धर्मत्यागो भवेद्राम न श्राद्धं क्रियते यदि । श्रीराम उवाच- अमायां ग्रहणे तीर्थे व्यतीपातेऽथ संक्रमे
'Rāma, if the śrāddha is not performed, it would be a neglect of duty.' Śrīrāma said: 'At the time of an eclipse, at a holy place, or during a solstice—'
व्यतीतं यदि चेच्छ्राद्धं भगवन्क्रियते पुनः । नित्यश्राद्धं पुनर्नैव कुर्यादिति वचस्तव
'If the śrāddha has already been performed at such a time, O Lord, should it be done again? Your statement is that the daily śrāddha should not be repeated.'
यथा ममैव मातॄणां मरणे समुपस्थिते । अशौचे च समायाते नित्यश्राद्धं न वै कृतम्
'Just as, when the death of my mothers occurred and impurity was present, the daily śrāddha was indeed not performed.'
व्यतीपातादिकालेषु कृतं तु वचनात्तव । वसिष्ठ उवाच- एते हि मुनयः सर्वे तथा शंभुरयं द्विजः
'But at the time of an eclipse and similar occasions, it was performed, as you instructed.' Vasiṣṭha said: 'All these sages, as well as this Śaṃbhu, are present.'
एतन्मुखादशेषेण निर्णयस्तु भविष्यति । सह सर्वे विनिश्चित्य मुनयः शंभुमब्रुवन्
'From his mouth, the complete decision will be made.' Then, after deliberating together, all the sages spoke to Śaṃbhu.
वदास्माकमशेषं त्वं द्विजवर्य महानसि । शंभुरुवाच- त्यक्तव्यं यच्च वै श्राद्धं पुनः कर्तव्यमेव च
'O best of twice-born, O great one, please tell us everything in full.' Śaṃbhu said: 'That śrāddha which has been omitted should indeed be performed again.'
सूतके समनुप्राप्ते विघ्नेषु च वदाम्यहम् । मासिकान्युदकुंभानि श्राद्धानि सकलानिच
'I declare that when impurity arises from birth or death, or when obstacles occur, all monthly water-offering śrāddhas and all others—'
प्रतिसांवत्सरं श्राद्धं सूतकानंतरं विदुः । त्यक्तान्यन्यानि यावंति सूतके विघ्नसंभवे
'The annual śrāddha should be performed after the period of impurity has ended; all other śrāddhas omitted due to impurity or obstacles—'
अनंतरं हि कार्याणि सर्वाणीति न संशयः । मासिकानि समस्तानि श्राद्धं प्रात्यब्दिकं तथा
Immediately after, all the prescribed rites must indeed be performed without doubt: all the monthly rites, as well as the annual śrāddha.
सूतकानंतरं कार्यं विघ्नेऽन्यस्मिन्यतोन्यथा । एकादश्यां कृष्णपक्षे कर्तव्यं शुभमिच्छता
After the period of impurity, the rites should be performed; if there is some other obstacle, then one desiring auspiciousness should perform it on the eleventh day of the dark fortnight.
तत्र व्यतिक्रमे हेतावमायां क्रियते तु तत् । यथोत्तरदिनेष्वेव कर्तव्यं यद्यविघ्नतः
If there is a reason for delay, the rite is performed on a later day; otherwise, it should be done on the subsequent days, provided there is no hindrance.
कृष्णपक्षे त्वमायां तु कर्तव्यं राम नो कृतम् । मृताहस्य यदा मासो न ज्ञायेत कथंचन
But, O Rāma, if there is an obstacle in the dark fortnight, it should be performed; if the month of the death is not known in any way—
मार्गशीर्षेऽथवा माघे श्राद्धं तद्दिवसे स्मृतम् । यदा तु वासराज्ञानं मासस्य ज्ञानमेव च
Then, in Mārgaśīrṣa or Māgha, the śrāddha is to be observed on that day; but when the day is known, as well as the month—
अमायामेव तन्मासे श्राद्धं सांवत्सरं भवेत् । दिनमासापरिज्ञाने प्रोषितस्य मृतस्य च
Then, on the new moon day of that month, the annual śrāddha should be performed; if the day and month are not known for one who died away from home or for the deceased—
तत्तिथ्यां तद्दिनं ग्राह्यं तत्र ज्ञानं यदा भवेत् । आश्विनामा च मार्गामा माघामा च दिनत्रयम्
On that tithi, that day should be taken, whenever knowledge of it arises; the three days are: Āśvina new moon, Mārgaśīrṣa new moon, and Māgha new moon.
