Having transcended the endless cycle of the three worlds and cast aside all fear of old age and death, the ancestors—those revered forebears—bestow upon the worthy the gifts of liberation and yogic sovereignty. It is they who grant the means to ultimate freedom, to mastery, and to the subtle forms enjoyed by the deities. Through their grace, one attains complete dispassion and the boundless infinite. The sovereignty they grant is no ordinary rule—it is yogic sovereignty, the highest wealth one can attain. Know that without this yogic mastery, liberation itself cannot be reached. Just as only those with wings can soar through the sky, so too, among all dharmas, liberation stands alone as the highest and eternal dharma. The ancestors are generous beyond measure. They grant thousands of celestial vehicles, each adorned with radiant apsarases and famed for fulfilling every desire. Wisdom, nourishment, memory, intelligence, sovereignty, and health—all these flow from the great-souled ancestors’ blessings. With affection, grandfathers bestow garments woven with pearls and cat’s-eye gems, teams of noble horses and elephants, and countless precious jewels. They delight in giving, offering with love swans and peacocks yoked to vehicles decked in pearls and cat’s-eye, hung with bells, and ever-laden with flowers and fruits for the joy of human beings. When honoring the ancestors, the vessels used must be pure and fitting—gold, silver, or copper are praised as suitable. Even a vessel of silver, or one plated with silver, is considered worthy for their offerings. The very sight or gift of silver is declared to be endless, inexhaustible, and a heavenly charity in the eyes of the ancestors; by such a gift, good sons bring deliverance to their forebears. In ancient times, the ancestors partook of the svadhā offering of milk from a silver vessel. For those who desire to honor them with the svadhā, when it is offered thus, it becomes inexhaustible. The presence or gift of a black antelope skin is also sacred—it wards off evil, increases Brahmanic splendor, and brings many benefits to the ancestors. Gold, silver, copper, a daughter’s son, a kutapa vessel, sesame seeds, pure garments, a triple staff, and the practice of yoga—these are all declared the best and eternal rules for the śrāddha ritual. This rite increases lifespan, fame, offspring, wisdom, and the growth of one’s lineage. The ritual is precise: in the southeast direction, at the prescribed site, a perfectly square area—one ratni on each side—should be prepared. The place for the ancestors is to be arranged as taught, for it brings prosperity, health, long life, strength, and enhances one’s complexion. There, three pits are to be made, and three khadira sticks, each a ratni in length and adorned with silver, are to be placed lengthwise, each four finger-breadths thick. These are set on the ground, facing east and south, without holes, and must be washed with water purified by darbha grass. Purification is done with cow’s or goat’s milk and sacred words. By such constant offerings, satisfaction is eternally attained. Here and hereafter, one who fulfills all duties, who worships the ancestors after bathing thrice daily with proper mantra and procedure, gains the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice. On the new moon, the offering is placed in a pit four finger-breadths square; these rites, known as the thrice-seven, uphold the three worlds. By performing them, one gains nourishment, wealth, long life, and progeny; diverse fortune follows, and ultimately, liberation is attained. This rite is purifying, removes sin, and yields the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice. When honored and worshipped by the twice-born, there is a mantra for it—immortal, created by Brahma—which I shall declare. Homage is always to be offered to the deities, the ancestors, and the great yogis, as well as to Svadhā and Svāhā. At the beginning and end of the śrāddha, this mantra should be recited three times, and again at the offering of the piṇḍa, with focused mind. When this is done, the ancestors quickly arrive and the demons flee. This mantra truly delivers the ancestors in all three worlds when recited at the śrāddha by those devoted to Brahman. One who desires sovereignty should recite this mantra with diligence; it increases strength, purity, wealth, virtue, glory, lifespan, and power. By its disciplined recitation, the ancestors are pleased. Now, I will declare the Seven-flamed (Saptārciṣa) mantra, auspicious and bestower of all desires. To the formless and the formed ancestors, radiant in their brilliance, I always bow—those contemplative ones with the eye of yoga. To those who are the progenitors of Indra and others, of Bhṛgu and Marīci, of the seven sages and the ancestors—I bow to those bestowers of desires. I bow to all the ancestors of Manu and the other lords of the gods, and of the Sun and the Moon, who grant well-being. To the ancestors of the stars, of the moving and unmoving, to the grandfathers, and likewise to Heaven and Earth, I bow with joined palms. To the progenitors of the divine sages, honored by all the worlds and ever bestowers of fearlessness, I bow with joined palms. To Prajāpati, Kaśyapa, Soma, Varuṇa, and the lords of yoga and union, I bow with joined palms. Salutation to the seven groups of ancestors in the seven worlds, and to the self-born Brahmā, the seer through yoga. This has been declared, honored by the groups of seven sages and brahmarṣis; it is supremely pure and destroys even the greatest sins. A man who follows this method receives three boons: the ancestors grant him food, long life, and sons on earth. He who, with supreme devotion, faith, and self-control, recites the Seven-flamed mantra always with concentration becomes the sole ruler of the earth, with its seven continents and oceans. Whatever is cooked in the house, whether to be eaten or enjoyed, should never be consumed without first offering it. Now, I will describe in order the bali vessels and the fruit that is declared for each—listen as I tell you.