With purity in mind and heart, the ritual for the departed begins. The ancestors are invoked, and the performer, composed and reverent, offers oblations accompanied by sacred mantras. These offerings are made for all four orders of society, honoring the universal bond between the living and the departed. When the rites for the departed are completed, and when a full year has passed since their departure, the family gathers—the paternal grandfather, the daughter-in-law, the wife, relatives, and kin. They mourn together, shedding tears for a brief moment, and then, with heavy hearts, turn away from the site of the ritual. At such times, profound questions arise: Whose is the mother, whose is the father, whose is the wife, whose are the sons? The funeral rites for the dead must indeed be performed with affection, but in this world, who truly belongs to whom, and what are we to one another? Yet, once the funeral rites are completed, the relationship of fatherhood is established anew, connecting the father, the grandfather, and the great-grandfather in a sacred lineage. Having explained these truths, the descendant of Atri clarified the determination of the ancestral rites. Nārada, the wise sage, then spoke, acknowledging that the law for all four classes had been established. He declared that the ancestral offerings should be performed in the month following the funeral, and likewise on each day thereafter. These rites are prescribed for Brāhmaṇas, while for Śūdras they are performed without mantras. Such śrāddha rituals are constantly performed, and this perpetual offering is known as naimiśrāddha. Having spoken thus, Nārada, foremost among the twice-born sages, concluded his teaching. In this way, the intention behind the offering and the origin of the śrāddha were revealed to Mādhavi. Thus ends the chapter named "The Origin of the Śrāddha and the Piṇḍa Ritual" in the divine scripture of the Śrī Varāha Purāṇa. Now begins the section on the origin of the piṇḍa ritual. The śrāddha has been described as it was performed, along with all matters of purity and impurity. Yet, a doubt arises. Vasundharā, with affection and the nature of a woman, asks Janārdana: Those who receive the portion for the departed—after eating it, by what act is the Brāhmaṇa or the god freed from its effects? The Lord, taking the form of Varāha, replies to Vasundharā, praising her question: "O Earth of beautiful form, you have asked well. I shall tell you how the twice-born are delivered." For the purification of the body, one should undertake a fast. Having performed the morning twilight rites and offered oblations to the fire, one should proceed to a river flowing eastward and bathe according to the prescribed method. In a vessel made of udumbara wood, water is prepared for peace-offerings. All the gods, beginning with Agni, are satisfied with offerings, each according to their share. At that time, a cow should be given, for this act destroys sin. If food for the departed is placed in the belly of one who has died, he attains the state of a rakshasa and is thus freed from sin. O Mādhavi, gifts of cows, elephants, horses, and wealth—even as vast as the ocean—are recommended. One who performs expiation, a twice-born endowed with knowledge and always engaged in Vedic study, delivers others. He delivers himself and the donor; there is no doubt. At the time of divine rites, at birth, under the birth-star, during śrāddha, and on festival days, one who is learned in the Vedas, who has bathed for vows, and who is devoted to many duties, who is endowed with forgiveness, learned in the scriptures, and devoted to non-violence—such a brāhmaṇa is fit to receive gifts. He is indeed capable of delivering the giver and the departed. Thus, the sacred rituals for the ancestors, the piṇḍa offerings, and the śrāddha are woven into the fabric of dharma, connecting the living and the departed, and ensuring the fulfillment of duty and the liberation of souls.