Vayu Purana

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.

यो ददाति गुढैर्मिश्रांस्तिलान् वै श्राद्धकर्मणि। मधुना मधुमिश्रान् वा अक्षयं सर्वमेव तत् ।। २१.

Whoever gives sesame mixed with jaggery or honey at a śrāddha, all of that becomes imperishable for the ancestors.

० बृहस्पतिरुवाच।। न ब्राह्मणान् परीक्षेत सदा देये तु मानवः। दैवे कर्मणि पित्र्ये च श्रूयते वै परीक्षणम् ।। २१.

Bṛhaspati said: A man should not always test brāhmaṇas when giving; but in divine and ancestral rites, testing is indeed prescribed.

सर्ववेदव्रतस्नाताः पङ्क्तीनां पावना द्विजाः। ये च भाष्य विदो मुख्या ये च व्याकरणे रताः ।। २१.

Those twice-born who have bathed after completing all Vedic vows, who purify the rows, who are foremost in the knowledge of commentaries, and who delight in grammar—

अधीयते पुराणं च धर्म्मशास्त्रं तथैव च। त्रिणाचिकेतपञ्चाग्निस्त्रिसुपर्णः षडङ्गवित् ।। २१.

Who study the Purāṇas and Dharmaśāstra, who know the three Nāciketa fires, the five fires, the Trisuparṇa, and the six limbs of the Veda—

ब्रह्मदेय सुतश्चैव छन्दोगो ज्येष्ठसामगः। पुण्येषु येषु तीर्थेषु अभिषेककृतव्रताः ।। २१.

Who are sons born of a brāhmaṇa wife, who are chanters of the Chāndogya, who are eldest singers of the Sāma Veda, and who have performed vows at holy places—

मुख्येषु येषु सत्रेषु भवन्त्यवभृथश्रुताः। ये च सद्योव्रता नित्यं स्वकर्मनिरताश्च ये ।। २१.

Who have heard the Avabhṛtha at the chief sacrifices, who always observe vows, and who are ever devoted to their own duties—

अक्रोधनाः शान्तिपरास्तान् वै श्राद्धे निमन्त्रयेत्। ये चापि नित्यं दशसु सुकृतेषु व्यवस्थिताः ।। २१.

Those who are free from anger, intent on peace, and those who are always established in ten kinds of good deeds—invite them to the śrāddha.

एतेषु दत्तमक्षय्यमेते वै पङ्क्तिपावनाः। श्रद्धेया ब्राह्मणा ये तु योगधर्म्ममनुव्रताः ।। २१.

Whatever is given to these is imperishable; these indeed purify the rows. The brāhmaṇas who are devoted to the discipline of yoga and dharma are to be revered.

धर्माश्रमवरिष्ठास्ते हव्यकव्येषु ते वराः। त्रयोऽपि पूजितास्तेन ब्रह्मविष्णु महेश्वराः ।। २१.

They are the foremost in dharma and āśrama; in offerings to gods and ancestors, they are excellent. By honoring them, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara are all worshipped.

पितृभिः सह लोकाश्च यो ह्येतान् पूजयेन्नरः। पवित्राणा पवित्रञ्च मङ्गलानां च मङ्गलम् ।। २१.

Whoever honors these, together with the ancestors, attains the purest of the pure and the most auspicious among the auspicious worlds.

प्रथमः सर्वधर्माणां योगधर्मो निगद्यते । अपाङ्क्तेयांस्तु वक्ष्यामि गदतो मे निबोधत ।। २१.

Of all duties, the discipline of yoga is declared to be the foremost. Now I shall speak of those who are unfit; listen as I explain.

कितवो मद्यपो यक्ष्मी पशुपालो निराकृतिः। ग्रामप्रेष्यो वार्द्धुषिको गायनो वणिजस्तथा ।। २१.

A gambler, a drunkard, one afflicted with consumption, a herdsman, one of bad appearance, a village messenger, a trader in goods, a singer, and a merchant—

अगारदाही गरदः कुण्डाशी सोमविक्रयी। समुद्रयायी दुश्चर्मा तैलिकः कूटकारकः ।। २१.

One who burns houses, a poisoner, one who eats from a common vessel, a seller of soma, a sea voyager, one who deals in skins, an oil merchant, and a maker of counterfeit goods—

पित्रा विवदमानश्च यस्य चोपपतिर्गृहे। अभिशस्तस्तथा स्तेनः शिल्पैर्यश्चोपजीवति ।। २१.

One who quarrels with his father, one whose wife is unchaste at home, one who is cursed, a thief, and one who makes a living by crafts—

सूजकः पर्वकारी च यस्तु मित्रेषु द्रुह्यति। गणयाचनकश्चैव नास्तिको वेदवर्जितः ।। २१.

A matchmaker, one who performs forbidden acts on festival days, one who betrays friends, a professional beggar, an atheist, and one devoid of Vedic knowledge—

उन्मत्तः षण्डकशठौ भ्रूणहा गुरुतल्पगः । भिषक्‌जीवः प्रैषणिकः परस्त्रीं यश्च गच्छति ।। २१.

One who is insane, a eunuch, a slanderer, a killer of a fetus, one who violates the teacher’s bed, a physician who lives by his practice, a messenger, and one who goes to another man's wife—

विक्रीणाति च यो ब्रह्म व्रतानि च तपांसि च। नष्टं स्यान्नास्तिके दत्तं कृतघ्ने चैव शंसके ।। २१.

One who sells the Veda, vows, or austerities; what is given to an atheist, an ingrate, or a slanderer is lost.

यच्च वाणिजके चैव नेह नामुत्र तद्भवेत्। निक्षेपहारिणे चैव कितवे वेदनिन्दके ।। २१.

And whatever is given to a merchant here yields no result either here or hereafter; nor to one who misappropriates deposits, a gambler, or a reviler of the Veda.

तथा वाणिजके चैव कारुके धर्म्मवर्जिते। निन्दन् क्रीणाति पण्यानि विक्रीणंश्च प्रशंसति ।। २१.

Likewise, to a merchant, an artisan devoid of righteousness, one who disparages goods when buying and praises them when selling—

अनृतस्य समावासो न वणिक् श्राद्धमर्हति। भस्म नीव हुतं हव्यं दत्तं पौनर्भवे द्विजे ।। २१.

One who dwells in falsehood, or a merchant, is not worthy of śrāddha. An offering made to a remarried twice-born is like ashes; it is fruitless.