दक्षिणां दिशमाकाङ्क्षन् पितॄन् याचेत मानवः दातारो नो ऽभिवर्धन्तां वेदाः संततिरेव च
Desiring the southern direction, a man should pray to the ancestors: 'May our givers prosper, and may the Vedas and our lineage continue.'
श्रद्धा च नो मा व्यगमद् बहु देयं च नो ऽस्त्विति अन्नं च नो बहु भवेद् अतिथींश्च लभेमहि
'May our faith not fail, may we have much to give, may we have abundant food, and may we obtain guests.'
याचितारश्च नः सन्तु मा च याचिष्म कंचन एतदस्त्विति तत्प्रोक्तम् अन्वाहार्यं तु पार्वणम्
Let there be those who ask from us, but let us not ask from anyone; this is declared to be the rule—thus, the food for the ancestors on the Parvan day is prescribed.
यथेन्दुसंक्षये तद्वद् अन्यत्रापि निगद्यते पिण्डांस्तु गोजविप्रेभ्यो दद्यादग्नौ जले ऽपि वा
Just as at the waning of the moon, so also elsewhere it is stated: one should offer balls of food to cows, Brahmins, or into fire, or even into water.
विप्राग्रतो वा विकिरेद् वयोभिर् अभिवाशयेत् पत्नी तु मध्यमं पिण्डं प्राशयेद् विनयान्विता
Or, in the presence of Brahmins, one should scatter them, and with words of blessing, offer them with respect; the wife, with humility, should partake of the middle ball.
आधत्त पितरो गर्भम् अत्र संतानवर्धनम् तावदुच्छेषणं तिष्ठेद् यावद्विप्रा विसर्जिताः
The ancestors place the seed here, which increases the lineage; the remnants should remain until the Brahmins have departed.
वैश्वदेवं ततः कुर्यान् निवृत्ते पितृकर्मणि इष्टैः सह ततः शान्तो भुञ्जीत पितृसेवितम्
After the rites for the ancestors are completed, one should then perform the Vaiśvadeva offering; having done so, together with the invited guests, one should peacefully partake of the food offered to the ancestors.
पुनर् भोजनमध्वानं यानमायासमैथुनम् श्राद्धकृच्छ्राद्धभुक्चैव सर्वमेतद्विवर्जयेत्
One should avoid eating again, traveling, exertion, or sexual union, as well as performing or partaking in another śrāddha—all this must be refrained from.
स्वाध्यायकलहं चैव दिवास्वप्नं च सर्वदा अनेन विधिना श्राद्धं निरुद्वास्येह निर्वपेत्
One should always avoid study, quarrels, and sleeping during the day; having dismissed the Brahmins according to this rule, one should make the śrāddha offering here.
कन्याकुम्भवृषस्थे ऽर्के कृष्णपक्षेषु सर्वदा यत्र यत्र प्रदातव्यं सपिण्डीकरणात् परम् तत्रानेन विधानेन देयम् अग्निमता सदा
Whenever, after the sapiṇḍīkaraṇa, an offering is to be made in the dark fortnight, or when the sun is in Kanyā, Kumbha, or Vṛṣa, it should always be given with fire, according to this rule.
अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि विष्णुना यदुदीरितम् श्राद्धं साधारणं नाम भुक्तिमुक्तिफलप्रदम्
Now I shall declare what was spoken by Viṣṇu—the śrāddha called 'universal,' which bestows both enjoyment and liberation.
अयने विषुवे युग्मे सामान्ये चार्कसंक्रमे अमावास्याष्टकाकृष्णपक्षे पञ्चदशीषु च
At the solstices, equinoxes, in the dual months, at the general solar transitions, on new moon, on the aṣṭakā, and on the fifteenth day of the dark fortnight—
आर्द्रामघारोहिणीषु द्रव्यब्राह्मणसंगमे गजच्छायाव्यतीपाते विष्टिवैधृतिवासरे
On the days of Ārdrā, Maghā, and Rohiṇī, when there is a conjunction of suitable offerings and Brahmins, at the time of the elephant's shadow, at Vyatīpāta, and on the days of Viṣṭi and Vaidhṛti—
वैशाखस्य तृतीयायां नवमी कार्त्तिकस्य च पञ्चदशी च माघस्य नभस्ये च त्रयोदशी
On the third day of Vaiśākha, the ninth of Kārttika, the fifteenth of Māgha and Nabhasya, and the thirteenth as well—
युगादयः स्मृता ह्य् एता दत्तस्याक्षय्यकारिकाः तथा मन्वन्तरादौ च देयं श्राद्धं विजानता
These are remembered as the beginnings of the yugas; offerings made at these times are said to yield inexhaustible results. Likewise, at the beginning of a manvantara, the wise should offer śrāddha.
