Vayu Purana

कथं पुत्रादयो मे स्युर्विशालं चाब्रुवन्द्विजाः। गयायां पिण्डदानेन तव सर्व्वं भविष्यति ।। ५०.

'How will I have sons?' Viśāla asked the Brāhmaṇas; they replied, 'By offering piṇḍa at Gayā, all will be accomplished for you.'

विशालोऽपि गयाशीर्ष पिण्डदः पुत्रवानभूत्। दृष्ट्वाकाशे सितं रक्तं कृष्णं पुरुषमब्रवीत् ।। ५०.

Viśāla too, by offering piṇḍa at Gayāśīrṣa, obtained sons; seeing in the sky a white, a red, and a black man, he spoke.

के यूयं तेषु चैवैकः सितः प्रोचे विशालकम्। अहं सितस्ते जनक इन्द्रलोकादिहागतः ।। ५०.

'Who are you?' Of them, the white one spoke to Viśāla: 'I am the white one, your ancestor, come here from Indra's world.'

मम पुत्र पिता रक्तो ब्रह्महा पापकृत्तमः । अयं पितामहः कृष्ण ऋषयो येन घातिताः ।। ५०.

'My son is the red one, a slayer of Brāhmaṇas, most sinful; this black one is the grandfather, by whom sages were killed.'

अवीचिनरकं प्राप्तौ मुक्तौ त्वत्पिण्डदानतः। पितॄन्पितामहांश्चैव तथैव प्रपितामहान् ।। ५०.

'They had reached the hell Avīci, but were freed by your offering of piṇḍa; fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers likewise.'

प्रीणयामीति यत्तोयं त्वया दत्तमरिन्दम। तेनास्मद्युगपद्योगो जातो वाक्येन सत्तम ।। ५०.

'By the water you gave, O subduer of foes, we have been satisfied; by your act and your words, supreme one, we have attained union together.'

मुक्तिः कृता त्वया पुत्र व्रजामः स्वर्गमुत्तमम्। एवं पुत्रैः पितॄणां च कर्तव्या मुक्तिरुत्तमा ।। ५०.

'You have granted liberation, O son; we shall go to the highest heaven. Thus, sons must bring about the supreme liberation of their ancestors.'

त्वञ्च राज्यं चिरं कृत्वा भुक्त्वा भोगांश्च दुर्ल्लभान्। यज्ञान्सदक्षिणान्कृत्वा यायाद्विष्णुपुरं ततः ।। ५०.

And you, after ruling the kingdom for a long time and enjoying rare pleasures, performing sacrifices with proper gifts, will then go to Viṣṇu's city.

एवं लब्धवरो राजा राज्यं कृत्वा दिवंगतः। प्रेतराजः सह प्रेतैर्गयाश्राद्धाद्दिवं गतः ।। ५०.

Thus, the king, having obtained the boon, ruled and then went to heaven; the lord of the departed, along with the departed, went to heaven from the Gayā offering.

प्रेतः कश्चिद्विमुक्त्यर्थं वणिजं कञ्चिदब्रवीत्। मम नाम्ना गयाशीर्षे पिण्डनिर्व्वापणं कुरु ।। ५०.

A certain departed spirit, desiring liberation, spoke to a merchant: 'In my name, perform the offering of piṇḍa at Gayāśīrṣa.'

प्रेतभावविमुक्त्यर्थं त्वं गृहाण धनं मम। तद्वनं सर्व्वमादाय गयाश्राद्धव्ययं कुरु ।। ५०.

'For the sake of release from the state of a departed spirit, take my wealth; taking all that forest, use it for the expenses of the Gayā offering.'

षोडशपञ्चभागांश्च तुभ्यं वै दत्तवानहम्। स्वनामानि यथान्यायं सम्यगाख्यातवानहम् ।। ५०.

I have given you sixteen and five portions, and have properly declared their names to you, as is fitting.

गत्वा गयां गयाशीर्ष प्रेतराजाय पिण्डकम्। समदाद्बन्धुभिः सार्द्धं स्वपितृभ्यस्ततो ददौ ।। ५०.

Having gone to Gayā, to Gayāśīrṣa, he offered the rice-ball to the King of the Dead, and then, together with his relatives, gave it to his own ancestors.

प्रेतः प्रेतत्वनिर्म्मुक्तो वणिक् स्वगृहमागतः । एवं गयस्य शम्भोश्च क्षेत्रं विष्णो रवेस्तथा ।। ५०.

Freed from the state of a ghost, the merchant returned to his own house; thus is the field of Gayā, of Śambhu, of Viṣṇu, and likewise of the Sun.

उपोषितोऽथ गायत्रीतीर्थे महानदीस्थिते। गायत्र्याः पुरतः स्नात्वा प्रातःसन्ध्यामुपासयेत् ।। ५०.

Having fasted, then, at the Gayatrī ford, situated on the great river, one should bathe before Gayatrī and worship the morning twilight.

