१०.
Hearing these loving words, Rama was filled with wonder.
आश्चर्यमिति तज्ज्ञात्वा तदा स्वस्थानमागमत् । सीतया पितरो दृष्टा यथा तत्ते निवेदितम् ॥ २,१०.
Recognizing this as a marvel, he then returned to his own place. Sita saw the ancestors as she described to you.
अपरं श्राद्धमाहात्म्यं किञ्चिच्छृणु समासतः । अमावस्यादिने प्राप्ते गृहद्वारे समास्थिताः ॥ २,१०.
Now hear briefly another greatness of the Śrāddha rite: On the day of the new moon, the ancestors, having become wind-like, stand at the door of the house.
वायुभूताः प्रवाञ्छन्ति श्राद्धं पितृगणा नृणाम् । यावदस्तमयं भानोः क्षुत्पिपासासमाकुलाः ॥ २,१०.
Having become like the wind, the hosts of ancestors eagerly desire the Śrāddha of men, afflicted by hunger and thirst until the sun sets.
ततश्चास्तं गते सूर्ये निराशा दुःखसंयुताः । निःश्वसन्तश्चिरं यान्ति गर्हयन्तस्तु वंशजम् ॥ २,१०.
Then, when the sun has set, hopeless and joined with suffering, sighing for a long time, they depart, reproaching their own descendant.
तस्माच्छ्राद्धं प्रयत्नेन अमायां कर्तुमर्हति । यदि श्राद्धं प्रकुर्वन्ति पुत्राद्यास्तस्य बान्धवाः ॥ २,१०.
Therefore, one should diligently perform Śrāddha on the new moon; if his sons or other relatives perform Śrāddha, then—
उद्धृता ये गयाश्राद्धे ब्रह्मलोकञ्च तैः सह । भजन्ते क्षुत्पिपासा वा न तेषां जायते क्वचित् ॥ २,१०.
Those who are uplifted by the Gayā Śrāddha, together with them, attain the world of Brahma; for them, hunger and thirst never arise anywhere.
तस्माच्छ्राद्धं प्रयत्नेन सम्यक्कुर्याद्विचक्षणः । तस्माच्छ्राद्धं चरेद्भक्त्या शाकैरपि यथाविधि ॥ २,१०.
Therefore, the wise should carefully and properly perform Śrāddha; thus, one should perform Śrāddha with devotion, even with vegetables, according to rule.
कुर्वीत समये श्राद्धं कुले कश्चिन्न सीदति । आयुः पुत्रान्यशः स्वर्गं कीर्तिं पुष्टिं बलं श्रियम् ॥ २,१०.
If Śrāddha is performed at the proper time, no one in the family falls into misfortune; one obtains long life, sons, fame, heaven, glory, nourishment, strength, and prosperity.
पशून्सौख्यं धनं धान्यं प्राप्नुयात्पितृपूजनात् । देवकार्यादपि सदा पितृकार्यं विशिष्यते ॥ २,१०.
By honoring the ancestors, one obtains cattle, happiness, wealth, and grain; the rites for the ancestors are always superior even to those for the gods.
देवताभ्यः पितॄणां हि पूर्वमाप्यायनं शुभम् । ये यजन्ति पितॄन्देवान्ब्राह्मणांश्च हुताशनम् ॥ २,१०.
Indeed, the first and auspicious replenishment is for the ancestors before the gods; those who worship the ancestors, the gods, the Brahmins, and the sacred fire—
सर्वभूतान्तरात्मानं मामेव हि यजन्ति ते । स्मार्तेन विधिना श्राद्धं कृत्वा स्वविभवोचितम् ॥ २,१०.
They worship Me alone, the inner Self of all beings, by performing the śrāddha according to the prescribed rite and to the best of their ability.
आब्राह्मस्तम्बपर्यन्तं जगत्प्रीणाति मानवः । अन्नप्रकिरणं यत्तु मनुष्यैः क्रियते भुवि ॥ २,१०.
Whatever scattering of food is performed on earth by humans gladdens the world from Brahmā down to the blade of grass.
तेन तृप्तिमुपायान्ति ये पिशाचत्वमागताः । यच्चाम्बुः स्नानवस्त्रेभ्यो भूमौ पतति खेचर ॥ २,१०.
By that, those who have become spirits (piśācas) attain satisfaction; and whatever water from bathing or washing falls to the ground, O sky-roaming one,
तेन ये तरुतां प्राप्तास्तेषां तृप्तिः प्रजायते । यानि गन्धाम्बूनि चैव पतन्ति धरणीतले ॥ २,१०.
