धनं पुत्रा यशः काम्यमभीष्टमायुरेव च। सर्वाण्येतानि लभ्यंते जन्मजन्मसु मानवैः
Wealth, sons, fame, desired objects, and even long life—all these are obtained by humans birth after birth.
पितॄणां च वरेणैव तस्मान्मैनं परित्यजेत्। विवाहव्रतयज्ञादौ कृत्वा नांदीमुखं द्विजः
And by the boon of the ancestors alone; therefore, one should not neglect this. At the beginning of marriage, vows, or sacrifices, a twice-born should perform the Nāndīmukha rite.
अक्षयं लभते पुण्यं गोत्रं तस्य प्रवर्द्धते। एतद्विपर्ययो यस्य स याति नरकं नरः
He attains inexhaustible merit, and his lineage prospers; but one who does the opposite goes to hell.
कुलक्षयो भवेत्तस्य स जीवो दुःखितो भवेत्। ततस्तु पूजयेदग्रे गणेशं शंभुनंदनम्
Destruction of the family befalls him, and that soul becomes miserable; therefore, one should first worship Gaṇeśa, the son of Śambhu.
परं षोडशमातॄश्च तत्पश्चात्पितृसंचयम्। नांदीमुखेषु सर्वेषु प्रपितामहपूर्वकम्
Then, the sixteen mothers, and after that, the collection of ancestors; in all Nāndīmukha rites, beginning with the great-grandfather.
नांदीमुखे द्विजान्सर्वान्स्थापयेत्प्राङ्मुखान्सुधीः। उच्चारयेन्नमोवाक्यं स्वधा चान्यत्र योजयेत्
In the Nāndīmukha, the wise should seat all the twice-born facing east; he should recite the words of salutation and elsewhere add 'svadhā.'
ग्रहणे चंद्रसूर्यस्य दत्वा पिंडोदकं नरः। अक्षयं लभते स्वर्गं पितॄणां पुष्टिवर्द्धनम्
At the eclipse of the moon or sun, a man who gives piṇḍa and water obtains inexhaustible heaven and increases the nourishment of the ancestors.
तत्र स्नानं न कुर्याद्यः शक्त्या पिंडोदकं नरः। न ददाति पितॄणां तु चांडालत्वं स गच्छति
But if one does not bathe there, or, being able, does not give piṇḍa and water to the ancestors, he attains the state of a cāṇḍāla.
सर्वं भूमिसमं दानं सर्वे व्याससमा द्विजाः। सर्वं गंगासमं तोयं राहुग्रस्ते निशाकरे
All gifts of land are equal, all twice-born are equal to Vyāsa; all water is equal to Gaṅgā water when the moon is seized by Rāhu.
इंदोर्लक्षगुणं प्रोक्तं दशलक्षं तु भास्करे। गंगातोये तु संप्राप्त इंदोः कोटी रवेर्दश
A hundred thousandfold merit is declared for the moon, and a million for the sun; if one obtains Gaṅgā water at that time, it is ten million for the sun and a crore for the moon.
गवां शतसहस्रस्य सम्यग्दत्तस्य यत्फलम्। तत्फलं जाह्नवीस्नाने राहुग्रस्ते निशाकरे
The fruit of properly giving a hundred thousand cows—that fruit is gained by bathing in the Gaṅgā when the moon is seized by Rāhu.
चंद्रसूर्यग्रहे चैव अवगाहति जाह्नवीं। स स्नातस्सर्वतीर्थेषु किमर्थमटते महीम्
And at the eclipse of the moon or sun, one who bathes in the Gaṅgā—having bathed in all the sacred fords, why should he wander the earth?
सूर्यग्रहः सूर्यवारे सोमे सोमग्रहस्तथा। चूडामणिरिति ख्यातस्तत्रानंतफलं स्मृतम्
When the sun is eclipsed on a Sunday, or the moon on a Monday, this is known as the 'crest-jewel' and is remembered as yielding endless fruit.
समुपोष्य तयोः पूर्वे पुण्यतीर्थे तु यः पुमान्। दत्वा पिंडोदकं दानं सत्यलोके प्रतिष्ठितः
Whoever, after fasting on those days at a sacred ford, offers rice-balls, water, and gifts, is established in the world of truth.
