Listen, then, to the sacred narrative of the rites and gifts surrounding the śrāddha, as revealed in the ancient verses. It is said that one should feed Brahmins with ghee and pour ghee upon the earth; such acts, especially the giving of an elephant at Gaya during a śrāddha, bring peace to the heart and remove sorrow. By offering rice, milk pudding, clarified butter, honey, roots, fruits, and a variety of delicacies, one finds happiness both in this world and beyond. With devotion, those who give parched grain mixed with sugar and juice, unfailingly and regularly for a year, as well as krisara and masura beans, perform a noble act. One should also offer saktu, laja, cakes, kulmāṣa, and other side dishes, alongside pleasant, unctuous, and agreeable foods. Feeding saktu with curd is especially auspicious. Whoever gives these at śrāddhas gains inexhaustible treasure. Giving new grains with respect and care at a śrāddha ensures all enjoyments and honor in heaven. Those who offer the best foods—whether to be eaten, chewed, sucked, drunk, or licked—rise as the best among men. The Vaiśvadeva and Saumya offerings, and even the flesh of the rhinoceros, are considered supreme, though its horn should be avoided, and envy has no place in these offerings. With joined palms, one should offer the first portion of food to guests, thereby attaining the unsurpassed fruit of all sacrificial acts. Hot, unspoiled food should be given quickly to the hungry, along with unctuous side dishes, all offered with devotion, respect, and care. The giver of food receives a celestial chariot, shining like the young sun and drawn by swans, and enjoys three times ten million aeons. There is no gift greater than the gift of food; from food, all beings are born and live. There is no doubt about this truth. The gift of life is the highest, for all three worlds subsist on food, and its fruit is truly supreme. Worlds rest upon food; this is the fruit of giving to the world. Prajāpati himself is food, and by food all creation is pervaded. Thus, there has never been, nor will there be, a gift equal to food. Whatever jewels lie in the earth, vehicles, and women—one who is devoted to the ancestors quickly obtains all these. With joined palms, one should always offer shelter to guests; the gods themselves wait for such a person, accompanied by thousands of divine guests. Whoever gives all these becomes the sole ruler of the earth; giving even three, two, or one brings happiness. Charity is the highest dharma, honored and respected by the virtuous. Indeed, the sovereignty of the three worlds is established through charity. The king gains a kingdom, the poor man supreme wealth, and one devoted to the ancestors always gains long life. The ancestors understand whatever desires he holds in his mind. Now, Bṛhaspati speaks: “Let me explain further the honored rites of śrāddha. The śrāddha ritual is always performed, both for desired results and as an obligation. O son, the three aṣṭakā rites are based on sons, wives, and wealth. The earlier half of the lunar month is considered superior, and the first aṣṭakā is called Citrī. The second is Prājāpatyā, and the third is Vaiśvadevikī. The first should always be performed with cakes, and the others each month. The third is to be performed with vegetables; this is the rule for the substances to be used. The Anvaṣṭakā is prescribed for the ancestors and should always be performed. If there is a fourth aṣṭakā, it should also be performed with special care. In all these, the wise should perform śrāddha always, using all their means. In all worlds, here and hereafter, one who always performs these becomes happy; those who worship are elevated, while non-believers descend to a lower state. The ancestors, at all times and on the proper lunar days, come to men just as cows go to their watering place. Let not those aṣṭakā rites, honored by the gods, pass you by. For those who neglect them, the world becomes futile, and what is gained is lost. Those who offer reach the gods, while non-givers go to lower realms. By giving, one obtains offspring, prosperity, memory, intelligence, sons, and sovereignty. One who performs the rite on the full moon attains complete fulfillment beforehand; what is gained on the first day of the lunar fortnight is not lost. Performing it on the second day brings lordship over bipeds; for those seeking boons, the third day destroys enemies and removes sins. On the fourth day, one sees the flaws of his enemy; the fifth day brings great prosperity. The sixth day earns the honor of the twice-born, and the seventh day brings a great sacrifice and lordship of groups. On the eighth day, one attains complete prosperity. The ninth day brings wealth and the desired wife; the tenth day brings Brāhmī prosperity, all the Vedas, and the destruction of sin. On the eleventh day, supreme gifts and constant sovereignty are obtained. The twelfth day brings a kingdom, victory, and wealth. The thirteenth day grants offspring, intelligence, cattle, wisdom, independence, supreme nourishment, long life, and prosperity. For those in whose house young men have died, offerings should be made for them; for those killed by weapons, offerings should be made on the fourteenth day. Likewise, for those born in adverse circumstances and for twins, one should always perform the śrāddha with purity and care on the new moon day. He attains all desires and enjoys endless heaven who, on the new moon, offers the great, nourishing Soma in accordance with truth. Thus nourished, Soma sustains the three worlds, being constantly praised by Siddhas, Cāraṇas, and Gandharvas, with hymns, delightful flowers, all desired offerings, and with dances, instruments, and songs by thousands of Apsarases. Such is the sacred story of the śrāddha rites and the supreme gifts, the path to happiness, prosperity, and elevation for those who follow it with faith and devotion.