By that, those who have taken birth as trees find satisfaction; and whatever fragrant waters fall upon the surface of the earth,
तेन चाप्यायनं तेषां ये देवत्वमुपागताः । ये चापि स्वकुलाद्बाह्याः क्रियायोग्या ह्यसंस्कृताः ॥ २,१०.
By that, replenishment comes also to those who have attained divinity; and those who are outside their own lineage, unfit for rites, and uninitiated—
विपन्नास्ते तु विकिरसंमार्जनजलाशिनः । भुक्त्वा चाचमनं यच्च जलं यच्चाह्नि सेवितम् ॥ २,१०.
Those who have fallen, who subsist on scattered offerings, sweepings, and water, and whatever water is left after eating and sipping, and whatever is consumed during the day—
ब्राह्मणानां तथैवान्यत्तेन तृप्तिं प्रयान्ति वै । पिशाचत्वमनुप्राप्ताः कृमिकीटत्वमेव ये ॥ २,१०.
By that, Brahmins and others, even those who have become spirits or taken birth as worms and insects, attain satisfaction.
उद्धृतेष्वन्नपिण्डेषु भुवि ये चान्नकाङ्क्षिणः । तैरेवाप्यायनं तेषां ये मनुष्यत्वमागताः ॥ २,१०.
When rice-balls are offered and there are those on earth who desire food, by those very offerings, those who have attained human birth are replenished.
एवं वै क्रियमाणानां तेषां चैव द्विजन्मनाम् । कश्चिज्जलान्नविक्षेपः शुचिरुच्छिष्ट एव वा ॥ २,१०.
Thus, when these rites are performed for twice-born ancestors, any scattering of water or food, whether pure or leftover,
तेनान्नेन कुले तेषां ये वै जात्यन्तरं गताः । भवत्याप्यायनं तेषां सम्यक्श्राद्धे कृते सति ॥ २,१०.
By that food, those in the family who have taken another birth are replenished, when the śrāddha is properly performed.
अन्यायोपार्जितैर्द्रव्यैर्यच्छ्राद्धं क्रियते नरैः । तकृप्यन्ति तेन चण्डालाः पुक्कसाद्युपयोनिषु ॥ २,१०.
If śrāddha is performed by men with wealth acquired unjustly, then outcastes and those born in degraded wombs are satisfied by it.
एवं संप्राप्यते पक्षिन् यद्दत्तमिह बान्धवैः । श्राद्धं कुर्वद्भिरन्नाम्वुशाकैस्तृप्तिर्हि जायते ॥ २,१०.
Thus, O bird, whatever is given here by relatives—when śrāddha is performed with food and vegetables—brings satisfaction.
एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यन्मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि । सद्यो देहान्तरप्राप्तिर्विलंबेनावनीतले ॥ २,१०.
All this has been explained to you, as you have asked me; whether the attainment of another body is immediate or delayed on earth.
पृष्टवानसि तत्तेऽहं प्रवक्ष्यामि समासतः । सद्यो विलम्बतञ्चैवोभयथापि कलेवरम् ॥ २,१०.
You have asked, and I shall tell you concisely about both—whether the body is changed immediately or after some delay.
यतो हि मर्त्यः प्राप्नोति तद्विशेषञ्च मे शृणु । अधूमकज्योतिरिवाङ्गुष्ठमात्रः पुमांस्ततः ॥ २,१०.
Hear from me what special thing a mortal attains; just as a smokeless flame, a person the size of a thumb emerges.
देहमेकं सद्य एव वायवीयं प्रपद्यते । यथा नृणजलौका हि पश्चत्पादं तदोद्धरेत् ॥ २,१०.
He immediately assumes a single airy body; just as a leech, after feeding, withdraws its hind part.
स्थितिरग्र्यस्य पादस्य यदा जाता दृढा भवेत् । एवं देही पूर्वदेहं समुत्सृजति तं यदा ॥ २,१०.
When the firm stability of the foremost foot arises, then the embodied soul abandons the previous body at that time.
भोगार्थमग्रे स्याद्देहो वायवीय उपस्थितः । विषयग्राहकं यद्वन्म्रियमाणस्य चेन्द्रियम् ॥ २,१०.
For the sake of enjoyment, a body composed of air appears first, just as the dying person's sense organ grasps objects.