त्रिकुशग्रन्थिसंयुक्तमुत्तानमथ कल्पयेत् । ततः संप्रोक्ष्य पात्रेषु सपवित्रतिलेषु च
Prepare them upright, joined with three knots of kuśa grass; then sprinkle the vessels and the sesame seeds with water using the sacred thread.
शं नो देव्या जलं क्षिप्त्वा तिलोऽसीति तिलान्क्षिपेत् । गन्धपुष्पमथो दत्त्वा स्वधार्घ इति पृच्छति
Pour water for the goddess, saying 'śaṃ no devyā', then place sesame seeds, saying 'these are sesame seeds'; after offering fragrant flowers, ask, 'Is this the ancestral arghya?'
दत्तोत्तरोऽस्त्वर्घ इति पितॄनावाहयेत्ततः । तिलपुष्पकुशैस्तिष्ठन्कल्पितार्घं करे दधत्
After receiving the reply, 'Here is your arghya,' then invoke the ancestors; standing with sesame, flowers, and kuśa grass, holding the prepared arghya in the hand.
उशन्तस्त्वेति मन्त्रेण त्रिरर्घोदकमर्पयेत् । अर्चनं तु तदा तेषामपसव्यं तु पूवर्वत्
With the mantra 'uśantastv', offer the arghya water three times; then worship them, as before, with the sacred thread over the left shoulder.
प्रक्षाल्य भाजनं स्वर्णं देवानां परिकल्पयेत् । पितॄणां राजतं कुर्याद्यथासंभवमेव वा
After thoroughly cleansing the vessel, one should prepare a golden vessel for the gods; for the ancestors, a silver one should be used, or whatever is available.
तदभावे तु कांस्यं स्यादनन्याशितमुत्तमम् । पात्राणि तदभावे स्युः पालाशानि न मध्यमम्
If that is not available, a bronze vessel is best, provided it has not been used for anything else; if even that is lacking, then vessels made of palāśa wood may be used, though they are not of the highest quality.
रम्भाणि चूतपत्राणि जम्बूपुंनागकानि च । पराकान्यथ चाम्पानि मधूककुटजान्यपि
Vessels made from the leaves of banana, mango, jambū, puṇḍarīka, or from the bark of the campaka, madhūka, or kuṭaja trees may also be used.
मातुलुङ्गस्य पत्राणि श्राद्धे देयानि वै नृभिः । दर्व्यामन्नमथाऽदाय कराभ्यामाज्यमेव च
Leaves of the mātuluṅga tree should be given at the śrāddha by men; after taking the food with a ladle, and the ghee with the hands.
प्रवेषणं ततः पृच्छेत्प्राचीनावीतवान्द्विजम् । करिष्येऽग्नौकरणमिति कुरुष्वेति तदुत्तरम्
After this, one should ask the twice-born wearing the sacred thread over the right shoulder for permission to begin the offering into the fire, saying, 'I will perform the ritual in the fire,' to which the reply should be, 'Proceed.'
परिविष्योपवीती स्यादभिघार्य समाहरेत् । हुनेत्सोमाय पितृमते स्वधा नम इतीरयन्
Having served the food, the sacrificer, wearing the sacred thread properly, should perform the abhighāra (sprinkling), collect the offerings, and offer them into the fire to Soma, the Lord of the ancestors, reciting 'Svadhā, obeisance.'
यमायाङ्गिरसे पितृमते स्वधा नम इति । द्वितीयामाहुतिं हुत्वा चाभिघार्याक्षतं ततः
To Yama, Aṅgiras, and the Lord of the ancestors, reciting 'Svadhā, obeisance,' the second oblation is offered; then, after the abhighāra, uncooked rice is offered.
अग्नये कव्यवाहनाय स्वधा नमस्ततः परम् । हुत्वाऽपसव्यं कृत्वा तु परिविष्य द्विजान्व्रजेत्
Then, to Agni, the carrier of offerings to the ancestors, reciting 'Svadhā, obeisance,' the offering is made; after this, having performed the ritual with the thread over the left shoulder, one should serve the food and approach the Brahmins.
मेक्षणेन ततोऽभीक्ष्णं पातयेत्पितृपात्रके । पिण्डपात्रमतः शेषं दर्वीप्रक्षालनं ततः
Then, by repeated sprinkling, one should pour into the vessel for the ancestors; after that, the remainder is placed in the piṇḍa vessel, and then the ladle is washed.
मेक्षणस्याग्निनिक्षेपं ततः पात्राण्युपस्तरेत् । पात्रदक्षिणभागे तु दद्यादन्नमनन्तरम्
After placing the fire from the sprinkling, one should arrange the vessels; then, on the right side of the vessel, the food should be given immediately.
