निवेदितं मया भक्त्या भगवन्प्रतिगृह्यताम् । द्वादशाक्षरमंत्रेण यथासंख्य जपेन च
Offered by me with devotion, O Lord, may you accept it; with the twelve-syllable mantra, and by reciting it the prescribed number of times.
प्रीयतां मे श्रियःकांतः प्रीतो यच्छतु वांछितम् । पंच गावः समुत्पन्ना मथ्यमाने महोदधौ
May Śriyaḥkānta be pleased with me, and kindly grant what is desired; five cows arose when the great ocean was churned.
तासां मध्ये तु या नंदा तस्यै धेन्वै नमोनमः । गां संपूज्य विधानेन अर्घ्यं दद्यात्समाहितः
Among them, to that cow named Nandā, I offer repeated salutations. Having duly worshipped the cow, one should offer arghya with a focused mind.
सर्वकामदुघे देवि सर्वांतकनिवारिणी । आरोग्यं संततिं दीर्घां देहि नंदिनि मे सदा
O goddess, wish-fulfilling and remover of all death, always grant me health and long progeny, O Nandinī.
पूजिता च वसिष्ठेन विश्वामित्रेण धीमता । कपिले हर मे पापं यन्मया पूर्वसंचितम्
Worshipped by Vasiṣṭha and the wise Viśvāmitra, O Kapilā, remove the sins I have accumulated in the past.
गावो ममाग्रतः संतु गावो मे संतु पृष्ठतः । नाके मामुपतिष्ठंतु हेमशृंगी पयोमुचः
May cows be before me, may cows be behind me; may the golden-horned, milk-giving cows attend me in heaven.
सुरभ्यः सौरभेयाश्च सरितः सागरा यथा । सर्वदेवमये देवि सुभद्रे भक्तवत्सले
O Surabhi and her descendants, like rivers and oceans, O goddess composed of all the gods, auspicious one, lover of devotees.
एवं संपूज्य विधिवद्दद्याद्गोषु गवाह्निकम् । सौरभेयः सर्वहिताः पवित्राः पापनाशनाः
Thus, having worshipped properly, one should give the daily offering to the cows; the descendants of Surabhi are beneficial to all, pure, and destroy sin.
प्रतिगृह्णंतु मे ग्रासं गावस्त्रैलोक्यमातरः । गंगदायै नमो भूत्यै सर्वपापप्रहाणये
May the cows, mothers of the three worlds, accept my offering; salutations to Gaṅgā, to prosperity, to the destruction of all sins.
अनेनैव तु मंत्रेण गदां वैधारयेद्बुधः । पं नमः पद्मनाभाय पद्मं वै धारयेत्सुधीः
With this very mantra, the wise should ward off disease; 'Paṃ, salutations to Padmanābha,' the wise should bear the lotus.
चं चक्ररूपिणे विष्णो धारणं चक्रजं स्मृतम् । शं शंखरूपिणे तुभ्यं नमोऽस्तु सुखकारिणे
'Caṃ'—to Viṣṇu in the form of the discus, bearing the discus is remembered; 'Śaṃ'—to you in the form of the conch, salutations to the bringer of happiness.
मंत्रेणानेन वै दूता धारणं शंखजं स्मृतम् । चतुर्णामायुधानां तु धारणं मुनिभिः स्मृतम्
With this mantra, O messenger, bearing the conch is remembered; the bearing of all four weapons is remembered by the sages.
अग्निहोत्रं यथा नित्यं वेदस्याध्ययनं तथा । ब्राह्मणस्य तथैवेदं तप्तमुद्रादि धारणम्
Just as agnihotra is daily, and the study of the Veda as well, so too for a brāhmaṇa is the bearing of heated marks and the like.
चंदनेन सुगंधेन गोपिकाचंदनेन तु । धारणं च विशेषेण ब्राह्मणैर्वेदपारगैः
With fragrant sandalwood, and especially with gopikā-sandal, the bearing of marks is especially for brāhmaṇas learned in the Veda.
चांडालोऽपि भवेच्छुद्धो धारणाच्च न संशयः । ऊर्ध्वं पुंड्रमृजुं सौम्यं सचिह्नं धारयेद्यदि
Even a caṇḍāla becomes pure by bearing them, there is no doubt; if he bears the upright, gentle, marked ūrdhva-puṇḍra.
