Those who turn away from yoga, harboring hostility toward it, are likened to inert clods that sink helplessly into the ocean’s depths, bound there for as long as the earth endures. Such is the fate of the faithless; thus, the sacred duty of the śrāddha ritual is always to be performed by one who is devoted and faithful. One must never indulge in slander, and especially not against yogins. For by slandering, a person becomes a worm, doomed to revolve in that condition. Whoever reviles yoga—the very path that leads those who meditate toward liberation—falls into a dreadful hell, and so too does the one who listens to such reproach. Of this, there can be no doubt. All of hell, terrifying and shrouded in darkness, awaits those who slander the lords of yoga. Anyone who hears criticism directed at these self-restrained yogins is destined to sink for a long time in the Kumbhīpāka hell—there is no uncertainty in this outcome. Therefore, by thought, word, or deed, one should avoid all hatred toward yogins, for the consequences are experienced both in this world and beyond. Without crossing to the far shore, one cannot attain the Supreme Self. Such a person wanders through the three worlds, bound by their own actions. Even mastery of the Rig, Yajur, and Sama Vedas, with all their branches, is of no avail if one has not undergone inner transformation; such a person remains stuck, unable to progress. But he who has transcended change, gone beyond nature and its three qualities, and surpassed the twenty-four principles—he alone is truly called one who has crossed beyond, who has reached the journey’s end. Just as all the elements are withdrawn into the Self at the time of dissolution, so too does the knower of yoga, by the power of yoga, withdraw everything into the true Self. Such a one moves by the path of all-pervading power, beyond the reach of others. The true knower of yoga, who fully understands the Veda and attains what is to be known, is recognized by the wise as a true Veda-knower—one who has reached the very end of Vedic knowledge. Having comprehended both what is to be known and what is to be understood, following the proper method, such a person is honored as a knower of the Veda by those who contemplate its depths. Such a one attains the fruits of sacrifice, the Vedas, fulfillment of desires, and many kinds of knowledge. He gains long life, offspring, devotion to ancestors, and wealth. Whoever recites, with discipline, the final prescribed section of the śrāddha ritual, achieves all these results and also reaps the rewards of giving at holy sites. He becomes a purifier of his lineage and the foremost among the twice-born; by instructing others, he fulfills all his desires. And whoever listens regularly to this endless account, if he is free from envy, has conquered anger, and is devoid of greed and delusion, attains heaven. Such a person gains the full fruits of pilgrimages and of giving, and this is the highest means to liberation and the supreme way to heaven. Satisfaction is gained here and hereafter; therefore, one should strive diligently. Whoever recites this procedure with attention and concentration at assemblies and on sacred days becomes blessed with offspring, attains supreme brilliance, and reaches the same world as the gods. To the Self-born, the divine originator of this rite, I bow; and always, I bow to the great lords of yoga. Know, dear one, that these ancestors are indeed the deities of the gods. These seven, ever untroubled, remain always in their respective places. They are the sons of Prajāpati, all of great soul. The first group consists of yogis—eternal and ever-increasing in yoga. The second group is of the gods, the third of the enemies of the gods, and the rest belong to the classes of men, as has been described. The gods themselves worship these ancestors, and the four stages of life honor them in their own order. The four classes of society, as well as those of mixed castes and even foreigners, all worship them according to the proper method. Whoever worships the ancestors with devotion is honored by them, and for one seeking prosperity or offspring, the grandfathers grant prosperity, children, and heaven. The duty a son owes his father surpasses even the duty owed to the gods, for the ancestors are the original source of nourishment for the gods themselves. Neither the subtle path of yoga nor the supreme path of the ancestors can be perceived by the physical eye, not even through severe austerity. A vessel made entirely of silver, or adorned with silver, is declared most pure and excellent for offerings to the gods and ancestors together. When relatives, named and identified by lineage, offer three balls of food on earth, placed upon sacred grass and in the prescribed manner, the ancestors truly benefit. Wherever those offerings are present, the ancestors are satisfied, and whatever nourishment a creature receives, that becomes its sustenance. Just as a calf finds its lost mother in the cowshed, so the mantra guides the departed soul to its place of rest. Respect, lineage, and mantra, together with the offered food, lead to satisfaction, and even across a hundred births, that fulfillment follows. Thus, this arrangement was established by Brahmā, the supreme lord, as the original creation of the ancestors, for the imperishable worlds. Thus, the ancestors are gods, and the gods are also ancestors. The sacrificers and their descendants have been described as well. The worlds, daughters, grandsons, and sons, as well as gifts, purity, sacred places, and their fruits, have all been explained. Imperishability, the twice-born, and the wandering ascetic tradition have all been stated in proper order, as Brahmā once spoke. Bṛhaspati said: Thus Aṅgiras spoke these teachings to the listening sages, resolving all their doubts concerning the ancestors in the assembly. In the ancient sacrifice lasting a thousand years, where the householder was present, Brahmā, the lord of the gods, presided. It is said that hundreds of years passed there, and the sages—those who speak of Brahman—sang verses in that place. At that great sacrifice, the supreme soul, Brahmā, was initiated, and there, the fierce desire for imperishability arose among the ancestors for the welfare of the worlds, inspired by Brahmā, the supreme lord. Sūta said: Thus, when questioned by his wise son, Bṛhaspati recounted the lineage of the ancestors as it was told. Now, listen further as I relate the account of Varuṇa.