भक्ष्याणि भोज्यशाकानि सर्वाण्येव स दत्तवान् । अथातिथिर्महावृद्धो वीक्षमाणस्ततस्ततः
He should give all the foods, including those to be eaten, those to be enjoyed, and all kinds of vegetables; then, the honored guest, an elderly man, looks around attentively.
उवाच राघवं शान्तं शीघ्रमेव नमस्कुरु । बुभुक्षा वर्ततेऽस्माकं भोक्ष्येऽहं वा तवाऽज्ञया
He said to Rāghava, who was calm, 'Quickly offer your respects; we are hungry and I will eat, either by your command or as you wish.'
रामो बभाषे वचनं विलम्बय क्षणं मुने । देवताः पितरो मङ्क्षु नमस्यन्तेऽधुना मया
Rāma replied, 'Wait a moment, O sage; the gods and ancestors are now being worshipped by me.'
इत्युक्त्वा राघवः प्रादादन्नं पात्रगतं तदा । प्राक्सौम्याग्रान्कुशान्दैवे प्रतीचीदक्षिणाग्रकान्
Having said this, Rāghava then offered the food placed in the vessel; for the divine offering, he used kuśa grass with the tips facing east, and for the ancestral offering, with the tips facing south.
पित्र्ये पवित्रे ये दर्भा यवानथ तिलानपि । अन्नप्रदानं कुर्वन्ति पृथिवी इति मन्त्रतः
For the ancestral rite, the sacred darbha grass, barley, and sesame are used; the offering of food is made with the mantra, 'Earth.'
इदं विष्णुरिति स्पृष्टमङ्गुष्ठेन द्विजस्य तु । देवेभ्यः प्रथमं दद्याद्ये देवा इति वै पठन्
Touching it with the thumb, the twice-born should recite 'This is Viṣṇu'; first, he should give to the gods, reciting 'These are the gods.'
पितॄणां च ततो दद्याद्दद्यादतिथये ततः । देवताभ्य इति मुखानुच्चार्याऽपोशनं ददेत्
Then, he should give to the ancestors, and after that to the guest; uttering 'To the deities,' he should offer water for rinsing the mouth.
त्रिर्जपित्वा तु गायत्रीमुपवीती पुरोमुखः । प्राचीनावीतवान्ब्रूयान्मधुत्रयमतः परम्
Having recited the Gāyatrī mantra three times, wearing the sacred thread over the right shoulder and facing east, he should then, with the thread over the left shoulder, recite the three honey mantras.
भुञ्जध्वमिति तानुक्त्वा भुञ्जानेषु द्विजातिषु । रक्षोघ्नमन्त्रपठनं भक्ष्यभोज्यादि दापयन्
Having said to them, 'Eat,' as the twice-born began to partake, he had the protective mantras recited and provided them with food, eatables, and the like.
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे विप्रो योऽतिथिस्तदिदं तथा । कृतवान्महदाश्चर्यं तद्वदामि समासतः
Meanwhile, O Rama, a Brahmin guest arrived and performed a great and wondrous act, which I will now briefly recount.
पात्रस्थितमशेषं च ग्रासेनैकेन चाग्रसत् । प्राणाहुतीनां पर्याप्तं दीयतामिति चाब्रवीत्
He consumed all that was in the vessel in a single mouthful and said, 'Let there be enough offerings for the life-sacrifices—give them.'
एतावद्दातुमशक्तः कथं श्राद्धक्रियोद्यतः । ममैकस्य प्रदाने त्वमशक्तो राम किं वृथा
Unable to give even this much, how are you prepared to perform the śrāddha rite? If you cannot give even to one like me, O Rama, why act in vain?
बहूनां भोजनं दातुमुद्युक्तो राम किं वृथा । सहसा कृतकर्माणि न समाप्तिं प्रयान्ति च
Why make the effort to feed many, O Rama, if you cannot? Actions done hastily do not reach completion.
त्वया कृतमशेषाणां नालं प्राणाहुतिर्मम । कथं मे दीयते भुक्तिः कथमेषां तथा वद
What you have given is not sufficient for all my life-offerings; how then is my meal to be given, and how for these others? Tell me this.
रामस्तमब्रवीद्वीरो भुंक्ष्व त्वं हि यथासुखम् । इत्युदीर्य निरीक्ष्यास्य कर्म तत्परमाद्भुतम्
Rama, the valiant one, said to him, 'Eat as you please.' Having spoken thus and watched his actions, he was greatly astonished.
अथ शंभुं समाहूय प्राह त्वं परिवेषय । त्वं पिता पार्वती माता शिवा देवीति मे मतिः
Then, calling upon Śambhu, he said, 'You serve the food. You are my father, Pārvatī is my mother, and Śivā Devī is my conviction.'