Varaha Purana

सर्वे ते मयि वर्त्तन्ते सत्यमेतद्ब्रवीमि ते

All of them abide in me; this is the truth I tell you.

उत्तरोऽग्निरहं चैव दक्षिणाग्निरहं तथा

I am the northern fire, and indeed I am the southern fire as well.

पावनः पावकश्चैव अहमेव व्यवस्थितः

I am established as the purifier and as the fire itself.

वैश्वदेवे नियुञ्जीत ब्रह्मचारी शुचिः सदा

A celibate, always pure, should be appointed at the Vaiśvadeva offering.

एतान्न भोजयेच्छ्राद्धे देवतीर्थेषु पूजयेत्

He should not feed these at śrāddha, but should worship them at divine sacred places.

उत्तमो गृहसन्तुष्टः क्षान्तो दान्तो जितेन्द्रियः

The highest is one content in his household, patient, self-controlled, and master of his senses.

वेदविद्याव्रतस्नातो सुविमृष्टान्नभोजकः १९०.

He is versed in the Vedas, devoted to vows, purified by sacred bathing, and eats well-prepared food.

दत्त्वा हुताशनायादौ देवतीर्थेषु सुन्दरि

Having offered first to the fire and at divine holy places, O beautiful one,

चतुर्णामेव वर्णानां यद्यथा श्राद्धमर्हति

He should perform the śrāddha for each of the four castes as is proper for them.

यन्न पश्यन्ति ते भोज्यं श्वानः कुक्कुटसूकराः

That food which is not seen by dogs, cocks, or pigs,

सर्वकर्मकरा ये च सर्वभक्षाश्च ये नराः

And by those who do all kinds of work, and by men who eat everything,

एते पश्यन्ति यच्छ्राद्धं तच्छ्राद्धं राक्षसं विदुः

Whatever śrāddha is seen by these, that śrāddha is known as demonic.

हृतं यदा तु त्रैलोक्यं शक्रस्यार्थे त्रिविक्रमे

When the three worlds were taken for the sake of Śakra in the stride of Viṣṇu,

वर्जनीया बुधैरेते पितृयज्ञेषु सुन्दरि

These are to be avoided by the wise in ancestral rites, O beautiful one.

पितॄंस्तत्राह्वयेद्भूमे मन्त्रेण विधिपूर्वकम्

There, one should invoke the ancestors on earth with the proper mantra and procedure.

पिता पितामहश्चैव तथैव प्रपितामहः

The father, the grandfather, and likewise the great-grandfather,

प्रणम्य शिरसा देवीर्निर्वापस्य च धारिणीः १९०.

Having bowed with the head to the goddesses and to the holders of the offering,

एवं दत्तेन प्रीयन्ते पितरश्च न संशयः

In this way, the ancestors are pleased by the offering; there is no doubt.

त्रयस्तत्र वरारोहे देवगात्राद्विनिस्सृताः

Three there, O lovely one, have arisen from the body of the gods.

देवतासुरगन्धर्वा यक्षराक्षसपन्नगाः

The gods, demons, gandharvas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, and serpents,

पितृयज्ञं विशालाक्षि ये कुर्वन्ति विदो जनाः

Those wise people, O wide-eyed one, who perform the ancestral rite,

ददन्ते पितरस्तस्य आरोग्यं नात्र संशयः

The ancestors grant him health; there is no doubt about this.

तिर्यग्भ्यश्च विमुच्यन्ते प्रेतभावेन मानवाः

Men are released from animals and from the state of departed spirits.

पूजकः पितृदेवानां सर्वकालं गृहाश्रमे

One who worships the ancestors and gods at all times in the householder stage,

अक्षय्यं तस्य मन्यन्ते पितरः श्राद्धतर्पिताः

His ancestors, satisfied by the śrāddha offerings, regard his merit as inexhaustible.

सात्विकं शुक्लपन्थानमेते यान्ति विदो जनाः

Those learned ones who follow the sattvic, pure path, attain it.

अज्ञानतमसारूढा निकृतिज्ञाः शठास्तथा १९०.

Those who are steeped in ignorance and darkness, who are deceitful and cunning,

कल्पान्तं पच्यमानापि त्रायन्ते येन मानवाः

Even when being tormented until the end of the age, people are rescued by him.

मुंचन्ति जलबिन्दूंश्च अमां प्राप्य जलाशये

They release drops of water, having reached the water-reservoir without flesh.