अश्वयुक्छुक्लनवमी द्वादशी कार्त्तिके तथा तृतीया चैत्रमासस्य तथा भाद्रपदस्य च
On the ninth day of the bright half of Āśvayuja, the twelfth of Kārttika, the third of Caitra, and also in Bhādrapada—
फाल्गुनस्य ह्य् अमावास्या पौषस्यैकादशी तथा आषाढस्यापि दशमी माघमासस्य सप्तमी
On the new moon of Phālguna, the eleventh of Pauṣa, the tenth of Āṣāḍha, and the seventh of Māgha—
श्रावणस्याष्टमी कृष्णा तथाषाढी च पूर्णिमा कार्त्तिकी फाल्गुनी चैत्री ज्येष्ठपञ्चदशी सिता मन्वन्तरादयश् चैता दत्तस्याक्षय्यकारिकाः
On the eighth of the dark fortnight of Śrāvaṇa, the full moon of Āṣāḍha, the full moon of Kārttika, Phālguna, Caitra, and the fifteenth of the bright half of Jyeṣṭha—these, and the beginnings of manvantaras, are said to yield inexhaustible results for offerings made.
यस्यां मन्वन्तरस्यादौ रथमास्ते दिवाकरः माघमासस्य सप्तम्यां सा तु स्याद्रथसप्तमी
On that day at the beginning of a manvantara when the Sun sits in his chariot, on the seventh of Māgha, that is called the chariot-seventh (ratha-saptamī).
पानीयमप्यत्र तिलैर्विमिश्रं दद्यात्पितृभ्यः प्रयतो मनुष्यः श्राद्धं कृतं तेन समाः सहस्रं रहस्यमेतत्पितरो वदन्ति
Here, with devotion, a person should offer water mixed with sesame to the ancestors; by this śrāddha, a thousand years of merit is obtained—this secret is spoken by the ancestors.
वैशाख्यामुपरागेषु तथोत्सवमहालये तीर्थायतनगोष्ठेषु दीपोद्यानगृहेषु च
During the lunar eclipse in Vaiśākha, at great festivals and sacred assemblies, in holy places, shrines, gatherings, and in houses, gardens, and temples of lamps—
विविक्तेषूपलिप्तेषु श्राद्धं देयं विजानता विप्रान्पूर्वे परे चाह्नि विनीतात्मा निमन्त्रयेत्
In secluded and well-plastered places, one who understands should perform the śrāddha; on the previous or following day, with a humble mind, he should invite the Brāhmaṇas.
शीलवृत्तगुणोपेतान् वयोरूपसमन्वितान् द्वौ दैवे त्रींस्तथा पित्र्य एकैकमुभयत्र वा
He should invite those endowed with good conduct, character, and virtues, possessing suitable age and appearance—two for the divine rite, three for the ancestral, or one for each, or both.
भोजयेत्सुसमृद्धो ऽपि न प्रसज्जते विस्तरे विश्वान्देवान्यवैः पुष्पैर् अभ्यर्च्यासनपूर्वकम्
Even if one is very wealthy, he should not indulge in excess; he should first worship the Viśvadevas with fresh flowers, offering seats as is proper.
पूरयेत्पात्रयुग्मं तु स्थाप्य दर्भपवित्रकम् शं नो देवीत्य् अपः कुर्याद् यवो ऽसीति यवानपि
He should fill a pair of vessels, placing sacred darbha grass upon them; reciting 'śaṃ no devī,' he should pour water, and also place barley, saying 'yavaḥ.'
गन्धपुष्पैश्च संपूज्य वैश्वदेवं प्रति न्यसेत् विश्वे देवास इत्याभ्याम् आवाह्य विकिरेद्यवान्
Having worshipped with fragrance and flowers, he should set aside the vaiśvadeva offering; invoking the Viśvadevas with the two mantras, he should scatter barley.
गन्धपुष्पैर् अलंकृत्य या दिव्येत्यर्घ्यमुत्सृजेत् अभ्यर्च्य ताभ्यामुत्सृष्टं पितृकार्यं समारभेत्
Adorning with fragrance and flowers, he should offer arghya with the mantra 'yā divyā'; after worshipping with those two, having offered, he should begin the ancestral rite.
दर्भासनं तु दत्त्वादौ त्रीणि पात्राणि पूरयेत् खपवित्राणि कृत्वादौ शं नो देवीत्य् अपः क्षिपेत्
First, having given a seat of darbha grass, he should fill three vessels; having made them pure, he should pour water reciting 'śaṃ no devī.'
तिलो ऽसीति तिलान्कुर्याद् गन्धपुष्पादिकं पुनः पात्रं वनस्पतिमयं तथा पर्णमयं पुनः
He should place sesame seeds, saying 'tilāḥ,' and again add fragrance and flowers; the vessel may be made of wood or leaves as well.
जलजं वाथ कुर्वीत तथा सागरसम्भवम् सौवर्णं राजतं वापि पितॄणां पात्रमुच्यते
Or he may use a vessel made of water plants, or one originating from the sea; a vessel of gold or silver is also prescribed for the ancestors.