कुर्वंतः पितृकार्येषु पापात्पूता दिवं गताः। श्रुतं बहुविधं नाथ मुखात्ते च पुरातनम्
Yet, performing ancestral rites, they were purified from sin and attained heaven; much has been heard from your mouth, O Lord, of ancient times.
क्षंतुमर्हसि धर्मज्ञ शापस्यांतो विधीयताम्। वसिष्ठ उवाच-। शापो वोथ यथा पाप्मा न तु धर्मविचारणात्
You should forgive, O knower of dharma, and set a limit to the curse; Vasiṣṭha said: 'The curse is as it is, not from deliberation on dharma.'
चांडालादौ समुत्पन्नाः पुरावृत्तं स्मरिष्यथ। न च वो ज्ञानलोपश्च स्मृतिशास्त्रमनष्टकम्
You will be born among outcastes and others, remembering past events; but you will not lose knowledge, nor will the scriptures be forgotten.
पापयोनिं समुत्तीर्य पश्चान्मोक्षं गमिष्यथ। ततः प्राणान्परित्यज्य गुरुशापात्तु ते द्विजाः
Having crossed a sinful birth, you will later attain liberation; then, giving up their lives due to the teacher’s curse, those twice-born were born again.
जाताश्चांडालयोनौ तु सर्वे ज्ञानसमन्विताः। स्तन्यं तैस्तु न पीतं वै स्मरद्भिः पूर्वजन्म तत्
They were all born in the caste of outcastes, endowed with knowledge; they did not drink their mother’s milk, remembering their former birth.
मृता जाता मृगाः सर्वे चक्रवाकाः पुनर्वने। हंसास्तु मानसे तीर्थे शुक्ला जाताः पुनर्द्विजाः
All died and were born as deer, then as chakravāka birds in the forest; as white swans at the Mānasa lake, they were again born as twice-born.
मुमूर्षवो महाभागा मृतास्ते खेदकारणात्। तस्मिन्काले महाराजो धर्मकेतुरिति स्मृतः
Those great souls, desiring to die, perished due to suffering; at that time, the great king known as Dharmaketu was remembered.
ययौ स्नातुं ततस्तीर्थं सदारः सपरिच्छदः। ततो हंसास्त्रयो मोहाद्राज्यं भोग्यं तु योषितः
Then, with his wife and retinue, he went to bathe at that sacred place; there, three swans, out of delusion, enjoyed the pleasures of the kingdom as women.
भक्ष्याणि चिंतयंतश्च लोकांतरमयुस्तदा। ज्ञात्वा वेदं च वेदांगं मोक्षं यास्यामहे वयम्
Thinking of food, they departed to another world at that time; knowing the Veda and its limbs, they said, 'We shall attain liberation.'
चिंतयंतो गता अन्ये ततो लोकांतरं प्रति। अथ त्रयो नृपा जाताश्चत्वारो विप्रसत्तमाः
While reflecting, others too departed towards another world; then three became kings, and four became excellent brahmins.
कुरुक्षेत्रे ततो वेदान्वेदांगानि समंततः। तपोबलाद्विदंति स्म वार्तां चामुत्र चेह च
Thereafter, in Kurukshetra, they thoroughly knew the Vedas and their branches; by the power of their austerity, they understood news both here and in the other world.
त्रयो राजकुले जाता राजानो मदमोहिताः। ज्ञानलोपात्परं लोकं न जानंति हिताहितम्
Three were born in royal families as kings, intoxicated by pride and delusion; lacking knowledge, they did not know the higher world nor what is beneficial or harmful.
ते च विप्राश्च संदेहादाहूय चेटकं स्वकम्। राज्ञो गच्छ स्वकार्पण्यात्पत्रं देहि च संभ्रमात्
Those brahmins, in doubt, summoned their own attendant and said, 'Go to the king, and out of your own humility, give him this letter quickly.'
सप्त व्याधा दशार्णेषु मृगाः कालंजरे गिरौ। चक्रवाकाः शरद्वीपे हंसाः सरसि मानसे
Seven became hunters in Dasharna, deer on Mount Kalanjara, chakravaka birds on Sharad Island, and swans in Lake Manasa.
तेपि जाताः कुरुक्षेत्रे ब्राह्मणा वेदपारगाः। प्रस्थिता दूतमध्वानं यूयं किमवसीदथ
They too were born in Kurukshetra as brahmins accomplished in the Vedas; having set out on the messenger's path, they asked, 'Why are you despondent?'