श्राद्धं सपिण्डकं कृत्वानयेद्ब्रह्मण्यतां कुलम्। तीर्थे समुदिते स्नात्वा सावित्र्याः पुरतो नरः ।। ५०.

Having performed the śrāddha with rice-balls, he leads his family to brahminhood; having bathed at the sacred ford, a man should stand before Sāvitrī.

सन्ध्यामुपास्य मध्याह्ने नयेत्कुलशतन्दिवम्। पिण्डदानं ततः कुर्य्यात्पितॄणां मुक्तिकाम्यया ।। ५०.

Having worshipped the twilight at midday, he should lead his family for a hundred days; then, desiring the liberation of the ancestors, he should offer the rice-balls.

प्राचीसरस्वतीतीर्थे स्नात्वा चापि यथाविधि। सन्ध्यामुपास्य सायाह्ने विष्णुलोकं नयेत्पितॄन् ।। ५०.

Having bathed at the eastern Sarasvatī ford, as prescribed, and worshipped the twilight in the evening, he leads his ancestors to Viṣṇu's world.

बहुजन्मकृतात्सन्ध्यालोपान्मुक्तस्त्रिसन्ध्य कृत्। विशालायां लेलिहाने तीर्थे च भरताश्रमे ।। ५०.

Freed from the fault of neglecting the twilight rites over many births, one who performs the three twilights at Viśālā, at the licking ford, and at the hermitage of Bharata—

पादाङ्किते मुण्डपृष्ठे गदाधरसमीपतः। तीर्थे चाकाशगङ्गायां गिरिकर्णमुखेषु च ।। ५०.

At the foot-marked, on the back of Muṇḍa, near Gadādhara, at the ford of the sky-Gaṅgā, and at the mouths of the mountain caves—

स्नातोऽथ पिण्डदो ब्रह्मलोकं कुलशतं नयेत्। देवनद्यां वैतरण्यां स्नातः स्वर्गं नयेत्पितॄन् ।। ५०.

Having bathed and given rice-balls, he leads a hundred families to Brahmā's world; having bathed in the divine river Vaitaraṇī, he leads his ancestors to heaven.

स्नातो गोदो वैतरण्यां त्रिःसप्तकुलमुद्धरेत्। सत्यं सत्यं पुनः सत्यं वैतरण्यां तु नारद ।। ५०.

Having bathed and given a cow in the Vaitaraṇī, he uplifts three times seven families; truly, truly, again truly, O Nārada, in the Vaitaraṇī.

एकविंशतिकुलान्याहुस्तारयेन्नात्र संशयः। या सा वैतरणी नाम नदी त्रैलोक्यविश्रुता ।। ५०.

They say he uplifts twenty-one families—there is no doubt of this—by that river named Vaitaraṇī, renowned throughout the three worlds.

सावतीर्णा गयाक्षेत्रे पितॄणां तरणाय वै। गोदावर्य्यां वैतरण्यां यमुनायां तथैव च ।। ५०.

That river, descended in the field of Gayā for the crossing over of ancestors, is likewise in the Godāvarī, in the Vaitaraṇī, and in the Yamunā.

देवनद्यां गोप्रचारे श्राद्धदः स्वर्नयेत्पितॄन्। पुष्करिण्यां घृतकुल्यां मधुकुल्यां तथैव च ।। ५०.

In the divine river, in the cow-pasture, one who gives śrāddha leads his ancestors to heaven; in the Puṣkariṇī, in the Ghṛtakulyā, and likewise in the Madhukulyā.

कोटितीर्थे रुक्मिणीये पिण्डदः स्वर्नयेत्पितॄन्। त्रिरात्रोपोषणेनैव तीर्थाभिगमनेन च ।। ५०.

At the Koṭi ford, at Rukmiṇī's place, one who gives rice-balls leads his ancestors to heaven; by fasting for three nights and by visiting the fords.

अदत्त्वा काञ्चनङ्गाश्च दरिद्रो जायते नरः। घृतकुल्या मधुकुल्या देविका च महानदी ।। ५०.

Without giving golden-limbed cows, a man becomes poor; at Ghṛtakulyā, Madhukulyā, Devikā, and the great river.

शिलायाः सङ्गमो यत्र मधुस्रवा प्रकीर्तिता। अयुतं चाश्वमेधानां स्नानकृल्लभते नरः ।। ५०.

Where the confluence of the stones is, called the honey-flowing, a man who bathes there obtains the fruit of ten thousand horse-sacrifices.

श्राद्धं सपिण्डकं कृत्वा पिण्डदानं तथैव च। कुलानां शतमुद्धृत्य विष्णुलोकं नयेन्नरः ।। ५०.

Having performed the śrāddha with rice-balls and likewise the offering of rice-balls, a man, having uplifted a hundred families, leads them to Viṣṇu's world.