Garuda Purana

स्त्रीपुमांशौ सहैकत्वं पाप्नुतः कथमुत्तमम् । जीवेद्भर्तरि नारीणां सपिण्डीकरणं कुतः ॥ २,२६.

How do woman and man together attain the highest unity? If the husband is alive, when is the sapiṇḍa ceremony performed for women?

भर्तृलोकं कथं यान्ति स्वर्गलोकं सुरेश्वर । अग्न्यारोहे कथं श्राद्धं वृषोत्सर्गः कथं भवेत् ॥ २,२६.

How do they reach the husband's realm, O Lord of gods, or the heavenly realm? How is the śrāddha performed at the fire-ascension, and how is the bull-release conducted?

घटदानं कथं कार्यं सपिण्डीकरणे कृते । कथयस्व प्रसादेन हीताय जगतां प्रभो ॥ २,२६.

How should the donation of a pot be carried out when the sapiṇḍa ceremony is done? Please tell me, by your grace, for the benefit of all beings, O Lord.

श्रीभगवानुवाच । यथावत्कथयिष्यामि सपिण्डीकरणं खग । वर्षं यावत्खगश्रेष्ठ यदाचरति मानवः ॥ २,२६.

The Blessed Lord said: I will explain to you in detail the sapiṇḍa ceremony, O Bird. For as long as a man observes it, O best of birds, for that duration—

सपिण्डने ततो वृत्ते पितृलोकं स गच्छति । तस्मात्पुत्त्रेण कर्तव्यं सपिण्डीकरणं पितुः ॥ २,२६.

When the sapiṇḍa ceremony is performed, he attains the realm of the ancestors. Therefore, the son must perform the sapiṇḍa ceremony for his father.

संवत्सरे तु सम्पूर्णे कुर्यात्पिण्ड प्रवेशनम् । पिण्डप्रवेशविधिना तस्य नित्यं मृताह्निकम् ॥ २,२६.

When the year is completed, one should perform the offering of the piṇḍa. By the rite of piṇḍa offering, the daily rites for the deceased are fulfilled.

निश्चितं पक्षिशार्दूल वर्षान्ते पिण्डमेलनम् । सहपिण्डे कृते प्रेतस्ततो याति परां गतिम् । तन्नाम सम्परित्यज्य ततः पितृगणो भवेत् ॥ २,२६.

Certainly, O tiger among birds, at the end of the year, the joining of the piṇḍa occurs. When the joint piṇḍa is performed, the departed attains the highest state. His name is relinquished, and thereafter he becomes one among the ancestors.

त्रिपक्षे वापि षण्मासे मेलयेत्प्रपितामहैः । ज्ञात्वा वृद्धिविवाहादि स्वगोत्रविहितानि च ॥ २,२६.

Or, one may join the piṇḍa after three fortnights, six months, or with great-grandfathers, knowing the customs of growth, marriage, and those prescribed for one's lineage.

विवाहं नैव कुर्वीत मृते च गृहमेधिनि । भिक्षुर्भिक्षां न गृह्णाति यावत्कुर्यात्सपिण्डनम् ॥ २,२६.

One should not perform marriage when the householder has died. A mendicant does not accept alms until the sapiṇḍa ceremony is performed.

स्वगोत्रेऽप्यशुचिस्तावद्यावत्पिण्डं न मेलयेत् । मेलनात्प्रेतशब्दस्तु निवर्तेत खगेश्वर ॥ २,२६.

Even within one's own lineage, one remains impure until the piṇḍa is joined. Upon joining, the term 'preta' ceases, O Lord of Birds.

आनन्त्यात्कुलधर्माणां पुंसाञ्चैवायुषः क्षयात् । अस्थिरत्वाच्छरीरस्य द्वादशाहः प्रशस्यते ॥ २,२६.

Because of the endlessness of family duties and the decline of men's lifespan, and due to the instability of the body, twelve days are recommended.

निरग्निकः साग्निको वा द्वादशाहे सपिण्डयेत् ॥ २,२६.

Whether one is without fire or with fire, the sapiṇḍa ceremony should be performed on the twelfth day.

द्वादशाहे त्रिपक्षे वा षण्मासे वत्सरेऽपि वा । सपिण्डीकरणं प्रोक्तमृषिभिस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः ॥ २,२६.

On the twelfth day, or after three fortnights, six months, or even a year, the sapiṇḍa ceremony is prescribed by the sages who perceive the truth.

सपुत्त्रस्य न कर्तव्यमेकोद्दिष्टं कदाचन । सपिण्डीकरणादूर्ध्वं यत्रयत्र प्रदीयते ॥ २,२६.

One should never perform a single-offering (ekoddiṣṭa) rite for someone who has a son, at any time, wherever the sapiṇḍīkaraṇa has been completed.

तत्रतत्र त्रयं कार्यमन्यथा पितृघातकः । त्रिभिः कुर्यादशक्तश्च पार्वणं मुनिनोदितम् ॥ २,२६.

