Vayu Purana

गन्धान्पुष्पाणि धूपांश्च दद्यादाज्यादुतीश्च वै। फलमूलनमस्कारैः पिदॄणां प्रयतः शुचिः। पूर्व कृत्वा द्विजान्पश्वात्पूजयेदन्नसम्पदा ।। १३.

One should offer fragrances, flowers, incense, clarified butter, and grains, with fruit, roots, and respectful salutations, to the ancestors, with devotion and purity; after honoring the Brahmins and animals, one should worship them with food.

श्राद्धकाले तु सततं वायुभूताः पितामहाः। आविशन्ति द्विजान्दृष्ट्वा तस्मादेतद्ब्रवीमि ते ।। १३.

At the time of the śrāddha, the ancestors, having become like wind, always enter upon seeing the Brahmins; therefore, I declare this to you.

वस्त्रैरन्नैः प्रदानैस्तैर्भक्ष्यपेयैस्तथैव च। गोभिरश्वैस्तथा ग्रामैः पूजयित्वा द्विजोत्तमान् ।। १३.

By honoring the foremost Brahmins with gifts of clothes, food, offerings, eatables and drinks, as well as cows, horses, and villages,

भवन्ति पितरः प्रीताः पूजितेषु द्विजातिषु। तस्मादन्नेन विधिवत् पूजयेद्द्विजसत्तमान् ।। १३.

The ancestors become pleased when the Brahmins are honored; therefore, one should properly worship the best Brahmins with food.

सव्योत्तराभ्यां पाणिभ्यां कुर्य्यादुल्लेखनं द्विजः। प्रोक्षणञ्च तथा कुर्याच्छ्राद्धकर्म्मण्यतन्द्रितः ।। १३.

A Brahmin should perform the marking with both right and left hands, and likewise the sprinkling, being diligent in the śrāddha ritual.

दर्भान्पिण्डांस्तथा भक्ष्यान्पुष्पाणि विविधानि च। गन्धदानमलङ्कारमेकैकं निर्वपेद्वुधः ।। १३.

One should offer darbha grass, rice balls, various foods, flowers, fragrance, and ornaments, each separately, as prescribed.

पोषयित्वा जनं सम्यग्वैश्वः स्यादुत्तरो द्विजः। अभ्यङ्ग दर्भपिञ्जालैस्त्रिभिः कुर्याद्यथाविधि ।। १३.

After properly nourishing the people, the Brahmin becomes superior; he should perform the anointing with three bundles of darbha grass, as prescribed.

अपसव्यं पितृभ्यश्च दद्यादन्नमनुत्तमम्। तमुच्चार्य्याथ सर्वेषां वस्त्रार्थं सूत्रमेव च ।। १३.

One should give excellent food to the ancestors with the left hand; after uttering their names, one should also give cloth and thread for all.

खण्डनं पोषणं चैव तथैवोल्लेखनं तथा। सकृदेव हि देवानां पितॄणां त्रिभिरुच्यते ।। १३.

Cutting, nourishing, and marking, as well as the same marking, are said to be performed once for the gods and three times for the ancestors.

एकं पवित्रं हस्तेन पितॄन्सर्वान्सकृत्सकृत्। चैलमन्त्रेण पिण्डेभ्यो दत्त्वा दर्शनजं हितम् ।। १३.

With one pure cloth in hand, let one offer to all the ancestors, again and again, the beneficial sight-born gift to the rice-balls, accompanied by the prescribed mantra.

सदा सर्पिस्तिलैर्युक्तां स्त्रीन् पिण्डान्निर्वपेद्भुवि। जानुं कृत्वा तथा सव्यं भूमौ पितृपरायणः ।। १३.

Always, one devoted to the ancestors should offer three rice-balls mixed with clarified butter and sesame seeds upon the ground, placing the left knee down as prescribed.

पितॄन् पितामहांश्चैव तथैव प्रपितामहान्। आहूय च पितॄन् प्राञ्चान् पितृतीर्थेन यत्नतः। पिण्डान्परिक्षिपेत्सम्यगपसव्यमतन्द्रितः ।। १३.

Having duly invoked the ancestors, the grandfathers, and the great-grandfathers, and facing east, let one carefully encircle the rice-balls with water from the ancestral side, without negligence.

अन्नेनाद्भिश्च पुष्पैश्च भक्ष्यैश्चैव पृथग्विधैः। पृथग् मातामहानान्तु केचिदिच्छन्ति मानवाः ।। १३.

With food, water, flowers, and various kinds of edibles, some people wish to separately honor the maternal ancestors.

त्रीन् पिण्डानानुपूर्व्व्येण साङ्गुष्ठान्पुष्टिवर्द्धनान् । जान्वन्तराभ्यां यत्नेन पिण्डान् दद्याद्यथाक्रमम् ।। १३.

