Varaha Purana

ते च वैमानिकाः सर्वे ब्रह्मणः सप्त मानसाः । तत् पिण्डदानं मन्त्रोक्तं प्रपश्यन्तो व्यवस्थिताः ।। १३.

All those celestial beings—the seven mind-born sons of Brahmā—remain, observing the prescribed piṇḍa offerings as declared in the mantras.

गौरमुख उवाच । ये च ते पितरो ब्रह्मन् यं च कालं समासते । किं यतो वै पितृगणास्तस्मिंल्लोके व्यवस्थिताः ।। १३.

Gauramukha said: 'Who are those Pitṛs, O Brāhmaṇa, and for what period do they remain? Why are the groups of ancestors established in that world?'

मार्कण्डेय उवाच । प्रवर्त्तन्ते वराः केचिद् देवानां सोमवर्द्धनाः । ते मरीच्यादयः सप्त स्वर्गे ते पितरः स्मृताः ।। १३.

Mārkaṇḍeya said: 'Some excellent ones, who increase the strength of the gods and Soma, are active; they are the seven, beginning with Marīci, and are remembered as the Pitṛs in heaven.'

चत्वारो मूर्त्तिमन्तो वै त्रयस्त्वन्ये ह्यमूर्त्तयः । तेषां लोकनिसर्गं च कीर्त्तयिष्यामि तच्छृणु ।। १३.

Four of them possess form, while the other three are formless; I shall describe to you the creation of their worlds—listen to this.

प्रभावं च महर्धि च विस्तरेण निबोध मे । धर्ममूर्तिधरास्तेषां त्रयोऽन्ये परमा गणाः । तेषां नामानि लोकांश्च कीर्तयिष्यामि तच्छृणु ।। १३.

Hear from me in detail their power and great majesty; three of them bear the form of Dharma, and the others are supreme groups. I shall declare their names and their worlds—listen to this.

लोकाः संतानका नाम यत्र तिष्ठन्ति भास्वराः । अमूर्त्तयः पितृगणास्ते वै पुत्राः प्रजापतेः ।। १३.

The worlds called Saṃtānakas are where the radiant, formless groups of Pitṛs reside—these are the sons of the Lord of creatures.

विराजस्य प्रजाश्रेष्ठा वैराजा इति ते स्मृताः १३.

The best of the progeny of Virāṭ are known as the Vairājas.

एते वै लोकविभ्रष्टा लोकान् प्राप्य सनातनान् । पुनर्युगशतान्तेषु जायन्ते ब्रह्मवादिनः ।। १३.

These, having fallen from their worlds, attain the eternal worlds again, and at the end of hundreds of ages, they are born once more as knowers of Brahman.

ते प्राप्य तां स्मृतिं भूयः साध्य योगमनुत्तमम् । चिन्त्य योगगतिं शुद्धां पुनरावृत्तिदुर्लभाम् ।। १३.

Regaining that memory, they again attain the highest, flawless path of yoga, contemplating the pure course of yoga, which is difficult to return from.

एते स्म पितरः श्राद्धे योगिनां योगवर्द्धनाः । आप्यायितास्तु ते पूर्वं योगं योगबले रतौ ।। १३.

These ancestors, nourished by the offerings at śrāddha, increase the yoga of the yogins; formerly, when they were satisfied, they delighted in the strength of yoga.

तस्माच्छ्राद्धानि देयानि योगिनां योगिसत्तम । एष वै प्रथमः सर्गः सोमपानामनुत्तमः ।। १३.

Therefore, śrāddha offerings should be given by yogins, O best of yogis; this is indeed the foremost creation of those who drink soma, unsurpassed.

एते त एकतनवो वर्तन्ते द्बिजसत्तमाः । भूर्लोकवासिनां याज्याः स्वर्गलोकनिवासिनः १३.

These very ones, O best of twice-born, exist as a single lineage; those dwelling in the earthly world are to be worshipped, as are those residing in the heavenly world.

कल्पवासिकसंज्ञानां तेषामपि जने गताः । सनकाद्यास्ततस्तेषां वैराजास्तपसि स्थिताः । तेषां सत्यगता मुक्ता इत्येषा पितृसंततिः ।। १३.

Among them are those known as Kalpavāsikas; among their people are Sanaka and others, and the Vairājas established in austerity; among them, those who have attained truth are liberated—thus is the lineage of the ancestors.

अग्निष्वात्तेति मारीच्या वैराजा बर्हिसंज्ञिताः । सुकालेयापि पितरो वसिष्ठस्य प्रजापतेः । तेऽपि याज्यास्त्रिभिर्वर्णैर्न शूद्रेण पृथक्कृतम् ।। १३.

The Agniṣvāttas are the descendants of Marīci, the Vairājas are called Barhiṣads; the ancestors of Vasiṣṭha, the lord of progeny, are called Sukāleyas; these also are to be worshipped with the three Vedic mantras, not separately by a Śūdra.

वर्णत्रयाभ्यनुज्ञातः शूद्रः सर्वान् पितृन् यजेत् । न तु तस्य पृथक् सन्ति पितरः शूद्रजातयः ।। १३.

A Śūdra, permitted by the three varṇas, may worship all the ancestors; but there are no separate ancestors belonging to the Śūdra lineage.

मुक्तश्चेतनको ब्रह्मन् ननु विप्रेषु दृश्यते । विशेषशास्त्रदृष्ट्या तु पुराणानां च दर्शनात् ।। १३.