In every such case, three rites must be performed; otherwise, one becomes a slayer of ancestors. If unable, one should perform the fortnightly (pārvaṇa) rite as prescribed by the sages.

तद्दिने तद्दिने कुर्यात्पितामहमुखान्यतः । अज्ञानाद्दिनमासानां तस्मात्पार्वणमिष्यते ॥ २,२६.

On each corresponding day, one should perform the rites for the paternal ancestors; but if the exact day or month is unknown, the fortnightly rite is considered acceptable.

अनुत्पन्नशरीरस्य न दानं पितृभिः सह । एतैः षोडशभिः श्राद्धैः प्रेतो मुक्तस्तु जायते ॥ २,२६.

For one whose body has not been born, no offerings are to be made together with the ancestors; but by these sixteen śrāddha rites, the departed is indeed liberated.

अपुत्त्रस्य सपिण्डत्वं नैव कुर्यात्स्त्रियोऽपि वा । यावज्जीव च सद्भत्र्या न कुर्यात्सहपिण्डताम् ॥ २,२६.

For one without a son, sapiṇḍa-relationship should not be established, nor even for women; and as long as a virtuous wife lives, she should not be made a sapiṇḍa.

ब्राह्मादिषु विवाहेषु या वधूरिह संस्कृता । भर्तृगोत्रेण कर्तव्यास्तस्याः पिण्डोदकक्रियाः ॥ २,२६.

In marriages of the Brāhma and other types, the bride who is consecrated here should have her piṇḍa and water rites performed according to her husband's lineage.

आसुरादिविवा हेषु या व्यूढा कन्यका भवेत् । तस्यास्तु पितृगोत्रेण कुर्यात्पिण्डोदकक्रियाः ॥ २,२६.

But in Asura and similar marriages, the maiden who is taken as wife should have her piṇḍa and water rites performed according to her father's lineage.

पितुः पुत्त्रेण कर्तव्यं सपिण्डीकरणं सदा । पुत्त्राभावे तु पत्नी स्यात्पत्न्यभावे सहोदरः ॥ २,२६.

The sapiṇḍīkaraṇa should always be performed by the son for the father; but if there is no son, then by the wife, and if there is no wife, then by the brother.

भ्राता वा भ्रातृपुत्त्रो वा सपिण्डः शिष्य एव वा । सपिण्डनक्रियां कृत्वा कुर्यान्नान्दीमुखं ततः ॥ २,२६.

A brother, a brother's son, or even a disciple who is a sapiṇḍa should perform the sapiṇḍa rite, and then carry out the nāndīmukha ceremony.

ज्येष्ठस्यैव कनिष्ठेन भ्रातृपुत्त्रेण भार्यया । सपिण्डीकरणं कार्यं पुत्रहीने नरे खग ॥ २,२६.

For a man without a son, O bird, the sapiṇḍīkaraṇa should be performed by the younger brother, the brother's son, or the wife of the eldest.

भ्रातॄणामेकजातानामेकश्चेत्पुत्रवान् भवेत् । सर्वेते तेन पुत्रेण पुत्रिणो मनुरब्रवीत् ॥ २,२६.

If among brothers born of the same parents, only one has a son, Manu has declared that all are considered to have sons through that one son.

सर्वेषां पुत्रहीनानां पत्नी कुर्यात्सपिण्डनम् । ऋत्विजा कारयेद्वापि पुरोहितमथापि वा ॥ २,२६.

For all those who are without sons, the wife should perform the sapiṇḍa rite, or it may be done by the officiating priests or the family priest.

कृतचूडोपनीतश्च पितुः श्राद्धं समाचरेत् । उच्चारयेत्स्वधाकारं न तु वेदाक्षराण्यसौ ॥ २,२६.

One who has undergone the cūḍā and upanayana rites should perform the father's śrāddha, reciting the svadhā formula, but not the Vedic syllables.

भर्त्रादिभिस्त्रिभिः कार्यं सपिण्डीकरणं स्त्रियाः । पितृव्यभ्रातृपुत्रेण सोदरेण कनीयसा ॥ २,२६.

For a woman, the sapiṇḍīkaraṇa should be performed by three: the husband and others, the paternal uncle, the brother's son, or the younger brother.

अर्वाक्संवत्सरात्सन्धौ पूर्णे संवत्सरेऽपि वा । ये सपिण्डीकृताः प्रेतास्तेषां न स्यात्पृथक्क्रिया ॥ २,२६.

Within a year, at the time of the annual junction or even after a full year, for those departed who have been made sapiṇḍas, there should be no separate rites.

सपिण्डने कृते वत्स पृथक्त्वं तु विगर्हितम् । यस्तु कुर्यात्पृथक्पिण्डं पितृहा सोऽभिजायते ॥ २,२६.

Once the sapiṇḍa rite has been performed, O child, separation is condemned; whoever offers a separate piṇḍa becomes a slayer of ancestors.