Vayu Purana

चित्रायां चैव यः कुर्यात् पश्येद्रूपवतः सुतान्। स्वातिना चैव यः कुर्याद्विद्वाँल्लाभमवाप्नुयात् ।। २०.

He who performs it under Citrā sees handsome sons; he who performs it under Svāti attains the company of the learned.

पुत्रार्थन्तु विशाखासु श्राद्धमीहेत मानवः। अनुराधासु कुर्व्वाणो नरश्चक्रं प्रवर्त्तयेत् ।। २०.

A man desiring sons should perform śrāddha under Viśākhā; performing it under Anurādhā, a man sets the wheel (of prosperity) in motion.

आधिपत्यं लभेच्छ्रैष्ठ्यं ज्येष्ठायां सततं तु यः। मूलेनारोग्यमिच्छन्ति आषाढासु महद्यशः ।। २०.

He who always performs it under Jyeṣṭhā attains lordship and excellence; under Mūla, they desire health; under Āṣāḍhā, great fame.

आषाढाभिश्चोत्तराभिर्वीतशोको भवेन्नरः। श्रवणायां सुलोकेषु प्राप्रुयात् परमां गतिम् ।। २०.

By performing the rite during the Uttarāṣāḍhā and Śravaṇā constellations, a man becomes free from sorrow; in Śravaṇā, he attains the highest state among the virtuous.

राज्यभाग्वै धनिष्ठासु प्राप्नुयाद्विपुलं धनम्। श्राद्धं त्वभिजिता कुर्वन् विन्दतेऽजाविकं फलम् ।। २०.

In Dhaniṣṭhā, one obtains abundant wealth and a share in sovereignty; by performing the śrāddha in Abhijit, one gains the fruit associated with the Ajāvika path.

नक्षत्रे वारुणे कुर्व्वन् भिषक्सिद्धिमवाप्नुयात्। पूर्व्वे प्रोष्ठपदे कुर्व्वन् विन्दतेऽजाविकं फलम् ।। २०.

By performing the rite under the Vāruṇī constellation, one attains mastery in medicine; in Pūrvā Proṣṭhapadā, one gains the fruit associated with the Ajāvika path.

उत्तरास्वनतिक्रम्य विन्देद्घा वै सहस्रशः। बहुरूपकृतं द्रव्यं विन्देत् कुर्व्वंस्तु रेवतीम्। अश्वांश्चैवाश्विनीयुक्तो भरण्यामायुरुत्तमम् ।। २०.

By performing the rite in the Uttarā constellations, one obtains cows by the thousands; in Revatī, one acquires wealth of many forms, and in Aśvinī, horses; in Bharaṇī, one attains supreme longevity.

इमं श्राद्धविधिं कुर्व्वञ्छशबिन्दुर्महीमिमाम्। कृत्स्नां तु लेभे स कृत्स्नां लब्धा च प्रशशंस तम् ।। २०.

By performing this śrāddha rite, Śaśabindu gained the entire earth; having obtained it all, he praised this rite.

इति श्रीमहापुराणे वायुप्रोक्ते नक्षत्रविशेषे श्राद्धफलवर्णनं नाम विंशोऽध्यायः

Thus ends the twentieth chapter, named 'Description of the Fruits of Śrāddha According to the Constellations,' in the Vāyu Purāṇa as spoken by Vāyu.

शंयुरुवाच।। किञ्चिद्दत्तं पितॄणां तु धिनोति वदतां वर । किं हि स्विच्चिररात्राय किञ्चानन्त्याय कल्पते ।। २१.

Śaṃyu said: Even a little that is given to the ancestors brings benefit, O best of speakers; what leads to long-lasting or eternal results?

बृहस्पतिरुवाच। हवींषि श्राद्धकाले तु यानि श्राद्धविदो विदुः। तानि मे श्रृणु सर्वाणि फलं चैषां यथाबलम् ।। २१.

Bṛhaspati said: Hear from me all the offerings known to the learned as proper at the time of śrāddha, and their respective fruits.

तिलैर्व्रीहियवैर्माषैरद्भिर्मूलफलेन च। दत्तेन मासं प्रीयन्ते श्राद्धेन तु पितामहाः ।। २१.

By offering sesame, rice, barley, black gram, water, roots, and fruits, the grandfathers are pleased for a month through the śrāddha.

मत्स्यैः प्रीणन्ति द्वौ मासौ त्रीन्मासान्हारिणेन तु। शाशन्तु चतुरो मासान् पञ्च प्रीणाति शाकुनम् ।। २१ .

With fish, they are pleased for two months; with deer meat, for three months; with hare, for four months; with bird, for five months.

वाराहेण तु षण्मासाञ्छागलं साप्तमासिकम्। अष्टमासिकमित्युक्तं यच्च पार्षतकं भवेत् ।। २१.

With boar, for six months; with goat, for seven months; with partridge, it is said, for eight months.