O Brāhmaṇa, a liberated and conscious being is indeed seen among the Brāhmaṇas; but according to the special scriptures and the view of the Purāṇas, it is otherwise.

एवं ऋषिस्तुतैः शास्त्रं ज्ञात्वा याज्यकसंभवान् । स्वयं सृष्ट्यां स्मृतिर्लब्धा पुत्राणां ब्रह्मणा ततः । परं निर्वाणमापन्नास्तेऽपि ज्ञानेन एव च ।। १३.

Thus, knowing the scripture praised by the sages and the origins of those to be worshipped, memory of their own creation was obtained by their sons from Brahmā; they too attained the highest liberation through knowledge.

वस्वादीनां कश्यपाद्या वर्णानां वसवादयः । अविशेषेण विज्ञेया गन्धर्वाद्या अपि ध्रुवम् ।। १३.

The Vasus and others, beginning with Kaśyapa, are to be understood as belonging to all varṇas; the Gandharvas and others as well, certainly.

एष ते पैतृकः सर्ग उद्देशेन महामुने । कथितो नान्त एवास्य वर्षकोट्या हि दृश्यते ।। १३.

This, O great sage, is the creation of the ancestors described to you in summary; there is truly no end to it, even in a hundred million years.

श्राद्धस्य कालान् वक्ष्यामि तान् श्रृणुष्व द्विजोत्तम । श्राद्धार्हमागतं द्रव्यं विशिष्टमथवा द्विजम् ।। १३.

I will now speak of the proper times for śrāddha; listen to them, O best of twice-born: when suitable offerings or an excellent Brāhmaṇa is available for śrāddha.

श्राद्धं कुर्वीत विज्ञाय व्यतीपातेऽयने तथा । विषुवे चैव संप्राप्ते ग्रहणे शशिसूर्ययोः । समस्तेष्वेव विप्रेन्द्र राशिष्वर्केऽतिगच्छति ।। १३.

One should perform śrāddha, knowing the proper time, at the solstice, the equinox, and when there is an eclipse of the moon or sun; also, O best of Brāhmaṇas, whenever the sun passes into a new zodiac sign.

नक्षत्रग्रहपीडासु दुष्टस्वप्नावलोकने । इच्छाश्राद्धानि कुर्वीत नवसस्यागमे तथा ।। १३.

When afflicted by inauspicious stars or planets, or after seeing evil dreams, one should perform śrāddha by one's own wish, as well as at the coming of new grain.

अमावास्या यदा आर्द्राविशाखास्वातियोगिनो । श्राद्धैः पितृगणस्तृप्तिं तदाप्नोत्यष्टवार्षिकीम् ।। १३.

When the new moon falls on the conjunction with Ārdrā, Viśākhā, or Svāti, the groups of ancestors attain satisfaction lasting eight years from the śrāddha performed then.

अमावस्या यदा पुष्ये रौद्रेऽथर्क्षे पुनर्वसौ । द्वादशाब्दं तथा तृप्तिं प्रयान्ति पितरोऽर्च्चिताः ।। १३.

When the new moon falls on Puṣya, on the fierce nakṣatra, or on Punarvasu, the ancestors who are honored then attain satisfaction for twelve years.

वासवाजैकपादर्क्षे पितॄणां तृप्तिमिच्छताम् । वारुणे चाप्यमावास्या देवानामपि दुर्लभा ।। १३.

On the new moon in the Vāsava, Ājaikapāda, or Vāruṇa nakṣatras, those who desire the satisfaction of the ancestors should perform śrāddha; even the gods find it difficult to obtain satisfaction then.

नवस्वर्क्षेष्वमावास्या यदा तेषु द्विजोत्तम । तदा श्राद्धानि देयानि अक्षय्यफलमिच्छताम् । अपि कोटिसहस्त्रेण पुण्यस्यान्तो न विद्यते ।। १३.

O best of twice-born, when the new moon falls in any of the nine nakṣatras, śrāddha should be performed by those desiring inexhaustible merit; even with ten million times a thousand, the limit of merit is not reached.

अथापरं पितरः श्राद्धकालं रहस्यमस्मत् प्रवदन्ति पुण्यम् । वैशाखमासस्य तु या तृतीया नवम्यसौ कार्त्तिकशुक्लपक्षे ।। १३.

Now, the ancestors speak of another, secret, and meritorious time for śrāddha: the third day of the bright half of Vaiśākha, and the ninth day of the bright half of Kārttika.

नभस्यमासस्य तमिस्त्रपक्षे त्रयोदशी पञ्चदशी च माघे । उपप्लवे चन्द्रमसो रवेश्च तथाष्टकास्वप्ययनद्वये च ।। १३.

On the thirteenth and fifteenth days of the dark fortnight in the month of Māgha, during an eclipse of the moon or sun, as well as on the Aṣṭakā days and at both solstices—

पानीयमप्यत्र तिलैर्विमिश्रं दद्यात्पितृभ्यः प्रयतो मनुष्यः । श्राद्धं कृतं तेन समाःसहस्त्रं रहस्यमेतत् पितरो वदन्ति ।। १३.

—here, a person should, with devotion, offer water mixed with sesame seeds to the ancestors; by this act, the śrāddha performed grants satisfaction to the ancestors for a thousand years—this secret is spoken by the forefathers.