गृहीत्वा चेटको लेखं राज्ञस्तु समदर्शयत्। दृष्ट्वा लेखं तु राजानो राज्यं त्यक्त्वा ययुर्द्विजान्
The attendant, taking the letter, showed it to the king; seeing the letter, the kings abandoned their kingdoms and went to the brahmins.
श्रुत्वा वाक्यं ततस्तेषां गतास्ते च तपोधनाः। अचिरेणैव कालेन मोक्षं याताश्च तैस्सह
Hearing those words, the ascetics departed; in a short time, together with them, they attained liberation.
य इदं शृणुयाच्छ्राद्धे सप्तव्याधादिकं द्विज। अक्षयं चान्नपानं च पितॄणामुपतिष्ठति
O twice-born, whoever hears this account of the seven hunters and others at a śrāddha, inexhaustible food and drink will be offered to his ancestors.
द्विज उवाच-। वित्तहीनस्य विप्रस्य पितृकार्यं कथं भवेत्। तपस्विनो वनस्थस्य गृहस्थस्य च केशव
The brahmin said: 'How can the ancestral rites be performed by a brahmin who is without wealth, or by an ascetic in the forest, or by a householder, O Keśava?
भगवानुवाच-। तृणकाष्ठार्जनं कृत्वा प्रार्थयित्वा वराटकम्। करोति पितृकार्याणि ततो लक्षगुणं भवेत् ३०० 1.50.
The Blessed Lord said: 'By gathering grass and wood, and requesting a small coin, if one performs the ancestral rites, the result is a hundred thousand times greater.'
अकर्तव्यं शतं कृत्वा पितृश्राद्धं करोति यः। सर्वपापक्षयस्तस्य स्वर्गं याति च मानवः
Even if one has committed a hundred forbidden acts, if he performs the ancestral śrāddha, all his sins are destroyed and the man attains heaven.
सर्वाभावे पितृतिथौ गोभ्यो घासं ददाति यः। फलं च पिंडदानस्य संप्राप्नोत्यधिकं नरः
If, in the absence of everything, on the ancestor's day one gives grass to cows, the man attains a result greater than that of offering the ancestral ball of food.
पुरा वैराटविषये रुरोदातीव दीनकः। पितृतिथौ स्वयं प्राप्ते सर्वाभावाच्च रोदिति
Long ago, in the land of Vairāṭa, a very destitute man wept; when the ancestor's day arrived, he cried because he had nothing at all.
रुदित्वा सुचिरं सोपि पप्रच्छ कोविदं द्विजं। ब्रह्मन्पितृतिथावद्य किंस्वित्कृत्वा हितं भवेत्
After weeping for a long time, he asked a learned brahmin: 'O brahmin, now that the ancestor's day has come, what should I do to bring benefit?'
वराटकश्च मे नास्ति धनं ब्रह्मविदांवर। उपदेशं च मे देहि येन धर्मे स्थितो ह्यहम्
I do not even have a single coin, O best of knowers of Brahman; please give me instruction by which I may remain established in righteousness.
द्विज उवाच-। गच्छ शीघ्रं वने तात मुहूर्ते कुतपेऽधुना। घासं पितरमुद्दिश्य गवे देहीति सत्वरम्
The twice-born said: Go quickly to the forest, dear one, at this very moment when the time for the funeral rite has come; offer grass to the cow, dedicating it to your father, and do so without delay.
ततस्तस्योपदेशेन गृहीत्वा घासपूलकम्। गवे दत्वा यथाहृष्टः पुष्ट्यर्थं पितुरेव च
Then, following his instruction, taking a bundle of grass, he gave it to the cow, as prescribed, for the nourishment of his father, and was gladdened.
एतत्पुण्यप्रसादेन गतोसौ सुरमंदिरम्। स्वर्गं च सुचिरं भुक्त्वा उत्पन्नो धनिनां कुले
By the merit arising from this act, he went to the abode of the gods; after enjoying heaven for a long time, he was born in the family of the wealthy.
धनवान्स पुरा पुण्यात्पितृयज्ञस्य कारणात्। स ददाति पितुः पिंडं सर्वस्वेन धनेन च
He became wealthy in a former life due to the merit of the ancestral offering; he gave the funeral cake to his father, offering all his wealth as well.
तत्रैकजन्मनोभ्यासाद्गतोसौ विष्णुमंदिरम्। भुक्त्वानन्तसुखं तत्र सार्वभौमोभवन्नृपः
By the force of practice over one birth, he attained the abode of Vishnu; having enjoyed endless happiness there, he became a universal emperor.