तत्र वान्यतमं ग्राह्यं दिनमासाप्रतीतितः । वृद्धिसप्तमसीमंत प्रेतश्राद्धानुमासिकम्
Among them, any one day may be chosen when the day and month are uncertain; the rites of increase, the seventh-day, the boundary, the funeral śrāddha, and the monthly rite—
नित्योदकुंभश्राद्धं च मासे स्युरधिकेऽपि च । ग्रहणे पुत्रजन्मादौ कर्मण्यपि च शांतिके
The perpetual water-pot śrāddha also, and even if the month is extra; at the time of an eclipse, the birth of a son, or in rites for appeasement—
संकल्पिते च सर्वस्मिन्नधिमासो न दुष्यति । रोगी यदा मनुष्यः स्याच्छ्राद्धकर्मण्युपस्थिते
In all these cases, if the extra month is determined, it is not faulty; when a person is ill at the time for the śrāddha rite—
भार्यां वा भ्रातरं वापि शिष्यं वापि नियोजयेत् । तस्याभावे न हानिः स्यात्कर्मणः श्राद्धसंज्ञिनः
He should appoint his wife, or brother, or even a disciple; if none of these are available, there is no loss of the rite called śrāddha.
नित्यश्राद्धे यथाशक्ति भोक्तारं तु नियोजयेत् । अमावास्या मासिकं च मृताह व्यतिरेकि यत्
In the daily śrāddha, one should appoint an eater according to ability; the monthly and amāvāsyā śrāddha, and the additional one for the day of death—
स्वयं कर्मण्यशक्तश्चेत्सुतं विप्रं नियोजयेत् । राजकार्यनियुक्तस्य दासग्रहणवर्तिनः
If one is personally unable to perform the rite, one should appoint a son or a Brāhmaṇa; for one engaged in royal service or in the house of a master—
व्यसनेषु समस्तेषु श्राद्धं विप्रेण कारयेत् । प्रातःकाले तु न श्राद्धं प्रकुर्वंति द्विजोत्तमाः
In all such adversities, the śrāddha should be performed by a Brāhmaṇa; but the best of twice-born do not perform śrāddha in the morning.
नैमित्तिकेषु श्राद्धेषु न कालनियमः स्मृतः
For occasional śrāddhas, there is no fixed time prescribed.
गृहादिव्यतिरिक्तस्य प्रक्रमः कुतुपः स्मृतः । कुतुपादथवाप्यर्वागासन्नकुतुपो भवेत्
Except for those performed at home and similar, the proper time is called kutupa; or it may be performed a little before or after kutupa.
मासेमासे यथाश्राद्धेऽपराह्णस्पृग्विधीयते । अपराह्णव्यापिनी स्यादुभयत्र यदा त्वमा
For monthly śrāddhas, the prescribed time is the afternoon; when the new moon extends into both, it applies to both cases.
क्षये पूर्वा तु कर्तव्या वृद्धौ साम्ये परा स्मृता । अमावास्या तु या हि स्यादपराह्णद्वये समा
When it decreases, it should be done earlier; when it increases or is equal, the later time is prescribed; but if the new moon falls equally on two afternoons—
क्षये पूर्वा परा वृद्धौ साम्येऽपि च परा भवेत् । क्षीणस्तु चंद्रमा यत्र तत्र श्राद्धं तु पार्वणम्
When the moon is waning, the earlier tithi prevails; when waxing, the later tithi prevails; even if they are equal, the later prevails. Wherever the moon is diminished, there the Parvaṇa Śrāddha should be performed.
अमाष्टभागे सूक्ष्मोऽसौ भूताष्टांशे स नास्ति चेत् । मध्याह्नव्यापिनी सा स्यादेकोद्दिष्टे तिथिर्भवेत्
If, at the eighth part of the new moon, only a subtle portion remains, and at the eighth part of the waxing phase it is absent, then the tithi that extends into midday is considered for the Ekoddiṣṭa rite.
सायाह्नव्यापिनी या स्यात्पार्वणे सा तिथिर्भवेत् । अल्पापराह्णगा यामा ग्राह्या श्राद्धादिके भवेत्
The tithi that extends into the evening is considered for Parvaṇa; those that last only a short time in the afternoon are acceptable for Śrāddha and similar rites.
मृताहे त्रिमुहूर्ता च सायंकाले तिथिर्भवेत् । परेह्यस्तंगता यत्र त्रिमुहूर्तं तु पूर्ववत्
On the day of death, if the tithi lasts for three muhūrtas in the evening, it is considered valid; if it sets after that, then for three muhūrtas, it is as before.