द्विज उवाच-। पितुरेव महायज्ञः श्राद्धं च भवतेरितं। ताता पश्चिमकालादौ किं कर्त्तव्यं सुतेन हि
The twice-born said: The great sacrifice and the śrāddha you have described are for the father. O revered one, what should a son do at the end of his father's life?
किं कृत्वा च परं श्रेयो जन्मजन्मसु लभ्यते। पुत्रेण धीमता देव यत्नतो वक्तुमर्हसि
By performing what does a wise son attain the highest good through many births? O god, you should earnestly declare this.
श्रीभगवानुवाच-। पूर्वे वयसि संप्राप्ते पिता पुत्र इति स्मृतः। उत्तरे च सुतस्तातः पालनान्न तु पूजनात्
The Blessed Lord said: In earlier years, one is called 'son' and the other 'father'; later, the son becomes the support of the father, not merely his worshipper.
देववत्पूजयेत्तातं स्नेहं कुर्याच्च पुत्रवत्। न लंघयेद्वचस्तस्य मनसापि कदाचन
He should honor his father as a god, show affection as to a son, and never transgress his words, not even in thought.
आतुरस्य पितुः पुत्रो यस्तु कुर्यात्प्रतिक्रियां। सोक्षयं लभते स्वर्गं सदा देवैः प्रपूज्यते
A son who provides care for a sick father attains heaven without decay and is always honored by the gods.
मुमूर्षोरपिता तस्य पश्यतो मृत्युलक्षणम्। कृत्वा च यजनं पुत्रो देवानां तुल्यतां व्रजेत्
If a father is dying and the son, seeing the signs of death, performs the proper rites, he attains equality with the gods.
विधिनानशने नैव पितुः स्वर्गं ददाति यः। पुत्रस्य तस्य धीरस्य शृणु वक्ष्यामि यद्गुणम्
If, at the time of fasting according to the rite, a son does not grant his father heaven, hear now the merit of that steadfast son.
अश्वमेधसहस्राणि राजसूयशतानि च। भवेदनशने पुण्यं तीर्थकोटिगुणं तयोः
The merit gained by fasting at that time surpasses a thousand horse sacrifices and a hundred royal consecrations, and is ten million times greater than bathing at sacred fords.
भागीरथ्या जले चैव यो मृतः पुरुषोत्तमः। पयोधररसं मातुर्न पिबेन्मुक्ततां व्रजेत्
A man who dies in the waters of the Bhāgīrathī and does not drink his mother's breast-milk attains liberation.
वाराणस्यां त्यजेद्यस्तु प्राणांश्चैव यदृच्छया। अभीष्टं च फलं भुक्त्वा मद्देहे प्रविलीयते
Whoever gives up his life at Vārāṇasī, whether by chance or intent, enjoys his desired reward and merges into my own being.
या गतिर्योगयुक्तानां मुनीनामूर्द्ध्वरेतसां। सा गतिस्त्यजतः प्राणान्ब्रह्मपुत्रेषु सप्तसु
The state attained by yogis and sages of controlled seed is the same state reached by those who die among the seven sons of Brahmā.
लोहितस्य विशेषेण तीरोत्तरसमाश्रितः। विधिना यस्त्यजेत्प्राणान्स च मत्समतां व्रजेत्
Especially in the northern part of the Lohita river, whoever gives up his life according to the rite attains equality with me.
तस्यैव चोर्वशीकेशे पुण्यतीर्थे द्विजोत्तम। मृतोत्पन्नः समाप्नोति सर्वं दोषैर्न लिप्यते
If one dies at the sacred ford of Urvaśīkeśa, O best of twice-born, he is reborn free from all faults and attains everything.
गृहस्याभ्यंतरे यस्य प्राणत्यागो भवेद्ध्रुवम्। यावद्ग्रंथिर्गृहे तिष्ठेत्तावद्बंधो भवे तनौ
If someone dies within his own house, bondage remains as long as the body is tied to the house.
हायनेहायने चापि एकैकं परिहीयते। पश्यतां पुत्रबंधूनां वंधने नास्ति निष्कृतिः
Year after year, one bond is shed, but as his sons and relatives look on, there is no release from bondage.
पर्वते कानने दुर्गे स्थाने वा जलवर्जिते। मृतो दुर्गतिमाप्नोति कीटादौ जायते पुनः २५० 1.50.
If one dies on a mountain, in a forest, in a difficult place, or where there is no water, he attains a bad state and is born again as a worm or the like.