Markandeya Purana

स्वाहाकारं स्तनं देवाः पितरश्च स्वधामयम् । मुनयश्च वषट्कारं देवभूतसुरेतराः ॥ २९.

The gods drink the breast of 'svāhā', the ancestors drink the breast of 'svadhā', and the sages, along with gods, spirits, and demons, drink the breast of 'vaṣaṭ'.

हन्तकारं मनुष्याश्च पिबन्ति सततं स्तनम् । एवमाप्याययत्येषा वत्स ! धेनुस्त्रयीमयी ॥ २९.

Humans continually drink the breast of 'hanta'; thus, O calf, this cow, composed of the three Vedas, nourishes all.

तेषामुच्छेदकर्ता च यो नरोऽत्यन्तपापकृत् । स तमस्यान्धतामिस्त्रे तामिस्त्रे च निमज्जति ॥ २९.

The person who destroys these, who commits extreme evil, sinks into the deepest darkness and gloom.

यश्चेमां मानवो धेनुं स्वैर्वत्सैरमरादिभिः । पाययत्युचिते काले स स्वर्गायोपपद्यते ॥ २९.

But the man who, together with his own calves and the gods and others, lets this cow drink at the proper time, attains heaven.

तस्मात्पुत्र ! मनुष्येण देवर्षिपितृमानवाः । भूतानि चानुदिवसं पोष्याणि स्वतनुर्यथा ॥ २९.

Therefore, O son, a human must daily nourish the gods, sages, ancestors, humans, and beings, just as he nourishes his own body.

तस्मात्स्त्रातः शुचिर्भूत्वा देवर्षिपितृतर्पणम् । प्रजापतेस्तथैवादिभः काले कुर्यात्समाहितः ॥ २९.

Therefore, purified and protected, one should attentively perform offerings to the gods, sages, ancestors, and to Prajapati and the others, at the proper time.

सुमनोगन्धपुष्पैश्च देवानभ्यर्च्य मानवः । ततोऽग्नेस्तर्पणं कुर्याद्देयाश्च बलयस्तथा ॥ २९.

After worshipping the gods with fragrant flowers, a man should then make offerings to fire, and also give the prescribed portions.

ब्रह्मणे गृहमध्ये तु विश्वेदेवेभ्य एव च । धन्वन्तरिं समुद्दिश्य प्रागुदीच्यां बलिं क्षिपेत् ॥ २९.

Within the house, he should offer to Brahma and the Visvedevas; for Dhanvantari, he should place the offering in the northeast.

प्राच्यां शक्राय याम्यायां यमाय बलिमाहरेत् । प्रतीच्यां वरुणायाथ सोमायोत्तरतो बलिम् ॥ २९.

In the east, he should offer to Indra; in the south, to Yama; in the west, to Varuna; and in the north, to Soma.

दद्याद्धात्रे विधात्रे बलिं द्वारे गृहस्य तु । अर्यम्णेऽथ बहिर्दद्याद्गृहेभ्यश्च समन्ततः ॥ २९.

He should give offerings to Dhātṛ and Vidhātṛ at the door of the house; outside, to Aryaman; and all around, to the household deities.

नक्तञ्चरेभ्यो भूतेभ्यो बलिमाकाशतो हरेत् । पितॄणां निर्वपेच्चैव दक्षिणाभिमुखस्थितः ॥ २९.

He should place offerings in the open for night-wandering beings and spirits, and for the ancestors, he should offer while facing south.

गृहस्थस्तत्परो भूत्वा सुसमाहितमानसः । ततस्तोयमुपादाय तेष्वेवाचमनाय वै ॥ २९.

The householder, intent and with a focused mind, should then take water for their purification.

स्थानेषु निक्षिपेत्प्राज्ञस्तास्ता उद्दिश्य देवताः । एवं गृहबलिं कृत्वा गृहे हृहपतिः शुचिः ॥ २९.

The wise man should place the offerings at the designated spots, invoking the respective deities; thus, after making the household offering, the householder remains pure.

आप्यायनाय भूतानां कुर्यादुत्सर्गमादरात् । श्वभ्यश्च श्वपचेभ्यश्च वयोभ्यश्चावपेद्भुवि ॥ २९.

For the nourishment of beings, he should respectfully make the release; he should scatter food on the ground for dogs, outcasts, and birds.

वैश्वदेवं हि नामैतत्सायं प्रातरुदाहृतम् । आचम्य च ततः कुर्यात्प्राज्ञो द्वारावलोकनम् ॥ २९.