Let one offer the three nourishing rice-balls in order, using the thumb, between the knees, with care, according to the proper sequence.

सव्योत्तराभ्यां पाणिभ्यां धर्मे मन्त्रे च पर्य्ययः। नमो वः पितरः सूक्ष्मैः सदा ह्येवमतन्द्रितः ।। १३.

With the left and upper hands, with the dharma mantra in turn, always and without fatigue, let one say: 'Homage to you, O subtle ancestors.'

दक्षिणस्यान्तु पाणिभ्यां प्रथमं पिण्डमुत्सृजेत्। नमो वः पितरः सौम्याः पठन्नित्यमतन्द्रितः ।। १३.

With the right hand, let one first release the rice-ball, always reciting without fatigue: 'Homage to you, O gentle ancestors.'

सव्योत्तराभ्यां पाणिभ्यां धर्मे सर्व्वमतन्द्रितः। उलूखलस्य लेखाया मुदपात्राच्च सेवनम् ।। १३.

With the left and upper hands, always attentive to dharma, let one serve at the line of the mortar and the vessel for water.

क्षौमसूत्रं नवं दद्याच्छोणं कार्पासिकं तथा। पत्रोर्णं पितृसूत्रञ्च कौशेयं परिवर्जयेत् ।। १३.

One should give new linen thread, red cotton cloth, woolen or bark cloth, and the ancestral thread, but silk should be avoided.

वर्जयेत्तद्दशां यज्ञे यदप्यहतवस्त्रजाम्। न प्रीणन्ति तथैतानि दातुराप्यायतो भवेत् ।। १३.

One should avoid, in the sacrifice, any cloth that is torn or soiled; the ancestors are not pleased by such, and the giver does not gain prosperity.

श्रेष्ठमाहुस्त्रिककुदमञ्जनं नित्यमेव च। कृष्णेभ्यश्च तिलेभ्यश्च यत्तैलं परिरक्षितम् ।। १३.

They say the best is the three-knotted collyrium, and always the oil preserved from black sesame seeds.

चन्दनागुरुणी चोभे तमालोशीरपझकम्। धूपं च गुग्गुलश्रेष्ठं तुरुष्कं धूपमेव च ।। १३.

Both sandalwood and aguru, tamala, usira, and bhaka, and the best incense—guggulu and turushka incense—are to be used.

शुक्लाः सुमनसः श्रेष्ठास्तथा पझोत्पलानि च। गन्धवन्त्युपपन्नानि यानि चान्यानि कृत्स्नशः ।। १३.

The best flowers are white and fragrant, as well as lotuses and water-lilies, and all others that are suitable and fragrant.

जवासुमनसो भण्डीरूपकामकुरण्डकाः। पुष्पाणि वर्जनीयानि श्राद्धकर्मणि नित्यशः ।। १३.

Javā, sumanas, bhaṇḍīra, upakāma, and kuraṇḍaka flowers are always to be avoided in the śrāddha ritual.

यानि गन्धादपेतानि उपगन्धीनि यानि च। वर्जनीयानि पुष्पाणि भूतिमन्विच्छता तदा ।। १३.

Flowers that lack fragrance or have only a faint scent should be avoided by one who seeks prosperity in the ritual.

द्विजातयस्तथान्विष्ठा नियताः स्युरुदङ्मुखाः। पूजयेद्यजमानस्तु विधिवद्दक्षिणामुखः ।। १३.

The twice-born, thus seated, should be disciplined and face north; but the sacrificer should worship, according to rule, facing south.

तेषामभिमुखो दद्याद्दर्भान्पिण्डांश्च यत्नतः। अनेन विधिना साक्षादर्च्चयेत् स्वान् पितामहान् ।। १३.

Facing them, one should carefully offer darbha grass and rice-balls; by this very method, one should directly honor one's own grandfathers.

हरिता वै सपिञ्जल्याः पुष्पस्निग्धाः समाहिताः। रत्निमात्रप्रदानेन पितृतीर्थेन संस्थिताः ।। १३.

Green, with a touch of yellow, moist with flowers, and well-arranged, darbha grass of the size of a barley grain should be placed at the ancestral spot.

उपमूले तथा नीलाः प्रस्तराद्यकुलोद्यमाः । तथा श्मामाकनीवारा दुर्वाराः समुदाहृताः ।। १३.

At the base of the roots likewise, dark stones and other such things arise in abundance; similarly, śmāmāka, nīvāra, and durvā grasses are mentioned.

पूर्व्वंकीर्त्तितवाञ्छ्रेष्ठो बभूवाथ प्रजापतिः । तस्य वाला निपतिता भूमौ चाकाशमार्गतः ।। १३.

The most excellent Prajāpati, previously praised, then became; his hairs fell to the earth from the path of the sky.