Having gathered at a great and venerable tree, the mourners collected many kinds of fragrant substances, each carefully chosen for their sanctity and sweet aroma. These offerings, radiant with the promise of unfailing brilliance, were reverently arranged in honor of the departed. With hearts full of devotion, they invoked the sacred waters—calling upon the presence of Kurukshetra, the holy Ganga and Yamuna, the Gandaki, auspicious Bhadra, the Sarayu that bestows strength, and all the sacred places of the earth, as well as the four mighty oceans. Each of these holy rivers and tirthas was invoked to sanctify the ritual. A sacred vessel, representing these waters, was placed above the departed, its southern tip positioned at his head. The mourners meditated upon the divine fire-faced deities and, taking fire in hand, performed the prescribed rites. Whether their actions were performed knowingly or unknowingly, with minds touched by both righteousness and unrighteousness, and even when clouded by greed and delusion, they understood the gravity and difficulty of the task before them. At the appointed moment, they placed the blazing fire at the head of the departed, symbolizing purification and release. Thus, O son, this is the ancient rite of purification prescribed for all four classes of society. With the name of the deceased pronounced with reverence, the funeral cake was offered upon the earth, completing the essential act of śrāddha. So concluded the one hundred and eighty-seventh chapter, “The Origin of Śrāddha,” in the divine scripture of the Śrī Varāha Purāṇa. Now begins the sacred teaching on the origin of the piṇḍa-rite of śrāddha. The devotees praised the Lord, saying, “You are the god of gods, the lord of all worlds, unattached and supreme.” Śrī Varāha spoke: When a person’s allotted span of life has come to an end, it is proper to perform the third ritual bath in the waters of a river. After this purification, a ball of food—the piṇḍa—should be offered, accompanied by thirty handfuls of water, as an act of nourishment and farewell for the departed soul. In other places, these offerings are to be made on the seventh day after the ritual bath. On the tenth day, the garments of the mourners are to be purified with alkali and similar substances, restoring both cleanliness and sanctity. The following day, the eleventh, the ekoddiṣṭa rite should be performed in strict accordance with tradition. This rite is prescribed for all four varṇas, O Mādhavi. Having bathed and attained purity, the performer of the rite should seek to unite the departed soul with the ancestors. Impure substances are to be gathered as instructed by Brahmā. Service to the fallen and to Śūdras is also enjoined, for compassion and humility are part of the path. Reciting the name of the deceased, in whose honor the rite is conducted, the mourners should approach the invited Brāhmaṇa with humility and focused attention. They acknowledge, “You have gone to the heavenly world, as ordained by Death.” After sunset, it is proper to go to the house of a Brāhmaṇa. There, with sincere intent for the benefit of the departed, one should massage the Brāhmaṇa’s feet. As long as the mourner remains there, he participates in the enjoyment intended for the departed. When the night has passed and the sun rises anew, the remains are to be taken to a pure place with unwavering concentration. A share of merit, properly prepared, should be sixty-four times as great as the good deed itself, amplifying the benefit given. The rites may be performed even in the shade of an elephant, by the riverside, or beneath a tree, but always in a place shielded from the eyes of chickens, dogs, or pigs. The wise avoid those places where a chicken’s wings might stir the air, or where a caṇḍāla may tread, for such influences are inauspicious. Serpents, spirits, sacrifices, and all that is movable and immovable are also to be considered in the choice of place, for the world, O lovely-hipped one, is sustained by the power of Viṣṇu. Thus, let the mourners bathe, O Earth, upon the ground immediately after the rites, completing the sacred observances as prescribed by ancient tradition.