रौरवेण तु प्रीयन्ते नवमासान् पितामहाः। गवयस्य तु मांसेन तृप्तिः स्याद्दशमासिकी ।। २१.

With ruru deer, the grandfathers are pleased for nine months; with wild ox meat, satisfaction lasts for ten months.

कूर्मस्य चैव मांसेन मासानेकादशैव तु । श्राद्धमेव विजानीयाद्गव्यं संवत्सरं भवेत् ।। २१.

With tortoise meat, for eleven months; but know that with cow's meat at śrāddha, satisfaction lasts for a year.

तथा गव्यसमायुक्तं पायसं मधुसर्पिषा। वध्रीणसस्य मांसेन तृप्तिर्द्वादशवार्षिकी ।। २१.

Likewise, rice cooked with cow's milk, honey, and ghee, and with vadhrīṇasa's meat, brings satisfaction for twelve years.

आनन्त्याय भवेद्युक्तं खाड्गमांसैः पितृक्षये। कृष्णच्छागस्तथा गोधा आनन्त्यायैव कल्पते ।। २१.

For endless satisfaction, offerings of swordfish meat at the waning of the ancestors, as well as black goat and monitor lizard, are suitable for eternity.

अत्र गाथाः पितृगीताः कीर्त्तयन्ति पुराविदः। तास्तेऽहं संप्रवक्ष्यामि यथावत्सन्निबोधत ।। २१.

On this subject, the knowers of old recite the songs of the ancestors; I shall now declare them to you in full, listen attentively.

अपि नः स्वकुले जायाद्योऽन्नं दद्यात्र्त्रयोदशीम्। पायसं मधुसर्पिर्भ्यां छायायां कुञ्जरस्य तु ।। २१.

May one be born in our lineage who gives food on the thirteenth day, rice cooked with honey and ghee, or in the shade of an elephant.

आजेन सर्वलोहेन वर्षासु च मघासु च। एष्टव्या बहवः पुत्रा यद्येकोऽपि गयां व्रजेत्। गौरीं वाप्युद्वहेद्भार्य्यां नीलं वा वृषमुत्सृजेत् ।। २१.

By offering goat or all kinds of meat, and in the rainy season or under the Maghā constellation, many sons are to be desired, even if only one goes to Gayā, or marries a fair wife, or releases a blue bull.

शंयुरुवाच।। गयादीनां फलं तात प्रब्रूहि समपृच्छतः। पितॄणां चैव यत्पुण्यं निखिलेन ब्रवीहि मे ।। २१.

Śaṃyu said: O father, tell me the fruits of Gayā and other sacred places, as I ask you. Also, tell me in full what merit accrues to the ancestors.

बृहस्पतिरुवाच।। गयायामक्षयं श्राद्धं जपहोमतपांसि च। पितृङयाहे ते पुत्र तस्मात्तत्राक्षयं स्मृतम् ।। २१.

Bṛhaspati said: At Gayā, the śrāddha is imperishable, as are recitation, offerings, and austerities. O son, for the ancestors, that is why it is called imperishable there.

पुनीयादेकविंशन्तु गौर्यामुत्पादितः सुतः। मातामहांस्तु षड्‌भूय इति तस्याः फलं स्मृतम् ।। २१.

A son born from Gaurī purifies twenty-one generations; he purifies six maternal grandfathers again and again—such is declared to be her fruit.

फलं वृषस्य वक्ष्यामि गदतो मे निबोधत। वृषोत्स्रष्टा पुनात्येव दशातीतान् दशावरान् ।। २१.

I will declare the fruit of the bull; listen as I speak. The one who releases a bull surely purifies ten generations before and ten after.

यत्किञ्चित् स्पृश्यते तोयैरुत्तीर्णेन जलान्महीम्। वृषोत्सर्गे पितॄणां तु ह्यक्षयं स मुदाहृतम् ।। २१.

Whatever is touched by the water that has washed the bull and fallen on the earth, that act of releasing the bull is said to be imperishable for the ancestors.

यद्यद्धि संस्पृशेत्तोयं लांगूलादिभिरन्ततः। सर्वं तदक्षयं तस्य पितॄणां नात्र संशयः ।। २१.

Whatever water is touched by the bull, even by its tail and other limbs, all of that becomes imperishable for his ancestors—there is no doubt about this.

श्रृङ्गैः खुरैर्वा यद्भूमिमिल्लिखत्य निशं वृषः। मधुकुल्याः पितॄंस्तस्य अक्षयास्ता भवन्ति वै ।। २१.

Wherever the bull marks the ground with its horns or hooves, there, the ancestors become imperishably satisfied by the honeyed offerings.

सहस्रनल्वमात्रेण तडागेन यथा श्रुतिः। तृप्तिस्तृप्तिः पितॄणां वै तद्वृषस्याधिकोच्यते ।। २१.

As the scriptures say, by a tank measuring a thousand reeds, the ancestors are satisfied; but the satisfaction from the bull is said to be greater.