In all the sacred places prescribed by tradition, it is taught that one should diligently perform the rite of śrāddha. By doing so, the wise attain the highest Brahmanical accomplishment. In the places designated for the three castes, and in accordance with the dharma of varṇa and āśrama, those who renounce anger find themselves able to properly honor their ancestors. A steadfast, faithful, and self-controlled person who follows the guidance regarding sacred places becomes purified—even if previously sinful. How much greater, then, is the purification for one who also performs virtuous deeds. Such a person does not enter a lower birth, nor is born in an unworthy place. The Brāhmaṇa, in particular, attains heavenly realms and finds the means to liberation. However, there are some for whom the fruits of these sacred places remain unattainable: those without faith, the sinful, atheists, those who remain fixed in doubt, and seekers of mere causes. These five do not obtain the benefits of the sacred places. The teacher’s sacred place is honored as the highest among all, and meditation upon it is regarded as the eternal Brahmanical sacred place. Beyond fasting, meditation and restraint of the senses are considered superior; fasting binds the vital breaths again and again, but meditation leads higher. By making the inhalation and exhalation equal, withdrawing the senses from their objects, and restraining the intellect within the mind, one achieves complete withdrawal. This withdrawal is known as the means to liberation, without any doubt. The mind of the senses is fierce, and so too are the activities of the intellect and other faculties. Through abstaining from food, one attains reduction; fasting itself is a form of austerity. Yet through restraint of intellect and mind, a delightful intellect arises. When all sins are exhausted and the senses subdued, the pure self attains complete quiescence—like a fire that has no fuel left. Through yoga, the knower separates the field-knower from causes and qualities, from both the manifest and the unmanifest. For such a yogin, there is no movement or place, no distinction between manifest and unmanifest; he is near and both existent and non-existent, with nothing remaining fixed. Now, the gifts and their fruits, the pure śrāddha rites, and those that should be avoided are declared. One should perform or bring the Agnihotra at the time of snowfall or during the winter season, for the merit gained from this is considered supreme. Śrāddha should not be performed at night, except when Rāhu is sighted; even if it requires all one’s wealth, it must be done swiftly when Rāhu appears. Rites should not be performed during an eclipse, for one sinks like a cow in mud; but if performed, they rescue those fallen from sin, like a boat in the ocean. Offerings for Viśvadeva and Soma should be abundant in meat, but horned animals and sword-bearing creatures should be avoided, as they are meant for the jealous and destructive. Once, Tvaṣṭṛ, restrained by the great lord of the gods, drank the Soma of Śacī’s husband and fell to earth. Śyāmāka grains appeared and were honored for the sake of the ancestors, as did the drops from Tvaṣṭṛ’s nostrils, attached in the same way. Śleṣmāṇa, śītalā, hṛdyā, and sweet sugarcane are also pleasing; with śyāmāka and sugarcane, one may fulfill all the desires of the ancestors. Whoever performs the āgrayaṇa with these attains success swiftly. Śyāmāka, hastināmā, paṭola, and bṛhatī fruit, along with Agastya’s crest, are intensely astringent. There are other sweet and pleasant things, but ginger and long-rooted plants should not be given in these rites. Bamboo shoots, surasā, sarjjaka, and grasses of the earth are also to be avoided; these are always forbidden in śrāddha rites. Garlic, coriander, onions, radish, and items like karambha are inferior due to their taste and smell. These are forbidden in śrāddha rites, and the reason is explained: long ago, in the battle between gods and demons, when Bali was defeated by the gods, blood drops fell from his wounds, and thus these items are always to be avoided. Extracts prescribed in the Vedas, salts, and alkaline substances, as well as menstruating women, are forbidden in śrāddha rites. Water that is foul-smelling, foamy, or from marshes, where cows do not find satisfaction, or water collected at night, should not be used. Sheep, wild animals, camels, and all single-hoofed creatures, as well as buffalo and yak, their milk should be avoided by the wise. Next, the regions to be carefully avoided are declared: śrāddha should not be performed or seen there, nor any acts of purity or impurity. Śrāddha may be performed with wild roots and fruits, with devotion, and by doing so one attains the desired land, heaven, liberation, and fame. The ground for śrāddha should not be unpleasant, noisy, infested with creatures, or foul-smelling. From the river up to the ocean, with the entrance facing southeast, the entire region of Triśaṅku for twelve yojanas should be avoided. The region called Traiśaṅkava, lying north of the great river and south of Kaikaṭa, is also to be avoided for the śrāddha rite. Kāraṅkarā, Kaliṅga, the land north of the Sindhu, and regions where āśrama-dharma has perished—these places should be diligently avoided. Naked ascetics and the like should not witness the śrāddha being performed; when seen by such as these, the ancestors and grandfathers do not partake. When asked about these naked ascetics and others, the great and radiant Bṛhaspati explained: For all beings, the threefold Vedic restraint is remembered. Those naked ascetics, O best of the twice-born, are those who, out of delusion, abandon this restraint. A man who is lost, or a bull without support, is said to be dissolved. Thus, the sacred rites and their proper observance, the places and offerings to be chosen or avoided, and the importance of faith, restraint, and purity are all revealed for the wise to follow, ensuring honor to the ancestors and fulfillment of dharma.