प्रातःकालो मुहूर्तांस् त्रीन् संगवस् तावदेव तु मध्याह्नस्त्रिमुहूर्तः स्याद् अपराह्णस्ततः परम्
Morning consists of three muhurtas, and so does the forenoon; midday is three muhurtas, and afternoon follows thereafter.
सायाह्नस्त्रिमुहूर्तः स्याच् छ्राद्धं तत्र न कारयेत् राक्षसी नाम सा वेला गर्हिता सर्वकर्मसु
Evening is three muhurtas; shraddha should not be performed then, for that period is called rakshasi, and is condemned for all rites.
अह्नो मुहूर्ता विख्याता दश पञ्च च सर्वदा तत्राष्टमो मुहूर्तो यः स कालः कुतपः स्मृतः
There are always fifteen muhurtas in a day; the eighth muhurtas is known as kutapa time.
मध्याह्ने सर्वदा यस्मान् मन्दीभवति भास्करः तस्मादनन्तफलदस् तदारम्भो विशिष्यते
Because the sun becomes weak at midday, the commencement at that time is especially praised for granting endless fruit.
मध्याह्नः खड्गपात्रं च तथा नेपालकम्बलः रूप्यं दर्भास्तिला गावो दौहित्रश्चाष्टमः स्मृतः
Midday, a sword vessel, a Nepali blanket, silver, darbha grass, black sesame, cows, and the eighth grandson—these are called kutapa.
पापं कुत्सितमित्याहुस् तस्य संतापकारिणः अष्टाव् एते यतस्तस्मात् कुतपा इति विश्रुताः
They say these eight are sinful and contemptible, causing distress; therefore, they are renowned as kutapa.
ऊर्ध्वं मुहूर्तात्कुतपाद् यन्मुहूर्तचतुष्टयम् मुहूर्तपञ्चकं चैतत् स्वधाभवनमिष्यते
After kutapa, the next four muhurtas, making five in total, are considered the time for offerings to the ancestors.
विष्णोर् देहसमुद्भूताः कुशाः कृष्णास्तिलास्तथा श्राद्धस्य रक्षणायालम् एतत्प्राहुर्दिवौकसः
Kusha grass and black sesame are said to have arisen from Vishnu's body; the celestials declare these as essential for protecting shraddha.
तिलोदकाञ्जलिर्देयो जलस्थैस्तीर्थवासिभिः सदर्भहस्तेनैकेन श्राद्धमेवं विशिष्यते
An offering of water mixed with sesame should be given by those residing at tirthas, with darbha in hand; thus, shraddha is distinguished.
श्राद्धसाधनकाले तु पाणिनैकेन दीयते तर्पणं तूभयेनैव विधिरेष सदा स्मृतः
During the preparation of shraddha, the offering is made with one hand; for tarpan, it is always prescribed to use both hands.
पुण्यं पवित्रमायुष्यं सर्वपापविनाशनम् पुरा मलये न कथितं तीर्थश्राद्धानुकीर्तनम्
This is holy, purifying, life-giving, and destroys all sins; in ancient times on Malaya it was not told—the recounting of the sacred rites and offerings at the holy places.
शृणोति यः पठेद्वापि श्रीमान्संजायते नरः
Whoever hears or recites this, even once, is born as a blessed and prosperous person.
श्राद्धकाले च वक्तव्यं तथा तीर्थनिवासिभिः सर्वपापोपशान्त्यर्थम् अलक्ष्मीनाशनं परम्
At the time of the ancestral rite, it should be spoken by those residing at the holy places, for the removal of all sins and the utter destruction of misfortune.
इदं पवित्रं यशसो निधानम् इदं महापापहरं च पुंसाम् ब्रह्मार्करुद्रैरपि पूजितं च श्राद्धस्य माहात्म्यमुशन्ति तज्ज्ञाः
This is pure, a treasure of fame, and the destroyer of great sins for men; even Brahma, the Sun, and Rudra honor it—the wise declare this as the glory of the ancestral rite.
सोमः पितॄणामधिपः कथं शास्त्रविशारद तद्वंश्या ये च राजानो बभूवुः कीर्तिवर्धनाः
How did Soma become lord of the ancestors, O learned one in the scriptures? And which kings of his lineage became renowned?