स चांडालोऽपि शुद्धात्मा पूज्य एव सदा द्विजैः । चांडालानां गृहे दूतास्तुलसी यत्र दृश्यते
Even that caṇḍāla, pure in soul, is always to be honored by twice-born; in the houses of caṇḍālas, where tulasī is seen, messengers dwell.
तत्रत्या तुलसी ग्राह्या भक्तिभावेन चेतसा
The tulasī found there should be accepted with a mind full of devotion.
महादेव उवाच- पप्रच्छाहं जगन्नाथं व्रतानामुत्तमं व्रतम् । पुत्रपौत्रविवृद्ध्यर्थं सुखसौभाग्यदायकम्
Mahādeva said: I asked the Lord of the universe about the supreme vow among vows, which brings increase of sons and grandsons, and bestows happiness and good fortune.
तवाग्रे संप्रवक्ष्यामि शृणु सुंदरि सांप्रतम् । इदं कथानकं दिव्यमृषीणां व्रतमुत्तमम्
I shall now declare to you, O beautiful one, this divine story, the supreme vow of the sages.
रजस्वला तु या नारी सहसा पापरूपिणी । कृतेन च व्रतेनैव महापापैः प्रमुच्यते । पितॄणामक्षयं देयं धर्मकामार्थसाधनम्
A woman who is menstruating is considered suddenly sinful; yet by performing this vow, she is freed from great sins. It should be given unfailingly to the ancestors, as it accomplishes righteousness, desire, and wealth.
श्रीविष्णुरुवाच- पूर्वमासीन्महाबाहुर्ब्राह्मणो वेदपारगः । सदाध्ययनशीलस्तु देवशर्मा इति द्विजः
Śrī Viṣṇu said: Formerly, there was a mighty-armed Brāhmaṇa, well-versed in the Vedas, ever devoted to study, named Devaśarman.
अग्निहोत्रक्रियायुक्तः षट्कर्मनिरतः सदा । सर्ववर्णेषु संपूज्यः सपुत्रपशुबांधवः
He was engaged in the performance of agnihotra rituals, always devoted to the six duties, honored by all castes, and surrounded by sons, cattle, and relatives.
तस्य ब्राह्मणमुख्यस्य भग्ना च गृहवाहिनी । प्राप्ते भाद्रपदे मासे शुक्लपक्षे तु पंचमी
For that foremost Brāhmaṇa, his household provisions were exhausted when the month of Bhādrapada arrived, on the fifth day of the bright fortnight.
पितुःक्षयाहं कुरुते यतात्मा च जितेंद्रियः । रात्रौ निमंत्रयेद्विप्रान्सुखसौभाग्यदायकान्
With his father deceased, self-controlled and master of his senses, he invited Brāhmaṇas at night—those who bestow happiness and good fortune.
प्रभाते विमले प्राप्ते भांडान्यन्यानि कारयेत् । पाकं सर्वेषु पात्रेषु स कारयति जायया
When the pure morning arrived, he arranged various vessels, and with his wife, prepared food in all the pots.
अष्टादशरसोपेतं पितॄणां प्रीतिदायकम् । आकारणं ततो दत्त्वा विप्राणां च पृथक्पृथक्
He had dishes with eighteen flavors prepared, pleasing to the ancestors, and then, after making the proper offerings, gave them separately to the Brāhmaṇas.
सर्वे विप्रास्तु संप्राप्ता मध्याह्ने वेदपाठकाः । अर्घपाद्यादि विधिवत्कृतवान्द्विजसत्तमः
All the Brāhmaṇas, reciters of the Vedas, arrived at midday; the excellent twice-born performed the arghya, pādya, and other rites according to rule.
रजसा दूषितः श्राद्धे प्रक्षाल्य विधिवत्तदा । गृहमध्ये गताः सर्वे आसने ते निरूपिताः
Having been soiled by dust during the śrāddha, they washed themselves properly; then all entered the house and were seated in their assigned places.
प्रदत्तं भोजनं तेन मिष्टान्नेन विशेषतः । विधिना च कृतं श्राद्धं पिंडदानप्रपूर्वकम्
He served them food, especially with sweet rice, and performed the śrāddha according to the rite, beginning with the offering of rice-balls.
तांबूलं दक्षिणां चैव वस्त्राणि विविधानि च । सर्वं ददौ द्विजेभ्यो वै पितृध्यानपरायणः
He gave betel, gifts, and various garments—all to the Brāhmaṇas, being devoted to meditation on his ancestors.