This is called the Vaiśvadeva rite, performed in the evening and morning; after purification, the wise man should inspect the door.

मुहूर्तस्याष्टमं भागमुदीक्ष्योऽप्यतिथिर्भवेत् । अतिथिं तत्र सम्प्राप्तमन्नाद्येनोदकेन च ॥ २९.

He should observe the eighth part of the hour; if a guest arrives, he should honor the guest with food and water.

सम्पूजयेद्यथाशक्ति गन्धपुष्पादिभिस्तथा । न मित्रमतिथिं कुर्यान्नैकग्रामनिवासिनम् ॥ २९.

He should worship the guest according to his ability, with fragrance, flowers, and so forth; he should not treat a friend or a resident of the same village as a guest.

अज्ञातकुलनामानं तत्कालसमुपस्थितम् । बुभुक्षुमागतं श्रान्तं याचमानमकिञ्चनम् ॥ २९.

A person whose family and name are unknown, who arrives at that time, hungry, weary, begging, and possessing nothing—

ब्राह्मणं प्राहुरतिथिं स पूज्यः शक्तितो बुधैः । न पृच्छेद्गोत्रचरणं स्वाध्यायञ्चापि पण्डितः ॥ २९.

—such a one is called a Brahmin guest; he should be honored by the wise to the best of their ability. A learned person should not ask his lineage, school, or study.

शोभनाशोभनाकारं तं मन्येत प्रजापतिम् । अनित्यं हि स्थितो यस्मात्तस्मादतिथिरुच्यते ॥ २९.

Whether his appearance is pleasant or unpleasant, he should be regarded as Prajapati, for he is called 'guest' because his stay is impermanent.

तस्मिंस्तृप्ते नृयज्ञोत्थादृणान्मुच्येद्गृहाश्रमी । तस्माददत्त्वा यो भुङ्क्ते स्वयं किल्विषभुङ्नरः ॥ २९.

When he is satisfied, the householder is freed from debts arising from human sacrifices; but if one eats without giving, he himself partakes of sin.

स पापं केवलं भुङ्क्ते पुरीषञ्चान्यजन्मनि । अतिथिर्यस्य भग्नाशो गृहात्प्रतिनिवर्तते ॥ २९.

He alone eats sin, and in another birth, filth, if a guest departs from his house with hope unfulfilled.

स दत्त्वा दुष्कृतं तस्मै पुण्यमादाय गच्छति । अप्यम्बुशाकदानेन यद्वाप्यश्नाति स स्वयम् ॥ २९.

By giving even water or vegetables, whatever merit is gained, that is taken by the guest, and the sin remains with the householder.

पूजयेत्तु नरः शक्त्या तेनैवातिथिमादरात् । कुर्याच्चाहरहः श्राद्धमन्नाद्येनोदकेन च ॥ २९.

Therefore, a man should honor a guest with whatever means he has, and daily perform the śrāddha with food and water.

पितॄनुद्दिश्य विप्रांश्च भोजयेद्विप्रमेव वा । अन्नस्याग्रं तदुद्धृत्य ब्राह्मणायोपपादयेत् ॥ २९.

He should feed the Brahmins, or at least one Brahmin, in honor of the ancestors, offering first the best portion of the food.

भिक्षाञ्च याचतां दद्यात्परिव्राड्ब्रह्मचारिणाम् । ग्रासप्रमाणा भिक्षा स्यादग्रं ग्रासचतुष्टयम् ॥ २९.

He should give alms to those who beg—wandering ascetics and students; the measure of alms is four mouthfuls, with the first portion given.

अग्रं चतुर्गुणं प्राहुर्हन्तकारं द्विजोत्तमाः । भोजनं हन्तकारं वा अग्रं भिक्षामथापि वा ॥ २९.

The best of twice-born say that the first portion is four times as effective as the rest; whether it is the meal or the alms, the first portion is most potent.

अदत्त्वा तु न भोक्तव्यं यथाविभवमात्मनः । पूजयित्वातिथीनिष्टान् ज्ञातीन् बन्धूंस्तथार्थिनः ॥ २९.

One should not eat without giving, according to one's means, after honoring guests, household deities, relatives, and those who seek charity.

विकलान् बालवृद्धांश्च भोजयेच्चातुरांस्तथा । वाञ्छते क्षुत्परीतात्मा यच्चान्योऽन्नमकिञ्चनः ॥ २९.

He should feed those who are disabled, children, the elderly, and the clever, as well as anyone else who, afflicted by hunger, desires food and has nothing.