आदिष्टो ब्रह्मणा पूर्वम् अत्रिः सर्गविधौ पुरा अनुत्तमं नाम तपः सृष्ट्यर्थं तप्तवान्प्रभुः
Long ago, at the beginning of creation, Atri was instructed by Brahma and undertook the supreme austerity called Anuttama for the purpose of creation.
यदानन्दकरं ब्रह्म जगत्क्लेशविनाशनम् ब्रह्मविष्ण्वर्करुद्राणाम् अभ्यन्तरमतीन्द्रियम्
That which brings joy to Brahma and destroys the suffering of the world, which is the inner, transcendent essence of Brahma, Vishnu, the Sun, and Rudra—
शान्तिकृच् छान्तमनसस् तदन्तर्नयने स्थितम् माहात्म्यात्तपसा विप्राः परमानन्दकारकम्
That which brings peace, which is established in the peaceful mind and inner vision, which, by its greatness and austerity, brings supreme bliss to the sages—
यस्मादुमापतिः सार्धम् उमया तमधिष्ठितः तं दृष्ट्वा चाष्टमांशेन तस्मात्सोमो ऽभवच्छिशुः
Because the Lord of Uma, together with Uma, presided over it, seeing that, by a portion of himself, Soma was born as a child from them.
अधः सुस्राव नेत्राभ्यां धाम तच्चाम्बुसम्भवम् दीपयन्विश्वमखिलं ज्योत्स्नया सचराचरम्
From his eyes flowed downward a radiance, born of water, illuminating the entire world, both moving and unmoving, with its moonlight.
तद्दिशो जगृहुर्धाम स्त्रीरूपेण सुतेच्छया गर्भो भूत्वोदरे तासाम् आस्थितो ऽब्दशतत्रयम्
Desiring a son, the directions took up that radiance in the form of women; it became an embryo in their wombs and remained there for three hundred years.
आशास्तं मुमुचुर्गर्भम् अशक्ता धारणे ततः समादायाथ तं गर्भम् एकीकृत्य चतुर्मुखः
Unable to bear the embryo, the directions released it; then Brahma took up that embryo, united it, and—
युवानमकरोद्ब्रह्मा सर्वायुधधरं नरम् स्यन्दने ऽथ सहस्राश्वे वेदशक्तिमये प्रभुः
Brahma made him a young man, a warrior bearing all weapons; then, placing him on a chariot with a thousand horses, the Lord, endowed with the power of the Vedas—
आरोप्य लोकमनयद् आत्मीयं स पितामह तत्र ब्रह्मर्षिभिः प्रोक्तम् अस्मत्स्वामी भवत्वयम्
Having set him on the chariot, the Grandfather (Brahma) led him to his own world; there, the Brahmarshis declared, 'Let this one be our lord.'
ऋषिभिर्देवगन्धर्वैर् ओषधीभिस्तथैव च तुष्टुवुः सोमदेवत्यैर् ब्रह्माद्या मन्त्रसंग्रहैः
The sages, gods, Gandharvas, and also the herbs praised him; the deities of Soma, Brahma, and others extolled him with collections of hymns.
स्तूयमानस्य तस्याभूद् अधिको धामसम्भवः तेजोवितानादभवद् भुवि दिव्यौषधीगणः
As he was being praised, a greater radiance arose from him; from that brilliance, a host of divine herbs appeared on earth.
तद्दीप्तिरधिका तस्माद् रात्रौ भवति सर्वदा तेनौषधीशः सोमो ऽभूद् द्विजेशश्चापि गद्यते
Therefore, his radiance is always greater at night; thus Soma became lord of the herbs and is also called lord of the twice-born.
वेदधामरसं चापि यदिदं चन्द्रमण्डलम् क्षीयते वर्धते चैव शुक्ले कृष्णे च सर्वदा
The essence of the Vedas and the radiance that is the lunar orb—this waxes and wanes always, during the bright and dark fortnights.
विंशतिं च तथा सप्त दक्षः प्राचेतसो ददौ रूपलावण्यसंयुक्तास् तस्मै कन्याः सुवर्चसः
Daksha, the son of Prachetas, then gave twenty-seven daughters endowed with beauty and charm to him, all possessing splendid radiance.
ततः पद्मसहस्राणां सहस्राणि दशैव तु तपश्चचार शीतांशुर् विष्णुध्यानैकतत्परः
Then Soma, wholly devoted to meditation on Vishnu, performed austerities equal to ten thousand times a thousand lotuses.